Vegetable salads can be a convenient way to include a wider variety of vegetables in a balanced diet. Vegetables provide fibre and a range of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, although the nutritional profile differs from one ingredient to another.

Building a balanced salad

Tomatoes, onions, cucumber, carrots, cabbage, leafy vegetables, herbs and citrus can all contribute flavour and variety. Eating a range of fruits and vegetables is more useful nutritionally than expecting one ingredient to prevent or cure a particular disease.

Raw vegetables can retain some heat-sensitive nutrients, but cooking is not inherently unhealthy. Cooking can make certain foods easier to digest and can increase the availability of some nutrients. A healthy diet can therefore include both raw and cooked vegetables.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes provide nutrients including vitamin C and potassium and are a source of carotenoids such as lycopene. They can form part of a nutritious diet, but they should not be described as a cure for anaemia or constipation.

Onions and citrus

Onions add flavour and contain several plant compounds. Lime and lemon provide vitamin C and acidity that can brighten a salad without requiring heavy sauces.

Vitamin C consumed with plant sources of iron can help the body absorb non-haem iron, but citrus fruit itself is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment of iron-deficiency anaemia.

Cucumber and herbs

Cucumber has a high water content and can contribute to hydration as part of normal food and fluid intake. Coriander and mint can add flavour and some nutrients.

Claims that cucumber treats jaundice or fever, that herbs “purify the blood,” or that individual salad ingredients cure disease are not supported reasons to use these foods. Anyone with persistent symptoms or a diagnosed condition should obtain appropriate medical care.

Keep the overall diet in view

A healthy eating pattern depends on the overall balance and variety of foods consumed. Salads can contribute vegetables and fibre, but they are only one part of a nutritious diet.