Why do Americans chose salads as one of their favorite foods? Because they are refreshing, convenient, flavorful and they can be nutritious, if you make healthy choices in selecting ingredients.

Most fruit salads are high in vitamins A and C as well as fiber. Dark leafy greens are high in Vitamin A also. Some dark greens like spinach are also rich in iron and other nutrients.

If you make wise choices, salads can be low in fat and high in nutrients. Building a low-calorie salad means making the right choices.

Some of the low calorie good choices include: beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, fresh fruits, fruits canned in light syrup, green peppers and radishes.

Some helpful tips to remember:

If you are watching your fat and calories, be sure to watch what you pile on the greens!

Avoid high fat salad dressings. They can add extra calories and fat. Did you realize the standard restaurant dipper holds 4 tablespoons of dressing?

Compare regular Italian dressing with low-calorie Italian. The difference in fat per tablespoon is 70 to 16, so check the low-calorie option.

Salads can be sprinkled with a spicy vinegar or some unsweetened fruit juice and avoid using dressing at all.

Adding a healthy crunch to a salad is hard. You can do it if you select only 2 tablespoons of Chinese noodles which have about 0.7 grams of fat. But croutons, sunflower seeds and other nuts can boost the fat up quickly.

Choose wisely with prepared salads. They can be high in calories and total fat.

Salad greens are the foundation of most salads. Greens are the main ingredient of a tossed salad, but also can be used as the case for many other salads.

Greens make a pleasing background for other flavors, and add color and texture to the mixture. Each type of salad green has a distinct flavor, color, shape and texture. A combination of greens provides an interesting flavor and appearance.

The following greens are available in most grocery produce departments or can be grown at home:

• Escarole has dark-green leaves with a yellow edge and has a mild flavor.
• Curly endive or chicory is dark green with a lacy texture and a tangy flavor.
• Fresh tender spinach has dark green leaves. It adds flavor and plenty of nutrients to the salad.
• Bibb, Boston or butter head lettuces have sweet, deep-green leaves. They are used when extremely tender and the leaves frequently are left whole.
• Romaine lettuce has a long head with very crisp leaves. It has a sharp, nutty flavor.
• Loose-leaf lettuce has a light green color, a crisp tender curly leaf and a delicate flavor.
• Iceberg or crisphead lettuce has a compact head with tightly packed leaves and a mild flavor. It is the most popular but least nutritious green.
• Turnip greens have a stronger flavor. The greens are more nutritious than the root vegetable.
• Watercress is a pungent member of the cabbage family. It adds flavor and texture to salads.

Adapted from University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension