American salad

I know there are many kinds of salads in the US, and the ones described here simply stand to contrast the salads we ate in Hungary growing up. The major difference is in the salad dressing. It is not customary in my home-country to simply pour some bottled salad dressing on a mixture of chopped veggies. One needs to prepare the vegetables and soak them in the dressing for a while to achieve the best results. Such as this cabbage salad or this cucumber salad. The vegetables are also not supposed to be the main course. They simply provide added freshness to a dish, served on the side. The dressings are therefore low calorie and less complex. We have an entire different category of vegetable-based dishes, which are somewhat equivalent to American thick cream soups, or vegetable stews. These can serve as the main course of a meal. We call them "Főzelék".

Growing up, the only place around my home that served American style salads was McDonalds. How I loved their thousand Island Dressing! Of course I only tried it once or twice, due to the exorbitant prices of McDonalds food in Hungary. Going to a street gyros or pizza vendor was much more affordable. But once I came to the US, assembling a quick salad and tossing it with some pre-made dressing became easy and affordable. So, here are some combinations that I usually mix together for a quick, healthy and cheap meal. Nothing fancy.

Ingredients
something green and leafy:
- Romaine lettuce
- young spinach leaves
- iceberg lettuce (though the nutritional content of the former two are way superior)
- arugula

something crunchy:
- thin-sliced carrots
- walnuts
- kohlrabi
- mushroom slices

something proteinaceous (ok, I know that's not really a word):
- blanched sweet peas
- sliced avocados
- petit-diced cheese
- chopped, cooked eggs
- bacon bits
- diced ham
- shredded, roasted chicken
- lima beans (or any kinds of beans)
- dollops of cottage cheese mixed with hot sauce
- stir-fried, cubed firm tofu
- tuna

something juicy:
- tomatoes
- peppers
- grapes
- pineapples
- tangerine slices
- grapefruit slices

something for carbs:
- croutons
- crushed tortilla chips
- a piece of crusty bread on the side

something for kicks:
- thin sliced onion
- roasted garlic
- craisins
- raisins
- blue cheese
- jalapenos
You get the point.

Mix and match, and if possible, cover all categories for a wholesome meal. While the proteinaceous section was the longest, that's actually the part you need least of, to get a good dose of fiber and vitamins. Pick your favorite salad dressing, or prepare one yourself.