Salad

Wild salmon is widely available in cans. To ensure that you’re getting the most sustainable option, look for the blue Marine Stewardship Council logo on the label. The warming spices that make up curry powder—typically a combination of turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, and cumin, among others—also offer a wealth of health benefits, including boosting metabolism and decreasing inflammation.

Balsamic vinegar and brown sugar combine to make a tart, sweet dressing for all kinds of berries—a high variety ensures you’ll get a range of antioxidants. Serve the salad as is or topped with chopped toasted nuts.

Like Italian panzanella, this salad—a specialty of the eastern Mediterranean—pairs fresh vegetables and bread. The combination of vegetables, beans, and herbs is excellent for reducing high cholesterol.

Amaranth is a small herb seed, not a cereal grain, that tastes a bit peppery and is rich in protein and high in fiber. Here, it is toasted until it pops, much like popcorn. The lemon juice is not only for flavor; it also keeps the apples from turning brown.

This salad’s simple appearance belies its delicious combination of Mexicaninspired flavors. Studded with corn, pumpkin seeds, and red peppers, it makes a substantial lunch on its own, or a side dish for dinner.

The eye-popping combination of hues in this salad is sure to perk up the appetite, which in turn stimulates digestive enzymes. Pairing grapefruit and avocado also delivers nutritionally: Red grapefruit contains lycopene—which may help lower risk of heart disease and pancreatic, lung, and prostate cancers—and the antioxidant is best absorbed when eaten with healthy fat, such as that contained in avocado.

Although more commonly cooked, brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, and kale also make delicious raw salads, as long as they’re thinly sliced. This salad—which combines two of the vegetables—serves as a particularly nice fall or winter first course, when it’s hard to find flavorful leaf lettuces.

Fatty cold-water fish, such as Atlantic mackerel (also called Boston mackerel), deliver the most important forms of omega-3 fatty acids, helping to reduce cholesterol and even stave off type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Avoid king mackerel, however, as it has high mercury levels. Here the fish is marinated in lemon juice, then broiled so the skin crisps.

In addition to vitamins A, C, and K, parsley contains the phytochemical polyacetylene, which helps reduce cancer risk.

Papaya is packed with vitamin C and beta-carotene; endive is an excellent source of fiber and vitamins A and C.

Oranges are the standout in this supremely easy salad, providing hefty amounts of vitamin C and fiber. Olives (and olive oil) add healthful monounsaturated fat.

This salad features Madras curry powder—a blend of spices that includes turmeric, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon, all of which are antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and detoxifiers. Watercress is also a potent detoxifier.

Don’t let the cauliflower’s pale hue fool you into thinking it’s less nutritious than more colorful vegetables; a member of the Brassica family, it contains powerful compounds that help detoxify the liver and fight cancer.

This vegetarian version of the classic dish omits the anchovies and replaces the tuna with cannellini beans; navy beans or chickpeas are other options.

You can vary this recipe by using half olive oil and half walnut oil and topping the beets with toasted walnuts. For the most visually appealing presentation, use a mixture of beets such as Chioggia, golden, and red.

Lentils are a particularly robust source of protein, folate, and iron. Red, orange, and yellow bell peppers provide more vitamin C and carotenoids than green ones; these powerful antioxidants support eye health, boost immunity, and fight heart disease. This nutritious make-ahead salad is perfect for a packable lunch, picnic, or barbecue.

This main-course salad combines chard, mushrooms, and quinoa to form a satisfying vegetarian meal abundant with vitamins, minerals, and complete protein.

These two members of the cabbage family deliver an interesting twist to standard coleslaw. Both kohlrabi and turnips offer fiber, iron, and vitamin C, and the thick kohlrabi leaves boast a high dose of cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

Kale makes for a surprising alternative to cabbage in this sweet-sharp slaw. Curly kale, the most widely available, is used here; remove the tough stems and center ribs before slicing the leaves.

The peaches and cherries in this quickly prepared dessert are a great source of vitamins A and C. Vanilla beans are available in many large supermarkets and most specialty food shops; you can substitute one teaspoon pure vanilla extract for the one-half bean used below (don’t use imitation vanilla, which contains artificial ingredients).