Summer Heat in Spring = Cool, Refreshing Salad Recipe

Hello Summer heat!! 80-90 degrees in then end of April/beginning of May is kind of crazy!! I fully admit that I'm okay with it. It just gives me another excuse to talk about salads. When it's warm (or steamy or hot or humid!) outside, the last item I can picture eating is a hot one such as mac n cheese, soup, grilled fish, etc. On the other hand, I can fully picture myself eating something cool such as mmm mmm tasty ice cream with some jimmies on top; however, ice cream is not a nutritionally sound item that I would substitute as a meal (unfortunately.) So today, whimsically, I created yet another new- QUICK- (and delicious, of course) salad mixture.

Ingredients:
Fresh spinach
Fresh red leaf lettuce
Carrots
Yellow bell pepper
Grape tomatoes
1/4 fresh lime
3 (or more) bean salad
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:
1. Rinse and let dry all vegetables.
2. Peel and chop carrots.
3. Remove seeds and chop yellow bell pepper into bite size pieces.
4. Tear greens and place in bowl.
5. Add tomatoes, carrots, peppers, and beans.
6. Squeeze lime (more if desired. Add salt and pepper if desired.)

Of note, I used a pre-cooked, low salt added bean mixture from Trader Joe's. All I had to do was cut open the bag and pour onto the greens! Easy as 1-2-3. Feel free to use canned beans (any variety you like) or make your own bean mixture from dried beans if desired. Enjoy! :)