Now that we've chosen the greenery, or foundation, for our salad, let's talk about what we're going to put on it and how nutritious each ingredient is:

• Broccoli: one spear of fresh broccoli contains four grams of protein, 72 milligrams of calcium, 100 milligrams of phosphorus, 491 milligrams of potassium, and 141 milligrams of vitamin C.

• Carrots: one cup of grated carrots has 45 calories and 11 grams of carbohydrates. But one carrot can also provide four times the RDA of vitamin A for an adult male.

• Cucumbers: these mostly provide taste and crunch; they're low in calories.

• Tomatoes: one average tomato contains 25 calories, 1,390 IU of vitamin A, and 22 milligrams of vitamin C.

• Onions: a cup of sliced, white onions has 40 calories and 33 milligrams of calcium.