You don't have to eat salads

When someone talks about good nutrition chances are visions of lettuce salads with grilled chicken will start dancing in your head. But what happens when you're sick of salads or what if you never even liked salads in the first place?

Just because you can't see yourself eating and enjoying what you consider to be the "perfect" or the "best" meal doesn't mean you can't eat nutritious meals.

The goal is to put together a meal with a:

• Protein
• A carbohydrate
• A fruit and/or vegetable

A meal that contains at least 3 food groups is more likely to provide you with the energy you need for your day and enough protein and fiber to satisfy your hunger.

We tend to have plenty of ideas of how to get protein and carbohydrates with our meals, but vegetables can be a little more challenging.

Try these strategies to boost your veggie intake:

• Add veggies or salsa to scrambled eggs or omelets.
• Keep a veggie tray in your fridge.
• Try kale chips or dried veggies with your sandwich.
• Add a handful of leafy greens to a smoothie.
• Try spaghetti squash or noodles made from zucchini.
• Top a sandwich with cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes or even coleslaw.
• Add shredded or pureed carrots or squash to spaghetti or casseroles.
• Try roasting veggies to bring out their natural sweetness.
• Serve casseroles or pasta dishes on greens such as spinach or arugula.
• Add shredded carrots to a pulled pork or pulled chicken recipe.
• Try using lettuce or steamed collard greens as wraps.
• Have a low sodium vegetable juice as a beverage.
• Add frozen veggies or shredded carrots to preseasoned pasta, rice, canned soups or restaurant leftovers.
• Try cauliflower rice or pizza crust.
• Don't be afraid to use a dip! Try veggies with hummus, salad dressing or yogurt-based dips.
• Add diced veggies such as mushrooms, onions, peppers or carrots to meatloaf or meatballs.
• Add vegetables as a topping on your pizza.
• Make a quick lettuce-free salad by adding salad dressing to matchstick carrots or sliced cucumbers.
• Add veggie kebabs to your summer grilling menu.