Eating salad almost every day may be one of the most healthy eating habits you can adopt — and one of the simplest, experts say. Eating salads is a super-convenient way to work in a couple of servings of vegetables and/or fruit.
Step-1 Pick Your Green
When it comes to leafy greens, darker is better. They have the most nutrients. Case in point: Kale and spinach have over 10 times more immune-boosting vitamins A and C than iceberg lettuce.
Step-2 Add Protein
Beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, tempeh, tofu, cheese , yogurt. The protein options for salads are endless!
Step-3 Add some colors
Salads are a great way to get the recommended servings (5-9) of fruits and vegetables per day. Autumn has some colorful options to choose from, including: apples, pears, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, squash, bell peppers, beets, carrots, radishes, cranberries and more!
Tip: It’s easier to choose salads when prep work is done ahead of time. Plan ahead by chopping and storing vegetables. Root vegetables (sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, parsnips, carrots) can also be roasted and stored. Chop the veggies, drizzle with olive oil on a sheet pan., and roast at 450 degrees until tender and crisp, about 30-40 minutes.
Step-4 Dress It Up
The trickiest part of building a healthy salad is often the dressing. Store-bought dressings can be high in sodium or full of added sugars. Play with your other salad ingredients to determine the best dressing.
Healthy Tip: If you dress your salad with a little olive oil, there may even be some additional years in it for you. Italian research on people aged 60 and older has suggested that a diet that includes plenty of olive oil and raw vegetables is linked to reduced mortality.
Healthy Superfoods Salad ( Adapted From Averie Cooks)
YIELD: 4
Prep time: 10 MINUTES.
Cook time: 15 MINUTES.
Total time: 25 MINUTES
This superfood salad is packed with 12 superfoods! This is a great clean out the fridge meal and is easily customized to suit whatever you need to use up.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup dry quinoa, cooked according to package directions
- 1/2 cup frozen edamame, cooked according to package directions
- 1/2 bunch curly kale (about 4 to 5 cups), chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces with thick ribs removed
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup red grapes, halved
- 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped if necessary (dried cranberries may be substituted)
- 1/3 cup feta, goat, or parmesan cheese, crumbled or shredded
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds (I used unsalted)
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (I used unsalted)
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
- 1 heaping tablespoon Greek yogurt (I used 0% fat, sour cream may be substituted)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cook quinoa according to package directions, likely cooking with 1 cup water to the 1/2 cup dry quinoa. Transfer about half of the cooked quinoa to a very large bowl. I don’t use all the quinoa for the salad and save the rest for another use. I find it too difficult to cook less than 1/2 cup dry quinoa.
- Cook edamame according to package directions. Drain and add to the bowl.
- To the bowl, add the kale, blueberries, grapes, dried cherries, cheese, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and stir to combine; set aside.
- To a glass mason jar with a lid (or similar jar with a lid), add the orange juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, seal with lid, and shake vigorously to combine; about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the Greek yogurt and shake until creamy and incorporated, about 1 minute. Taste and check for seasoning balance, adding more salt, pepper, etc. as necessary. I prefer this dressing to be on the saltier side because it’s going to be coating a large bowl of unseasoned kale, vegetables, and quinoa and you need it to read salty out of the jar to properly flavor the salad.
- Add desired amount of dressing to salad, toss well to combine, and serve immediately. Extra dressing will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week; shake vigorously before using.
Sources :
- https://www.averiecooks.com/twelve-superfoods-salad/
- https://www.servings.org/nutrition-education-resources/
