Salads are mixtures of fish, fruits, vegetables or meats, with a salad green and some form of salad dressing. The food value of salad greens is not high, as they are composed largely of water, but they form a valuable part of the diet, because of their richness in mineral salts.

A salad is more or less nutritious according to the ingredients used in it. The butter, oil, cream or eggs used in salad dressing give it a high heat and energy value. During the spring and summer months a salad of fresh green vegetables should appear upon the table every day. All salads should be served cold and crisp and the dressing should be added just before serving.

The salad served with a dinner of several courses should be made of vegetables or fruits and be mixed with a French dressing. When the salad forms a main dish of a luncheon or supper, it may be made of various combinations of meats, vegetables, etc., mixed with a mayonnaise, a cooked, or a cream dressing.

Meat for salad should be freed from skin, gristle, and fat and be cut into small cubes. Fish should be freed from bones and skin, and the flesh flaked. Vegetables, as a rule, should be cut into quarter inch cubes.