Consuming the recommended amount of vegetables each day is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and obesity. This equals 2 to 3 cups of vegetables a day, depending on age and gender. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 6.3 percent of adults in Kentucky meet the daily vegetable intake recommendations.

In order to increase vegetable consumption in Kentucky adults, the Trimble County Extension office hosted the workshop Sensational Salads on ZOOM for the Louisville Area Homemaker leader lesson.  Emphasis was placed on learning different types of salad greens and how to add other nutritious foods to turn a salad into a complete meal. 

Of those surveyed, 100 percent indicated they better understood the nutritional value of salad greens, and 100 percent stated they better understood how to select, prepare, and/or store salad greens. 90 percent indicated they could identify ways to add color, texture, crunch, and/or more nutrition to a salad. Further, 100 percent expressed the intention to try a new type of salad green or salad component to add more nutrition to the diet, and 90 percent plan to incorporate more salads into meal planning and food preparation as a way to increase vegetables in the diet.