Salads, simple to sublime Nothing easier to prepare for alfresco dining

Warm weather has arrived and with it our desire to dine outside.

Whether we're on the patio, in the park, or on a picnic blanket, we want a meal that's as light as a summer breeze and a breeze to prepare.

Salads fit the bill and provide a fine way to fill up with nutritious foods without weighing us, or our picnic baskets, down. Of course, that theory only holds if those salads aren't heavy on the pasta or doused with mayonnaise.

Look for ingredients with high flavor and low calories, like jicama with its sweet, nutty flavor, to showcase in summer salads. A small amount of toasted sesame oil, for example, gives an Asian taste to thinly sliced fresh cucumber.

Darker salad greens - spinach, arugula and radicchio - have deeper flavors and contain healthful antioxidants and folic acid. Tomatoes and cherries are loaded with potassium and lycopene, which helps protect against heart disease and cancer, while carrots, yellow peppers and pineapple contain carotenoids, which reduce the risk of developing cancer.

For more of an adventure in flavors, try the tangy, pungent beet salad, which is made with jarred pickled beets and prepared horseradish. While they're not pickled, Trader Joe's offers refrigerated roasted beets that shine in a bowl of spring mix, goat cheese and walnuts.

Walnuts, pecans, almonds, sunflower kernels and other nuts add crunch as well as healthy fats and proteins, helping you feel full before you pop the button on your Bermudas.

Fresh and dried fruits, such as pears, blueberries and raisins, are full of phytonutrients and antioxidants, which help protect from some cancers and infections.

For picnic or potluck fare, a hearty grain salad can be a delicious, colorful and inexpensive option for a main dish or a side.

A seriously flavorful barley, bacon and avocado salad with roasted chicken can be served warm or cold and costs less than $1.50 per serving.

Quick-cooking barley is a convenient whole grain that has a subtle, nutty flavor and is quite filling, so it's well suited for stretching out a main-course salad. It can be made a few days in advance; or make a large batch and freeze some for later use.

To add balance to your alfresco meal, add fresh fruit such as apples, pears, peaches, plums and bananas that travel well. Another good choice is low-fat cheeses.

Wire reports contributed to this article.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>Recipes</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> </div> <div class="recipeLink"> <ul class="moreLinks"> <li><a href="/story/?id=296248" class="mediaItem">Sesame Cucumber Salad</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=296247" class="mediaItem">Romaine, Pecan and Pear Salad</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=296246" class="mediaItem">Spicy Jicama Salad</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id= 296245" class="mediaItem"> Pickled Beet Salad</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=296244" class="mediaItem">Barley, Bacon and Avocado Salad With Roasted Chicken</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>