Buried beneath the snow lies the hope of all things possible. Now would be a great time to reaffirm your commitment to healthy living by eating more fruits and vegetables!

You know why you should eat them; they are rich in vitamins and minerals, rich in fiber, and there is a huge variety from which to choose. You know why, but what about the how? I will tell you what I did: I developed a salad habit. My favorite online dictionary defines a habit as "an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary." According to one school of thought called the 21 Day Habit Theory, it takes three weeks for our brain circuits to take engrams, or memory traces, to produce the new neuroconnections necessary to form a new habit.

Let us start with a goal in mind. For me it is six vegetables and three fruits a day. This is what the Harvard School of Public Health recommends. The U.S. government recommends at least five, and I have read that we should get at least a total of 11 servings of fruits and veggies a day. Five seems way too low and 11 seems improbable, so I am sticking to the minimum of nine with the hope of adding more. Eating a big salad with lunch or dinner would provide about five servings. If you ate two big salads a day, that would take care of your whole day's requirements! Salads can be simple or extravagant, hot or cold. There are endless combinations. I am grateful for the large, lovely and often local selection our Co-op's produce department has! My salad habit would not be possible without it.

Okay, while you are in the Co-op's produce department gathering your salad fixings, think of your salad in four parts: First, the base is usually a type of green. For the best nutritional value, the darker the greens are, the better. Excellent greens are red and green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, spinach, arugula (a little spicy, so this is good to mix in with other greens), frisee greens, butter lettuce and cabbage (red or purple). Herbs also make tasty salad greens. I love the bagged herb salad; it tastes great and it has already been washed, so that makes prep time faster.

Next think additional vegetables; here are some ideas: bell peppers, sweet onion, broccoli and cauliflower florets, carrots, beans, peas and tomatoes. Pick what is in season.

Third come toppings, which add protein, nutrients, and flavor and make the salad beautiful. Use raisins, sunflower seeds, beans, pecans or any nut, cheese, olives, herbs and sprouts.

The salad's crowning glory is, of course, the dressing! I am always amazed at my children's preference for undressed salad, because the dressing is my favorite thing about salads! Dressing is a chance to add more nutrients. It is easy to make with ingredients on hand and there are also some really good bottled dressings. When I make my own dressing, I use hemp or flax seed oil to add essential fatty acids. The delicious nutty taste is a bonus!

Now you have your greens, additional vegetables, toppings and dressings. How do you arrange it? One option is to toss it all together. Whether or not you toss the salad in the dressing is up to you. In general, only add the dressing if you’re planning to consume all the salad right away, for it won’t keep long. A layered salad is truly appealing. Put the greens on the bottom. Spread the additional vegetables out over the greens and sprinkle the entire salad with the toppings. I have a friend who recently served us a salad using a lovely presentation. She tossed the greens only with the dressing. Then on a beautiful platter, she arranged separate piles of all the toppings and additional vegetables. Not only did it look beautiful, but we all got to make a salad according to our own tastes.

I hope my salad technique makes it easier for you to develop your own habit! Try the 21-day theory and let me know how it works for you.

The Big Salad

5 large kale leaves

8 large leaves romaine lettuce

5 leaves Napa cabbage

1 big stock broccoli, chopped

1 head cauliflower, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

1 sweet bell pepper, chopped

Keeps in fridge undressed for five days. Sprinkle with toppings and dressing of choice.

Caitlin's Simple Salad

1 pound fresh spinach leaves

1 pound cherry tomatoes

1 cup toasted pecans

1/2 cup orange cranberries (find near the bulk section)

Hempiness Dressing

1/2 cup hemp oil

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup tamari

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon cumin

Put in blender and blend until smooth. Can be kept up to two weeks in the fridge.