Antioxidant Rainbow Salad

Antioxidant Rainbow Salad

If you’re looking for a way to jazz up a sprouty red and green salad, try this Antioxidant Rainbow Salad.

Salads are without a doubt in my favorite food preparation, and what’s not to love? The possibilities are endless, depending on protein preference, season, texture, and then of course how you choose to dress it.

Being that we are in the full effects of covid season, we couldn’t think of a more fitting salad that provides you with an extra antioxidant boost, just for good measure.

First and foremost, most salads made with whole food ingredients and natural dressings are “antioxidant salads” because coloured fruits, green vegetables, and common salad items are great sources of antioxidants!

What earns this salad the special title is due to a few key ingredients that are richer in antioxidants than others. This includes beetroots, sprouts, apricots, cucumber and tomatoes (or you can use whatever dark leafy green you enjoy), lemon, olive oil, sea salt, and natural vinegar of your choice.

Serves- 2

Time For Preparation- 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the salad:

Cucumber 1-unskinned- Finely Diced
Tomato 1- Finely Diced
Apricot 1- Finely Diced
Multigrain sprouts 1 cup- sauteed in olive oil
Beetroot 1/2 cup- parboiled and finely chopped
Small green chilli- 1 finely chopped

For the dressing:

Himalayan red salt/or any unprocessed salt- 1/4 teaspoonful or less
Oregano dressing- 1/4 teaspoonful or less
Black/white pepper grounded- a pinch
Extra-virgin olive oil- 2 tablespoonful or less
Red wine vinegar/any natural vinegar- 1 teaspoonful or less

For the garnish:

Finely chopped mint and coriander leaves
Finely shaved mango slivers
Finely chopped walnuts
Salted roasted peanuts
Lemon wedge

Instructions:

In a big glass bowl mix all the salad ingredients.
In a small glass bowl mix all the dressing ingredients.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix evenly with a salad spatula.
Garnish with a wedge of lemon, mango slivers, chopped walnuts, salted peanuts and finely chopped coriander and mint leaves.
Serve chilled!

How It Benefits Us:

Beetroots:

Beets are great to incorporate into our diets for anti-inflammatory and detoxification benefits. Beets support detoxification, which involves the enzyme glutathione-s-transferase a.k.a. GST.

GST’s basically work to “catch” and “hook up” unwanted toxic substances in our bodies with nutrients- this allows the toxins to become water soluble and neutralized from the nutrients, therefore safe for the body to excrete through your urine or other processes.

A note about detoxification: detoxification is a daily practice and a lifelong habit, which I strongly practice and recommend to my friends as well. Detoxification can’t occur simply by doing a “cleanse” for one week- our bodies actually do a tremendous job at detoxifying our bodies through multiple channels if we give them space, nutrients, proper practices to enhance, and time to do so. Beetroots are great to provide the body with ample amounts of antioxidants needed.

Sprouts:

Sprouts act as nutritional powerhouses.

For starters, they’re rich in many nutrients. They’re also said to improve your digestion and blood sugar levels, and possibly even fend off heart disease.

Despite being low in calories, sprouts are a rich source of nutrients and beneficial plant compounds. Their vitamin and mineral content varies based on the variety.

However, generally speaking, the sprouting process increases nutrient levels, making sprouts richer in protein, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and vitamins C and K than un-sprouted plants. Sprouts are known to improve digestion and amp up the immune system.

Apricots:

Apricots are low in calories and fat while also an excellent source of vitamins A and C.

Furthermore, this fruit is a decent source of beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, all of which are potent antioxidants that help fight free radicals in your body.

What’s more, they’re high in a group of polyphenol numerous antioxidants, most notably flavonoids. They help protect your body from oxidative stress, which is linked to many chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Also See: Healthy Pizza That Kids Love

In Conclusion!

“A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar which can help keep appetite in check”.

It’s important to eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, in as many different colors as possible. Combining them in a salad is both easy and delicious! Loaded with vitamins and minerals, eating a salad a day will also increase the level of powerful antioxidants in your blood.

The basis of any salad, green vegetables, offer a huge nutritional benefit. Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables in the “red” family are also of particular nutrition benefit. This includes produce with orange, purple, red and burgundy flesh. Some examples are tomatoes, red and orange peppers, carrots, strawberries, nectarines, apricots, peaches, plums, blackberries, and pomegranates.