Browsing Tag:

salad

How-Tos/ Nutrition/ RECIPES

How To Eat More Seeds Every Day [+ A Super Seed No Recipe Recipe]

bowl of oats topped with super seeds

Last week I wrote ‘5 Reasons to Eat SuperSeeds Every Day’, and today I am going to share some ideas on HOW to eat more seeds every day.

When it comes to getting into the rhythm of doing something every day, it helps to make it as accessible as possible and as easy as possible.

 

tablespoon and seeds in a jar

My superseed no recipe recipe below is the best way I have found to make everyday seed-eating most accessible and efficient. I eat them almost mindlessly and rarely skip a day.

The glass jar I keep them in is always front and center in my refrigerator. By making a mix, you avoid having to grab different individual bags of seeds each day, but still get all the amazing benefits of eating multiple types of seeds each day.

Let’s face it, those bags can get lost in the pantry and sit lonely and unused, and an empty jar waiting to be refilled can solve that problem.

A glass jar is key. You can see what is in it, and it is easy to grab and use while making breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack.

I use a mason jar, and have been eyeing this glass jar clip and spoon that fits around the lip of a wide mouth mason jar would be perfect for scooping seeds efficiently. It’s only $3.99!

It would eliminate that one more step of searching for a spoon, and it is cute to boot. I also keep my ground coffee in mason jars, so I may have to buy 2! I just put it on my Amazon Wish List. 

 

Continue Reading…

GF, Vegan & Raw/ HEALTH/ Nutrition/ RECIPES/ Sides

Eat All Week Chopped Vegetable Detox Salad

bowl of finely chopped vegetables and a bowl of vegetable salad

 

This Chopped Detox Salad is a recipe you can make once and eat all week! It makes a BIG salad, and will put you well on your way to getting your 7 plant servings a day!

It is full of amazing nutrition, is easy to make, and had been well received by my family. It is one of those recipes that brings health and wellness, and I know I will make it for many years to come.

It’s been awhile since I have been THIS excited about a recipe. It reminds me of the excitement I felt when I discovered Chia Oats. A healthy, staple, ‘make-once-and-eat-for-days’ recipe.

 

Finely chopped vegetables in a bowl

 

Detox Salad = Lots of Nutrients

Not only are you getting your vegetable servings in, but they are ALL the colors which is so important. More colors mean more diverse nutrients! I’m always striving to eat the rainbow, and this detox salad is a great way to do it.

 

Head of cut cauliflower and a head of purple cabbage

 

2 Secrets to the Success of Detox Salad

There are 2 secrets to the success of this salad:

  1. All veggies are chopped fine with a food processor. So fine that you could eat it with a spoon– almost like a veggie couscous! Using a food processor keeps you from having to take the time to chop, chop, chop; and makes certain vegetables that can be tough and hard to chew a breeze to eat.
  2. The dressing is so fresh and delicious and was the KEY to getting my family to eat this salad.

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Detox Salad Dressing

We have eaten this salad with store bought dressing when we were short on time and ran out of the homemade version, but I have to tell you, it is not the same!

The dressing in this recipe has such a beautiful fresh lemony taste.

There is something about mixing lemon with ginger and balancing the tang and zest with a bit of honey. Garlic and dijon round it out.

Did you notice that even the dressing contains super healthy ingredients? Lemon is full of vitamin c, ginger is cleansing is garlic and honey both have their own very specific health benefits.

I use avocado oil, as it is a healthy oil and will not harden when refrigerated, so I can make the dressing and store it separately from the salad for my family to help themselves to all week.

You can old use olive oil, but it is not great for refrigerating for later use because it will harden.

 

Take Your Salad To Go

My girls have been helping themselves to this salad, and even have been packing it up and taking to school in their lunches.

It is safe to say that we are addicted. There is so much flavor, so much texture and it is BEAUTIFUL served in a glass bowl.

This salad is great for sharing with a group. It is a show stopper to look at and tastes amazing. I took this to our large family Easter dinner gathering and it was well received, even by those who were a bit skeptical of that many veggies in one salad!

 

food processor bowl with finely chopped vegetable bits in it

 

Micronutrients in Detox Salad

Detox salad is full of micronutrients. Todd and I are on a HUGE micronutrient kick, thanks to Dr. Joel Fuhrman and his amazing books we have been reading together. We love the idea of a high nutrient diet and are pursuing it actively.

From Dr. Joel Fuhrman:

What makes my dietary advice unique is that it is focused on quality, not quantity. It focuses on the type of foods you eat. Its most important nutritional concept is:

H=N/C
Health = Nutrients/Calories

For excellent health and life expectancy, concentrate on consuming foods that contain a lot of micronutrients and fewer calories.

Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals; they do not contain calories, but they have vital functions in the body. Calories come from fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You want to take in the foods that contain the most micronutrients per calorie. You want to get the most nutrient bang for each caloric buck. When you eat this way, calorie-counting no longer matters.

High micronutrient foods come straight from nature; whole plant foods, such as vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts, and beans, should be the basis of a healthy, anti-cancer diet.

Without adequate micronutrients, food cravings, discomfort, and the demand to over-consume calories can be overwhelming and derail any effort to lose weight or eat healthfully.

It is nice to not be consumed with counting calories and focused on macronutrients like protein, fats, and carbs. I like just simply looking at my food and asking myself if it is nutrient dense food. A simple question and a simple way of eating.

As a 2-time cancer survivor, I want my body to function well and want to supply it with all of the micronutrients it needs. This salad is such an easy way to do that!

 

finely chopped vegetables in a glass bowl

 

Eat All Week Chopped Detox Salad Recipe

5 from 2 votes
finely chopped vegetables in a bowl
Chopped Detox Salad Recipe
Prep Time
20 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

This Chopped Detox Salad is a recipe you can make once and eat all week! It makes a big salad and will put you well on your way to getting your 7 veggie servings a day. 

Recipe Type: Salad
Ingredients
Salad
  • 1 bunch of broccoli about 2 cups chopped
  • 1/3 large head of cauliflower about 2 cups chopped
  • 1/2 small head red cabbage about 2 cups chopped
  • 4 kale leaves stems (about 2 cups chopped)
  • 3 carrots peeled (about 1 cup chopped)
  • 1/2 cup parsley
  • 1/3 cup almonds roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries or any dried fruit roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp. sunflower seeds
Dressing
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1 tbsp. grated ginger about 1 inch
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • 1/4 cup oil I use avocado, can use extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Roughly chop all the veggies into bite-size pieces. This can be a fast process, let the food processor do most of the work for you!


  2. Place each veggie into the food processor and pulse until you have chopped the veggies, fine and crumbly. Do this in batches. Finely chop the parsley as well.
  3. Add the veggies into a big bowl, then add the almonds, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries.
Dressing
  1. In a separate jar combine the garlic, ginger, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Put the lid on and shake, or mix in a bowl and whisk until combined.
  2. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss everything together, or store separately if want the salad to last all week. It will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator with dressing added, 4-6 days in the refrigerator without. Ours has always lasted at least 6 days.
Serve and enjoy!
Makes 4-6 Servings

 

finely chopped vegetables in a bowl

 

Tips:

  • Key for the salad to last all week? Don’t add the dressing until ready to eat. Use an oil that won’t harden in the refrigerator…olive oil and coconut oil both do, so my choice is avocado oil.
  • This salad will last 4-6 days without dressing, 2-3 days with.
  • A good food processor makes this quick work. I got the Breville Sou Chef for Christmas and it is a dream to use!

Add- in ideas:

  • This recipe is so good just how it is, that I’m hesitant to suggest any add-ins, but I must as it is such a versatile salad and can be used as a base for so many other add-in flavors.
  • Top the salad with sliced hard-boiled egg.
  • Add a can of beans for more protein.
  • Could roll up in a tortilla, rice paper, or raw collard green leaf and use dressing as a dip.
  • Garnish with feta.
  • Add olives or green onions, pepperoncini peppers, or artichoke hearts.
  • Pump up the fiber by adding bulger.
  • Make your leafy lettuce salad even more healthy, sprinkle on this detox salad (pre-dressing) as a chopped veggie topping.

Dinner suggestions:

  • Serve with a piece of grilled salmon or some shredded rotisserie chicken mixed in for a quick dinner salad.
  • Could chop less fine and keep on hand to use for quick stir-frys. I often have leftover cabbage, cauliflower, and carrots, so I chop them up while I have the food processor out, but make them less fine and use in stir-frys.
  • I’ve even justified a pizza dinner by serving this salad as a side. Ha!

 


What about you? Are you wanting to consume more nutrient-dense foods?

Do you think you and your family would like this salad?

Did you make this recipe? Snap a picture and tag @Amy_NewNostalgia on Instagram or share it using #amynewnostalgia –I LOVE seeing your NN creations!~

Featured/ RECIPES/ Sides

Kale & Lentil Salad With Cranberries & Coconut Bacon

Follow New Nostalgia

Kale-lentil-coconut-bacon-salad-pinterest

It is amazing how excited I can get about a kale salad. This Kale & Lentil Salad with Cranberries & Coconut Bacon is really delicious & reminds me of something you could order at an upscale vegetarian restaurant.

This kale salad is full of beautiful.  It has gorgeous color from the cranberries & the kale itself. The texture is great with curly kale, chewy dried cranberries & crunchy coconut bacon. The cranberries are a nice sweet touch while the coconut bacon adds amazing smokey & salty flavor.

Chopped Kale

Kale Tip

Kale is different from other salad greens as it is not as delicate.  I love this about kale because you can dress it and put it in the refrigerator to eat the next day, as the leaves will not get soggy like typical salad leaves.

I like kale chopped up small like in this salad, with the dressing “massaged” into the leaves to help soften them a bit. It is best to do this before adding the other toppings to your salad.

Lentil Kale Salad

Kale Nutrition

This salad is full of protein & fiber, phytonutrients & antioxidants. You can read more about the amazing nutrition of kale here. It is filling and can be a meal in itself or  makes a great side dish, too. It is a great recipe for potlucks, and can be enjoyed all year but is especially festive looking at Christmastime.

Coconut-Bacon-640px

Coconut Bacon

Did you read the post I wrote about coconut bacon? It is SO DELICIOUS & very easy to make. Most regular bacon has nitrates in it that are cancer causing and harmful to your health. This coconut bacon has a nice smokey flavor from smoked paprika & has a great salty flavor like bacon, thanks to the addition of soy sauce. The oven crisps the coconut flakes up just right for the perfect crunchy texture to top salads and soups.  Coconut bacon is great sprinkled on top of lentil soup or even just eaten straight from a jar!

Lentils

I use precooked lentils that you can get at Trader Joes in the refrigerator section.  If you don’t have a Trader Joes near you, lentils are super easy to make, or you can get canned lentils.  Want more ideas of what to make with lentils from New Nostalgia? Try Easy Taco Seasoned Lentils or Sloppy Joe Lentils.  Both make great Meatless Monday/ Vegetarian meals.

Coconut Bacon Kale Lentil Salad With Cranberries

This salad has a simple homemade dressing made with apple cider vinegar which gives it great flavor.  It is the perfect dressing for an amazing salad!

Kale & Lentil Salad with Cranberries & Coconut Bacon

{Serves: 6 small or 4 large servings}

1 medium head curly kale, stems removed, washed, dried and chopped (about 7-8 ounces after preparation)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 1/2 cups cooked lentils (or one can of cooked lentils, rinsed & drained)

1 cup coconut bacon

1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp salt

Black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped shallots

Instructions:

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar,maple syrup, salt, pepper, and shallots.  Set them aside.

Place the kale in a large mixing bowl.  Toss the dressing over it and massage thoroughly with your hands, until all of the leaves are coated with the dressing.  Add the cranberries, lentils, and coconut bacon, and toss everything to combine.  Pile the salad into serving bowls & serve.

Note: Leftover salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.  I love storing it in smaller mason jars for a quick, grab & go lunch.

FUN/DIY/ Healthy Eating/ RECIPES/ Sides

Simple Mason Jar Salads

mason-jar-salad

Mason-Jar-Salads

Salads in a Mason Jar

I’ve seen these mason jar salads all over Pinterest and Instagram, and have been wanting to make them myself for quite a while now.  I love the idea of just grabbing a jar and having a healthy lunch or snack right at your fingertips.

These jars took just minutes to make. I decided to keep mine simple, which helped make the process super easy.

 I wanted to use ingredients that all members of my family would eat, as I hoped that having some beautiful jars of goodness in our refrigerator would encourage my 3 girls to grab one and eat up their veggies.

It worked, especially on my oldest girl who is a cross-country runner and is quite motivated to get her veggies in!  She loved these so much that she asked if she could take them in her school lunch instead of a sandwich.

 

Salad-in-a-jar-Collage

 

Salad in a Jar

I’ve seen quite elaborate salads- in- jars all over the internet, but I knew simple would work best for our family.  Most that I’ve seen put the dressing at the very bottom, then add veggies, a protein (beans or hard-boiled eggs) then the salad at the top.

Putting hearty vegetables in-between the dressing and the lettuce keeps the lettuce dry and makes them last 5-7 days in the refrigerator.  It is great for a to-go lunch or snack.

My family members all like a different dressing, so I skipped putting the dressing in the bottom.  We ended up eating most of these at home, where we could easily grab the dressing we liked, dump the jar onto a plate, and add any other toppings at the time of eating.

Really, for my family, the salad jars were a great way to present enticing, healthy, grab and go food.  I think it is worth the little bit of time to put the jars together to make this happen.

Sometimes when veggies just sit in their bags in the refrigerator, my girls are less likely to grab them and eat them. Having them in such pretty jars really made a difference in the number of vegetables we consumed that week.

I’ve written before about keeping fresh veggies cut in jars in our refrigerator.  Most weeks when I am making a salad for dinner, I will cut up extra vegetables and put them into jars–again–worth the extra time for my family to see healthy foods in our refrigerator.

They will not grab a cucumber and cut it up to eat it, but they will grab a jar of sliced cucumbers and munch away.

The week I made these jars, I made sure I had hard-boiled eggs peeled and chopped, ready to go as it is one of my families’ favorite salad toppings and a great way to add protein.

I also had red pepper slices and cooked peas, both in separate jars, which are two of my favorite salad toppings.

In my pantry, I had a large jar of croutons, a jar of dried cranberries & a jar of sunflower seeds, all of which are great salad toppings.

Jars a wonderful way to keep healthy ingredients at your fingertips, store ingredients so that they last a long time, and make the refrigerator and pantry look beautiful and organized.  I just love them!

Below is a list of salad ingredients that can be stored in jars to top your Simple Mason Jar Salad, or to make more elaborate Mason Jar Salads.

If you are wanting to make these with the dressing and all of the ingredients layered in the jar, make sure you buy large mouth jars and layer the ingredients in the right order.

 

Best Order:

Dressing, hearty vegetables (ones that can marinate in the dressing without breaking down like carrots, peppers, grape tomatoes, cucumbers), fruits, protein/carb (beans, pasta, chicken), dry toppings (seeds, croutons, dried fruit) then lettuce.

 

Ingredient Ideas for Mason Jar Salads

Shredded Rotisserie Chicken
Chopped Bacon
Whole-Wheat Bow-Tie Pasta
Sliced Strawberries
Blueberries
Grapes
Pineapple
Mandarin Oranges
Dried Cranberries
Avocado
Green Peppers
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Carrots
Peas
Radishes
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Feta Cheese
Croutons
Sunflower Seeds
Sliced Almonds

 

Simple Mason Jar Salads

Here is how I made mine:

Cucumber

Shredded Carrots

Shredded Broccoli Stalks

Baby Spinach

Lettuce Mix

*all of my ingredients (except cucumber) came prepped in bags from Trader Joes- easy!

 

Directions:

Add ingredients in jars in the order given.  Put a lid on and store in refrigerator 5-7 days.

When ready to eat, take out, add whatever extra toppings you would like, add dressing & enjoy!

 


What about you?

Do you like the idea of having these available in your refrigerator ready to grab and eat?  Do you think it would motivate you to eat more veggies?

For a very detailed article on Mason Jar Salads, click here.

RECIPES/ Sides

Hummus Salad

There is a local cafe in town that serves a hummus salad that is to die for.  I order it every time I go, and leave so satisfied without being overly full.  They serve it with a side of pretzel chips– just a few–  I love the extra crunch and using them to scoop up any hummus left on the plate.

This cafe is where I first saw hummus used as a salad dressing.  It makes so much sense.  It is creamy, adds a nice bit of plant protein, and is full of flavor.  I would never have thought such a simple dressing would taste so great!

Here is my copycat salad, minus the side of pretzel chips…I ran out that day!

Here is my no recipe recipe for:

 

Hummus Salad

~greens of your choice (make sure to get some dark leaves in there for extra iron and goodness)

~chopped carrot

~chopped broccoli

~chopped red pepper

~chopped apple

~dried cranberries

~sliced almonds

~hummus

Put the greens on a plate.  Top with chopped veggies.  Top with a heap of hummus. Top with nuts and dried cranberries.  Enjoy!

The same cafe serves a hummus sandwich.  Click here to learn how to make it!

Also, don’t miss out on another of my favorite hummus recipes: 2 Ingredient Taco Dip

GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ Meals/ RECIPES/ Sides

A Quick Lunch Salad & How To Keep Your Salads Interesting

Sometimes reaching my goal of getting leafy greens into my body everyday can get boring.  Especially in a salad form!  I have made it my mission to find ways to motivate myself to keep up the salads and buy ingredients to take them from boring to delicious!  
Here are 2 key ways I do this:
1. I use a mandolin to slice my veggies, then store them in mason jars.  Cut em’ once, store them for the week.  
2. Splurge on ingredients that make compliment greens and make them delicious. A couple ways I do this with seasoned/ glazed nuts & sesame sticks.  I have even been known to crush wheat crackers and sprinkle on top for a little bit of crunch.  I also like to do it with fruit, from dried cranberries to sliced apples & clementines.
Sliced colorful veggies including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and carrots
A mandolin is the best and fastest way I have found to slice veggies.

Sliced colorful veggies

Add beans for protein…or hard-boiled eggs.

Sweet and spicy pecans from Trader Joes
Splurge on the extras.  These Sweet & Spicy Pecans from Trader Joes are amazing, and I also love their sesame sticks. It may add a few extra calories, but to me it is so worth it when I think of all those flavonoids, anti-oxidants & vitamins I am getting from the veggies.
Coming soon—>How to make your own salad dressing using no oils, only the natural oils from nuts!
More Ways To Get Your Greens From New Nostalgia:
Salads/Salad Dressings:
Cooked Greens
Smoothies & Juices

Drinks/ GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES

Blended Mango Spinach Salad

PicMonkey-Collage-SPINACH-MANGO

One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to eat some form of greens everyday.  The more I read on the health benefits of greens, the more I realize how important it is to consume them daily and in large amounts. I am devouring the book Eat To Live Eat To Live  by Dr. Fuhrman. It is by far one of my most favorite books on nutrition, second only to The China Study. This recipe is taken from that book.

Dr. Fuhrman

Here is what he says about greens:

“Dark green leafy vegetables –kale, spinach, arugula, swiss chard, romaine, mustard greens, collard greens & watercress–get the very highest score in highest nutrient density foods. They contain the very most phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals of all foods. They are rich in all necessary amino acids.  They are packed with cancer-fighting phytonutrients that protect us from a variety of threatening illnesses.”

Spinach leaves

Greens rock!

I love a good salad, and it is a good thing since I eat them most days for lunch AND as a side to dinner.  I also love green smoothies.  But sometimes, I just want to get my greens in quick and not have to think about it the rest of the day.

Drink your greens

This Blended Mango Spinach Salad is an awesome way to do just that.  It only makes about 4 1/2 ounces, so to gulp it down takes just minutes.  Most of my green smoothie recipes make 2 cups of smoothie which takes a chunk of time to finish.  This blended salad recipe is the same idea of a smoothie, and uses the same amount of greens as a green smoothie (3 cups!) but it is more concentrated.

The mango adds a nice creaminess and sweetness.  It tastes very fresh and quite green.  I like it, quite a lot, but I’m also used to the taste of green smoothies and greens.  I could not drink 2 cups of it at once, but as a quick “shot” of nutrition, it is perfect.  I will be making it often.

Baby Spinach
Beautiful greens!
spinach and mangos
Only 3 simple, super healthy ingredients.
cutting a mango how to

Cut your mango and do your best not to eat it just like this!

mango art

Mango art!

Mango skin
Slice mango chunks off of skin right into blender.
Blending mango and spinach
Blend mango & spinach.
Green smoothie

Check out that beautiful color!

Kale and spinach

Add greens and milk.

Green smoothie in blender
Blend again, and you are done!
Green smoothie in mason jar
Now chug it, slurp it, drink it up!  Your body will thank you for this extra shot of energy and goodness!
…………………

Blended Mango Spinach Salad 
2 cups spinach
1/2-1 cup romaine or other greens (I used a mix of baby chard, kale & watercress)
1 cup fresh mango
1/8 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)

Peel and chop the mango and place in a food processor or high powered blender.  Add the spinach.  Blend until combined.  Add the greens and milk.  Blend until creamy.

………………..
 
Check out the nutrition facts in that green shot of goodness!
 
759 g potassium
5 g fiber
3.4 g protein
Almost 200% of your Vitamin A
Over 100% of your Vitamin C
Great source of iron, magnesium & calcium!

 

Nutrition Facts
User Entered Recipe
  1 Serving

 

 

Amount Per Serving
  Calories 128.0
  Total Fat 0.8 g
  Saturated Fat 0.2 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g
  Monounsaturated Fat 0.2 g
  Cholesterol 0.0 mg
  Sodium 74.4 mg
  Potassium 759.6 mg
  Total Carbohydrate 31.3 g
  Dietary Fiber 5.0 g
  Sugars 24.8 g
  Protein 3.4 g
  Vitamin A 194.0 %
  Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
  Vitamin B-6 19.8 %
  Vitamin C 118.3 %
  Vitamin D 0.0 %
  Vitamin E 17.7 %
  Calcium 10.6 %
  Copper 14.9 %
  Folate 49.4 %
  Iron 14.7 %
  Magnesium 21.5 %
  Manganese 42.6 %
  Niacin 8.1 %
  Pantothenic Acid     3.2 %
  Phosphorus     6.2 %
  Riboflavin 15.5 %
  Selenium 2.7 %
  Thiamin 11.1 %
  Zinc 3.6 %

…………………

What do you think?
Do you think you could handle a nice, sweet, fresh shot of greens?
Let me know if you try it and what you think.

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