Easy and Nutritious Salad The Whole Family Will Love!
Healthy & Delicious Salad To Support Aging Well
It’s not always easy to keep up to food prep to ensure we have healthy and tasty meals ready to go. The key to getting the health results we want is consistency. If we are busy and have a lot going on, having easy recipes to throw together is so important.
This is my go to every other week right now. I want to create healthy meals but also ones that I can enjoy. It’s also incredibly nutritious. It has so many ingredients that help support a woman’s body as they go through menopause transition. (I will break this down after the recipe. )
The great thing about this recipe is you can substitute and add to it based on your own taste and if you are anything like me, to give you variety every time you make it. I enjoy rotating my food and we should be. So this gives me the chance to add more veggies, change the protein, grain and herbs.
I don’t want to be one of those who make a crazy long recipe post, even if it does mean you stay longer on my page. I know your time is valuable so let’s get to it!
Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas or 1 3/4 cups of chickpeas from dried that have been soaked, cooked and cooled.
1 English cucumber chopped
1/2 sweet onion diced (you can use more if you like onion or also add chopped green onion) - great prebiotic
1 container of grape tomatoes chopped
1 small bunch of fresh parsley finely chopped
the juice of two lemons - you can add more if you like
2 - 3 tbsp of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil - I don’t like it too oily but this is my preference
3 cups of Grain of choice cooked:
pasta (elbow or other small noodle) - I don’t recommend rice pastas for this. You can buy pasta with resistance starch added, giving you more fiber.
Millet
Quinoa
Farro
Barley
Rice (wild, brown or white)
Bulgar
Herbs: (optional)
basil
mint
cilantro (I love cilantro but not nuts about using it in this salad)
dill
lemon balm
Feta (optional) - I add this to individual servings. I use sheep’s milk feta. Prefer the texture and taste
Protein addition (optional) - I also add this to individual servings. I change it daily.
Chicken
Turkey
Lean beef
Salmon
Shrimp
Salt and pepper to taste (I add this after to each serving)
Instructions:
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl (except for the lemon and olive oil). I will sometimes put it in a large glass container with a lid and shake it. I like doing this before adding the olive oil so it doesn’t stick to the lid as much.
Once it is all mixed well, I add the lemon juice and olive oil. I use a pair of salad servers to toss the salad to make sure it’s all mixed through.
That’s it! Simple, easy, nutritious and delicious! Great for the family to have for lunches or even for dinner when you are busy.
It will make about 6-7 servings depending on serving size. It is high in protein, fiber, healthy fat and antioxidants. But lets break it down more.
Parsley itself contains a ton of nutrients that is supportive for women as they age. It is high in B Vitamins like folate, niacin, and choline which will support a healthy nervous system, circulatory system and liver. It offers high levels of vitamin C which support our immunity, collagen production, and because parsley is high in iron, it will help with iron absorption. It is also high in Vitamin K which is needed for gut health and to help absorb Vitamin D. It is also high in Beta Carotene which is beneficial for our skin, immune system, eye health and our mucous membranes - (hello vagina health!). Parsley is also high in minerals like zinc, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Making this herb a powerhouse for longevity.
Any other vegetable you add is going to increase the consumption of phytonutrients and fiber. Switching up the vegetables or adding more, will help ensure you get a variety of nutrients.
Chickpeas are a great plant based protein. They are low in the sulfur amino acid methionine but as long as you get a variety of foods in your day, you can make this up in other meals. If you want to balance it out in the meal, adding feta would do it or adding sunflower seeds or cashews or any of the grains suggested. Chickpeas are also high in B vitamins and fiber. They also offer high levels of magnesium, iron, zinc, and phosphorous. Making them beneficial for bone health, skin health, heart health and supports our nervous and immune systems.
The grains you choose will be based on whether you have gluten sensitivities. I do not, so I change it up constantly. Side note: Cooked and cooled rice or any grain for that matter, is a great resistance starch supporting gut health. Each grain will offer different protein and fiber levels. If you are just starting to add more fiber, try to avoid a super high fiber grain at first. Slowly add more fiber to your diet. You will thank me for this.
This salad with all the fixings, is a powerhouse meal! High in protein, fiber, healthy fat (olive oil), and nutrients that support aging.
Why can it help us through Menopause?
supports our nervous system which may help reduce the vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes, racing heart, anxiety and heart palpitations.
high levels of protein help crowd out excess carb intake, create satiety, support healthy skin, improved muscle quality and quantity, healthy immune system, supports enzyme and hormone production.
supports healthy skin inside and out. (not just for the skin we see and this is important for our dental health, vagina health, gut health and sexual health)
can help reduce oxidative stress. (this is crucial to slow down the signs of aging)
improves gut health (fiber, prebiotics - onion, parsley, vitamins and minerals - zinc, vitamin A & C)
Food is part of our daily life. We need it to support our health, keep us energized, and to help with growth. It also has to be enjoyable or it has us reaching for the foods that taste good but don’t fully support our health. Balancing it with fun foods that we enjoy is important but it is more important to have healthy meals taste great!
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
Much love, Carmen x0x0