Q: When it’s too hot to cook in the summer I turn to salad, but the same mix of lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes gets boring after a while. How can I jazz up my salads while still keeping them healthy?

A: You’re right that salads are a great summertime option. The good news is that they don’t have to be boring! I love salads in the summer because they typically:

• help you reach the minimum recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day
• are easy to prepare
• can have savory or sweet flavors
• can be a complete and filling meal
• are a great way to enjoy local, seasonal ingredients

Save time by prepping ahead. When you think of salad you might think of endless hours washing, chopping and grating produce, but supermarkets are filled with an abundance of prewashed, prechopped produce. And if you prefer to do it yourself, the way to save time is to do it all at once. I like to prep all my veggies on Sunday nights, so that all week we have salad ingredients ready at our fingertips.

Start with a base. Once a week I put a big glass bowl of a salad base in the fridge and then we grab from it all week and add various toppings. The base can be your favorite greens or other vegetables. The base I’m favoring lately is a crunchy mix of chopped romaine, shredded cabbage and thinly sliced celery. It’s great for a variety of toppings, sweet or savory.

Have a variety of dressings on hand. Dressing is a great way to add variety to your salad routine. One day you might be in the mood for a zesty Greek dressing with oregano and feta. Another day you might crave a sweeter salad dressed with raspberry vinaigrette. And don’t be afraid to make your own! It’s as easy as throwing some oil, vinegar, chopped garlic or shallots, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper in a clean jam jar and shaking it up.

Be cognizant of shelf life. Some veggies last longer than others. Romaine lettuce, cabbage and carrots are going to last longer than baby greens or cucumbers, so take these things into account when planning your salads.

Don’t worry if you don’t have lettuce. Some people fall into the trap of thinking that if they don’t have lettuce on hand then they can’t have salad. There have been times when I’ve made delicious, healthy salads with items entirely from my pantry, such as a salad of canned tuna, canned white beans, marinated artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers tossed with a little chopped celery, red onion, parsley and lemon juice. Pantry picks can be just as delicious and refreshing as ingredients straight from the fridge.

Add protein and whole grains. These will result in a more filling and complete meal. Try hard-boiled eggs, canned beans, rotisserie chicken, canned tuna, cooked quinoa, raw nuts and seeds, baked tofu chunks, whole-wheat elbow pasta and brown or wild rice.

Add a lively kick with fresh herbs. Herbs are abundant in the summer and add wonderful flavor and freshness to a salad. Some of my favorites are parsley, cilantro, basil, Thai basil, mint, thyme and tarragon. Experiment to find your favorite. Your family or guests will want to know what the secret ingredient is!

Be adventurous. I was in a salad rut once myself, barely ever venturing past mesclun mix or romaine. Then I discovered that my local farmers market offered all kinds of interesting and locally grown lettuces and greens, such as oak leaf, chicory, sorrel, arugula, escarole, endive, watercress and purslane. Now, each year, I eagerly await the season’s bounty.

Keep things in proportion. If weight is an issue for you, remember that portion control still applies, especially for toppings such as full-fat dressing, cheeses, nuts and croutons. Build your salad with a larger proportion of vegetables and a smaller sprinkling of high-calorie toppings.

Salad fixings aren’t only found at the farmers market or in the fresh produce section of the grocery store. Keep your pantry stocked with the following items and you’ll always have interesting salad combinations awaiting you.

For making vinaigrette

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Walnut oil
• Shallots or garlic
• Dijon mustard
• Honey mustard
• Vinegar (balsamic, cider, red wine, raspberry or sherry)

Fixings

• Marinated artichoke hearts
• Roasted red peppers
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Capers
• Olives
• Water chestnuts
• Canned sliced beets
• Canned mandarin orange sections
• Canned pears in natural juice
• Canned beans (chick peas, black beans, kidney beans, navy beans)
• Canned fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies, mackerel)
• Raw nuts and seeds
• Whole-grain pita chips (crumbed over salad these are a nice replacement for croutons)
• Whole-grain pasta
• Quinoa
• Brown or wild rice

From the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook (Wiley Publishing, 2006)

Makes 4 servings (about 3 cups of salad per serving)

1 ¼ pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed
2 cups trimmed green beans
4 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce leaves
2 (6-ounce) cans water-packed tuna, drained and flaked
24 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 hard-cooked large eggs, peeled and quartered
6 large black olives, pitted and sliced crosswise
8 anchovy fillets, rinsed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, and add cold water to cover; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 15-20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a colander and rinse with cold water; cut the potatoes in quarters and set aside. Add the green beans to the boiling water; cook until bright green and tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain.

Line a large platter with the lettuce; arrange mounds of potatoes, green beans, tuna, tomatoes and eggs on the lettuce. Sprinkle with the olives and anchovy fillets.

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle over the salad.

Per serving: 351 calories, 26 g protein, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 130 mg cholesterol, 749 mg sodium, 8 g fiber