Super Sprout Salad

Happy Healthy Day, to you, my friends! And why is today Healthy Day?? ...Well, no specific reason. Really, hopefully EVERY day is a happy healthy day :)

How are those Resolutions going? Hopefully healthy and successful! But, if you've staggered, that's okay! Pick up today - RIGHT NOW, not tomorrow! - and choose to be healthier now! :)

I wanted to share a quick recipe for a salad that I have been craving lately. It just feels so healthy to eat it!! (Ok, hopefully that doesn't scare some of you off! "Ewww, 'healthy'?! Must not taste good..") Not true! This salad is rich in flavor, I will admit. So it can be quite potent if you're not used to the bursting goodness of dark greens. But if you've been doing green smoothies and other salads, then this will be another simple recipe to add to your arsenal!

Super Sprout Salad!

I did both Mung Sprouts and Broccoli Sprouts for this one :)

Salad:

Dinosaur Kale

Sprouts (Mung bean, alfalfa, broccoli, etc)

1/4th Avocado, diced

1/2 Tomato, diced

Dressing:

Small Drizzle of Olive oil

Juice of one half lemon, or to taste

Dash of Sea salt (or Kelp Flakes)

Cayenne to taste

Wash and tear the kale into bite-size pieces and then add the oil, lemon, and salt. Massage it all into the leaves, as this helps soften the kale. Add the sprouts, avocado, and tomato. Mix. Sprinkle with cayenne.

This is a great salad to make in the morning and then take to work for lunch. As it sits, the flavors marinate together, and the lemon helps continue to soften the kale. Don't get me wrong, it's not MUSHY gross! Just a little more tender.

Kale, as I've said many times, is one heck of a healthy green! Great source of vitamins and minerals, and helps our natural detoxifying process. A rich source of antioxidants and cancer fighters! Avocado is rich with healthy fats, and will help you absorb even more of the goodness of the kale. Avocado is an anti-inflammatory food, which is a benefit of many produce items that I'll get into more another time :) And cayenne, an excellent source of Vitamin A, is believed to be a great spice for stimulating circulation and digestion, boosting immunity, and possibly preventing ulcers. And during these cold months, a little heat can be appreciated! Heck, maybe try mincing up some ginger or garlic, too! Enjoy playing with it :) Perhaps do half kale, half of your favorite green (Romaine? Spinach? What do YOU like!) I like to you kelp flakes to give that extra kick of iodine and a little salt flavor, but sea salt is good too!

Most types of sprouts are good to try to add to your diet. They offer a large 'bang for your buck' nutritionally! According The George Mateljan Foundation for the World's Healthiest Foods, a non-profit organization that looks at the science behind healthy eating, "In the life of a plant, sprouting is a moment of great vitality and energy. The seed, after having remained quiet for an often long period of time, becomes more and more active and begins its journey up through the topsoil and into the open air. When it sprouts, a healthy seed activates many different metabolic systems. It converts some of its sugar content into vitamin C, to act as an antioxidant in the new open air environment. It also begins to synthesize a variety of new enzymes, many of them necessary to handle oxygen metabolism in the world above the soil. On a gram for gram basis, sprouts are richer in vitamin C than the older, more mature plants they eventually become, because this moment in their lifecycle calls for a high level of vitality." (Bold mine)

So try out some sprouts! They're great to add to salads, sandwiches, any many other dishes! Happy Eating!

~Katie