Summer is a great time for food, especially with large groups of friends and family, but making enough food for everybody can be a hassle. Bringing a chilled salad that you’ve prepared in advance makes summer gatherings a breeze, and raises the good health factor of your meals.

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Good Ingredients Go a Long Way

In the summer, keeping foods fresh and cold is crucial, and there are some foods that are just easier to chill than others. Watermelon is fairly simple to cut into cubes and store in a cooler or in a bowl in the fridge, and for a meal that screams “summer beach time,” crab salad is straightforward and easy to chill in a container over ice, in the fridge.

Another bright, summer-style ingredient is the avocado, and there are tricks to keeping them fresh even after you cut them up for salads. On the day you plan to serve avocados in a salad, store your freshly cut avocado pieces in a solution of water spritzed with a bit of lemon juice. This will ensure your vegetables stay cold and fresh until you’re ready to toss them in a salad.

Good Eating Can Be Healthy, Too

According to a self-proclaimed “recipe doctor” on WebMD fresh salads pumped with veggies can be turned into healthy dinners by simply adding a protein-rich ingredient, so those tasty chilled crab pieces will work quite well.

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Another tip from the “recipe doctor” is to try new salad recipes, to avoid getting caught in stale potato country. For some great online food recipes and cooking tips, look for food websites such as http://food-tales.com/. Once you find recipes that are to your liking, all you have to do is practice them until you can toss your favorite salads with your eyes closed; friends will be impressed by your healthy cooking and savvy presentation.

Try Something Cool and New This Summer

The most important thing to remember when cooking this summer, on top of being safe and healthy, is to have fun with your culinary adventures. A bit of seafood or good green vegetables will go a long way to freshening your meals and keeping everybody satisfied, and keeping your salads chilled guarantees you’ll be primed and ready for every occasion for a good time.