We gave a classic chef's salad recipe a makeover with our own homemade healthy Thousand Island dressing recipe and reduced-sodium cheese and turkey. Those swaps slashed 260 calories and nearly a day's worth of sodium (2,131 mg!) per serving compared with traditional recipes.

Chopped Chef's Salad

Serves 4

Serving Size: about 2 1/2 cups

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

6 cups chopped romaine

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed

4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

4 ounces sliced low-sodium Swiss or provolone cheese, chopped

4 ounces sliced reduced-sodium deli turkey, chopped

1 cup grated carrot

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Toss lettuce, chickpeas, eggs, cheese, turkey and carrot in a large bowl.

Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and vinegar in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad; gently toss to combine. Top with a generous grinding of pepper.

Recipe nutrition: Per serving: 391 calories; 17 g fat (7 g sat, 5 g mono); 228 mg cholesterol; 36 g carbohydrate; 4 g added sugars; 13 g total sugars; 27 g protein; 6 g fiber; 752 mg sodium; 663 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (232 percent daily value), Calcium (38 percent dv), Folate (33 percent dv), Zinc (21 percent dv), Potassium (19 percent dv), Iron & Magnesium (17 percent dv).

2 Carbohydrate Serving(s)

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 1/2 lean meat, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 high-fat meat, 1/2 fat

(EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com.)