For a while I used to feel self conscious about eating salads for lunch. Why? Well, for starters I had a few co-workers that taunted me for eating only veggies for lunch. They would ask silly things like “Is that filling?”, “Where is the protein?” and “ Isn’t that a lot of work?”
These questions never dissuaded me from eating my yummy, colourful, nutritious salads (even to this day) because I knew I was eating something that was packed with deliciousness, nutrition and was pretty easy to throw together. I also knew that I would not suffer from tiredness or grogginess right after lunch but rather gain energy to keep on going!
So, for the last few days I have been having this particular salad at lunch. I’ve been doing early morning workouts and have needed a little extra protein at lunch in the form of hemp seeds. If you’re less active in the mornings you can save the hemp seeds for another day (but why would you, they are loaded with healthy omega fats!). The avocado is quite filling on its own and contains the most delicious fat that not only keeps your heart beating nicely but makes your skin glow too!
All I want to eat for lunch (and maybe dinner) is this salad! Not only will your body love it your taste buds will too. It’s full of power house ingredients like kale, hemp seeds and avocado. Ok, now on to the recipe.
Ingredients:
Salad
- 2 cups lacinato Kale
- 2 cups arugula
- 5-6 cherry tomatoes
- 1-2 fresh basil leaves
- 1 carrot chopped
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 handful of sprouts (I like a mixture!)
- 1 avocado
- Any veggies you feel like tossing in (eg radishes, sweet peppers, cucumbers, etc)
Dressing
- 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
- ½ a lemon squeezed
- 1 tbsp dulse or other sea vegetable
- Pinch of cayenne to taste
Directions:
I just toss everything into one big bowl and mix. Mmmm.
Better for you ingredients:
Kale
- part of the cruciferous family of vegetables
- contains sulfur; helps the liver eliminate toxins and prevents cancer
- rich in lutein and zeaxanthin; both are carotenoids (ie antioxidants) that protect the lens of the eye
- excellent source of vitamin C (prevents free radical damage and boosts immunity)
- contains Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorus for healthy bones
- contains tryptophan (an amino acid) which helps you sleep better
- additionally a good source of Manganese and Copper, omega-3 fats, fibre, folic acid, vitamin B1, B2, B6, niacin
Hemp seeds
- contains omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids in an ideal 4:1 ratio
Avocados
- rich in heart healthy mono-unsaturated fats
- contains folic acid and vitamin B6 which are good for heart health
- good source of Copper and vitamin C which are potent antioxidants
- good source of vitamin K which is good for bone and blood health (regulates blood pressure)
- Improves absorption of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K
Dulse
- sea vegetable
- one of the richest sources of Iodine; Iodine helps with thyroid function which regulates our metabolism
- contains phytonutrients that help with low or excess estrogen in the body
- contain fucans (type of carbohydrate) that reduce inflammation in the body
- contains Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, folate, and tryptophan
