Some lettuce, a little dressing, and you’ve got a salad, right? Why stop with the basics? Brighten up your greens with some of these ideas:

• Turn over a new leaf, like arugula, endive, oak leaf lettuce, and spinach
• Add cashews, almonds, or walnuts
• Slice in fresh apples, pears, and strawberries
• Top with a heaping spoonful of tuna
• Sprinkle in raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or a few grapefruit or orange segments
• Include a variety of vegetables such as bell pepper, cucumber, radishes, and carrots
• Mix in sunflower seeds and tart strips of sun-dried tomatoes
• Grill strips of chicken, turkey, or salmon and make it a meal
• Toss in chopped dried apricots or cranberries
• Saute shrimp and mix in while hot to flavor your whole salad.

And don’t just stick to store-bought dressings. Try making your own with olive oil, citrus, vinegars, mustards, spices, and other unique ingredients.