Vegetation playing the lead need not be cause for panic, however. Compos-ing a hearty - and healthy - salad worthy of entree status is easy with a few considerations.

"We don't want to deprive ourselves of anything," said DeeDee Kovacevich, an ambassador for Weight Watchers. "With salads, we want to try a lot of variety, and we need to keep it exciting.

"We want an array of all the different food groups," she said. "We want to eat the way we are going to eat the rest of our life, so we need to learn how to make a better selection of what we are putting on our plate."

To keep salads lively, ditch the iceberg lettuce and reach for the romaine and mixed greens. Red bell peppers, cauliflower, shredded carrots, black beans and whole-wheat pastas all add a rainbow of color, she said.

"We only think of salad as being lettuce," Kovacevich said. "Let us open up our thinking. This is going to be a meal."

That does not mean loading on high-fat croutons, exorbitant amounts of nuts and creamy full-fat salad dressing with a lavish hand. Kovacevich suggests when feasting on salad that you look upon your plate as being made up of one half greens and fruit, one quarter lean protein, and one quarter whole grains. Wise dressing options would be rice vinegar with reduced-sodium soy or balsamic vinegar with extra-light olive oil.

"It's big in volume, it has different colors, you've got vitamins and minerals all on one plate," she said. "That's a good balance, and right there you've already lowered your total calories for that meal."

WARM PASTA E FAGIOLI SALAD

1/2 pound whole-wheat penne

2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 fennel bulb or 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 to 4 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 bunch watercress, tough stems discarded

1/4 cup sliced fresh basil

Yields 4 servings.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt if desired.

Meanwhile, in large bowl combine beans, fennel, tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.

Drain pasta and add to bean mixture; toss well. Arrange watercress on platter, spoon bean mixture on top, sprinkle with basil and serve at once.

Nutritional analysis per serving (1 3/4 cups): 388 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 641 mg sodium, 73 g carbohydrates, 13 g fiber, 16 g protein, 117 mg calcium.

ROAST BEEF PANZANELLA SALAD

6 ounces day-old whole-wheat ciabatta or French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 large ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1/3 English cucumber, chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or basil

1 tablespoon drained capers

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 pound thinly sliced lean roast beef, cut into strips

Yields 4 servings.

In large bowl, combine ciabatta, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, vinegar, oil, mint, capers, salt and pepper. Toss well and let stand until bread soaks up juices, about 20 minutes.

Stir in roast beef and serve at once.

Nutritional analysis per serving (1 1/2 cups): 246 calories, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 27 mg cholesterol, 1,191 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 17 g protein, 53 mg calcium.

CASHEW CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI SALAD

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon mirin

1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon Asian (dark) sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 cups coarsely chopped fresh broccoli

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup shredded carrot

2 scallions, finely chopped

1/4 cup coarsely chopped unsalted cashews

Yields 4 servings.

To make dressing: In small bowl, whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, ginger, sesame oil and crushed red pepper until blended; set aside.

To make salad: Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 8 minutes.

In large bowl, combine broccoli, bell pepper, cilantro, carrot and scallions; add dressing and toss well to coat.

Add chicken to broccoli mixture and toss lightly. Divide salad among 4 plates and serve sprinkled with cashews.

Nutritional analysis per serving (1 1/2 cups salad with 1 tablespoon cashews): 209 calories, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 51 mg cholesterol, 208 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 23 g protein, 65 mg calcium.

- Recipes from "My TurnAround Program Cookbook: 200 Recipes for the Flex and Core Plans," (Weight Watchers)