Toppers to turbo-charge a healthy salad

Give your salads a nutritional boost with a ready-made ‘topper’. Dietitian Ruth Kander, of the Fleet Street Clinic in London, selects four of the best (we tasted them).

GOOD 4 U CAESAR CRUMBLES

150g, £2, tesco.com

Per 100g: Calories, 409; saturated fat, 1.7g; protein, 23g; fibre, 12g; sugar, 1.7g; salt, 0.9g THIS is made with roasted fava beans tossed with Caesar-flavour seasoning made from kelp, yeast extract, lemon juice and dried mushrooms.

You’ll get 7g of muscle-building protein (slightly more than a boiled egg) and just over a tenth of your daily fibre in the recommended 30g serving, thanks to the beans.

It will also provide a useful amount of vitamin D, plus 42 per cent of your daily recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iodine (used to make thyroid hormones, key for metabolism). TASTE: Clean, citrus flavour.

PIMP-MY-SALAD SEA SUPERFOODS

110g, £4.99, hollandandbarrett.com

Per 100g: Calories, 420; saturated fat, 3g; protein, 22.6g; fibre, 9.8g; sugar, 3.6g; salt, 0.64g THIS is a dried mix of sprouted sunflower seeds and sea vegetables flavoured with wasabi, tamari (soy sauce) and plum vinegar.

The high sunflower seed content is a useful source of heart- healthy unsaturated fats, vitamin E and a range of minerals.

The recommended two-teaspoon serving will add small but worthwhile quantities of nutrients to your meal. TASTE: Sweet with vinegary notes.

LINWOODS MULTIBOOST MILLED HEMP SEED WITH MIXED NUTS

200g, £4.99, linwoodshealthfoods.com

Per 100g: Calories, 496; saturated fat, 4.1g; protein, 26g; fibre, 24g; sugar, 2.1g; salt, 0.05g HEMP seeds are a good source of fibre, omega 3 and omega 6 (for heart health) — and the 25g recommended portion provides 16 per cent of your daily vitamin E. The cashews and almonds in this add a boost of minerals such as copper (33 per cent of your RDA), needed for red blood cell formation.

TASTE: Mild, nutty flavour.

MUNCHY SEEDS SPICY PERI PERI

125g, £2.50, ocado.com

Per 100g: Calories, 508; saturated fat, 5.5g; protein, 20g; fibre, 8.2g; sugar, 1.8g; salt, 1.6g THIS is a mix of seven seeds, quinoa and millet; a variety of plant ingredients is good for gut health.

This mix also contains useful minerals; a 25g portion provides 23 per cent of your daily vitamin B1 (important for cell growth and function), 19 per cent of the phosphorus RDA (for strong bones) and 11 per cent of your iron daily needs, plus 5g of protein.

High in calories, but powerfully flavoured, so a little goes a long way. TASTE: Seedy crunch with fiery spice.