Tomato & Cucumber Salad With Yellow Squash

Tomatoes and cucumbers are a great addition to a summer salad. Cucumber especially makes a refreshing addition; the inside of a cucumber can be 20 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the outside air, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Both cucumbers and tomatoes are mostly filled with water and contain few calories.

Tomatoes and Cucumbers

Tomatoes are actually a member of the fruit family, although they are more commonly associated as vegetables. Thousands of tomato varieties exist including heirlooms, plum, cherry and slicing. Tomatoes are low in calories and nutritious; a 1/2 cup contains just 20 calories, 4 g of carbohydrate, 1 g of fiber and 1 g of protein. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C and A; half a cup provides 40 percent and 10 percent of your daily value based on 2,000-calorie diet, respectively. Cucumbers are also low in calories; a 1/2 cup of sliced cucumbers have only 10 calories and 2 g of carbohydrate.

Yellow Squash

Yellow squash is a summer squash variety that has a thin, edible skin, and is rich in nutrients; However, the nutrients are packed in the skin and rind and not in the fleshy portion of the plant. Half a cup of squash contains 20 calories, 5 g of carbohydrate, 1 g of fiber and 1 g of protein. It also provides 15 percent of vitamin A and 10 percent of vitamin C daily requirement based on 2,000-calorie diet.

Salad Dressing

Picking the correct salad dressing has a direct influence on the calorie content of your salad: Most dressing are high in both calories and fat. Choosing a creamy dressing like ranch or blue cheese can contain hundreds of calories and transform your healthy vegetable salad to a calorie-packed meal. Homemade salad dressing made with 3 tbsp. of red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp. of mustard, one minced garlic clove, ¾ cup of chicken stock and 3 tbsp. of olive oil seasoned with sea salt and cracked black pepper is a lower calorie option for your salad, and makes 10 servings with less than 50 calories per serving.

Serving Suggestion

Make a low-calorie salad mixing cubed cucumber and tomatoes together with fresh spinach and lettuce. Saute yellow squash in 1 tsp. of olive oil and season with salt, black pepper and fresh chopped basil. Optionally, add minced garlic and fresh mushrooms and cook until vegetables are tender. Add the sauteed vegetables to the salad bed and drizzle with homemade salad dressing. Optionally, lightly sprinkle the salad with roasted almonds to add crunch and flavor, or add grilled shrimp or chicken to make the salad more satisfying.