The base of your diet-friendly salad should be salad greens. Salads made with pasta and potatoes tend to be higher in calories and fat. Beans can make a great salad base as well and they are packed with protein. But most dieters will choose different types of lettuce as a salad base because they are so low in calories.
So which salad greens are best? There are so many to choose from and everyone prefers a different style. My recommendation is to choose a few fresh spring greens for flavor and then bulk up your salad with mild, crispy greens to add crunch and volume.
Soft, flavorful spring greens: Arugula, spinach, chard, watercress, mustard greens, mache, beet greens Crisp, low-calorie greens: Iceberg, bibb, romaine, radicchio, escarole, endive, leaf lettuce, and frisée. You can also save time and throw a handful of pre-mixed cabbage into your salad bowl to add crunch without calories.
