Happy 2013 everyone! I hope everyone had a great New Year’s Eve! On Monday night, I went to my friend Brittany’s apartment to watch the ball drop. She was one of the first people I met in college and she invited a good group of people over to celebrate. We ate, drank, and laughed until the wee hours of the morning. It was a really fun night and a great way to welcome the new year. However, after all that fun and food, I want to start this year off right by eating well! The holiday season is filled with carbs and candy, so I need a good kick in the pants to get back to my normal eating habits. A little healthy detox will hopefully work wonders!
To help myself get back into the swing of things, I really wanted to throw together a delicious salad to refresh my mind (which is kinda sluggish right now) and body (which may or may not currently be a flabby mess). Because of all that, this recipe for a power boost salad was born! In it is everything from crunchy kale to soft spinach to tart pomegranate seeds. A few hearty whole grain croutons and grapes (for a cool juiciness) also sneak in. Oh…and slivers of Parmesan cheese and almonds give little creamy salty bites. Booya! Delicious!
Just to show ya why I call this recipe a power boost salad, here is a brief rundown of its nutrition:
Kale: a superfood that helps everything from your mind to your heart due to high levels of antioxidants, iron, etc.
Spinach: great for your skin, bones, brain, and blood pressure (among other things).
Grapes: great source for vitamin c.
Pomegranate: helps prevent a boat load of diseases as well as being packed full of antioxidants.
Multigrain bread: great source of nutrients and fiber.
Almonds: great for cholesterol, blood pressure, brain, etc etc…it’s awesome little nut!
Oh, and before I sign out…if you read my last post, you’ll see a few superstitious New Year foods that supposedly bring about good fortune added into this recipe. Who knows, they may actually work and I’ll end up rolling in piles of money this year. Keep your fingers crossed for me and I’ll keep you posted! ;)
1 head of romaine lettuce (chopped)
2 cups kale (chopped)
2 cups baby spinach (chopped)
2 cups red grapes (seedless)
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup silvered almonds
1/4 medium red onion (thinly sliced)
Parmesan cheese shavings, to taste
Multigrain croutons, to taste
Gently tear or cut the romaine lettuce. Add to bowl.
Remove the woody steams from the kale. Take the leafy portion, tear/cut into pieces and add to bowl. Add in chopped spinach and the rest of the ingredients. Toss to combine.
Drizzle with simple dressing (as you can see in the last picture, I like spicy mustard mixed with a little honey and garlic powder).
Serve and enjoy!
