Salad, what is salad? It's a mix of iceberg lettuce, tomato, croutons, and dressing, right? No, salad is a cold dish that contains at least one raw or cooked vegetable and can be combined with meat or fish. In this blog post, I'm going to look at a vegan green salad ingredients and show what they contain to make your meal the healthiest it can be.
If you want to get more nutrition in your salad then consider using a darker green lettuce varieties like romaine, escarole or endive (bitter greens that aid in digestion).
Then add any number the following ingredients for vitamins: blueberries (vitamin B6, C), shredded carrot (vitamin A), tomatoes (vitamin C), hemp hearts (vitamin E), cooked sweet potato (antioxidant beta carotene, vitamin A), spinach (calcium), avocado (omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin K, E, C, B6), arugula (calcium, vitamin K, C, foliate), steamed broccoli or cauliflower florets (vitamin K, C, B), celery (vitamin A, anti-inflammatory), cucumber (vitamin C, A), bell peppers (vitamin C higher than oranges), red onions (folic acid), mushrooms (B vitamins and Vitamin D when wild harvested), and hot peppers (vitamin C).
And for minerals, protein and other important nutrients consider adding: pumpkin seeds (zinc), shredded raw turnip (zinc), shredded beets (iron), sweet corn (B12, iron), cooked beans or tofu (protein, iron, and calcium), kimchi or sauerkraut (probiotics), radishes (potassium, magnesium), and lentils (protein that is more digestible than beans).
You can also add any number of fresh herbs to increase your vitamin C intake, especially with parsley and cilantro. Be adventurous; try herbs you've not tried before like a generous handful of basil. If you like pesto then you'll love this floral herb in your salad. The only herbs you might want to go light on are sage and rosemary because both of these have very strong, overpowering flavors.
It's best to limit your fresh fruit ingredients, so as not to spike your blood sugar. Also, most fruit do not digest well with salad greens; the exceptions are blueberries and apples.
These are just a few of the many delicious ingredients you can add to your green salad, use your imagination and explore the yummy world of vegan salads (you could even try some edible flowers).
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| Delicious fresh green salad with black beans (multi-B vitamins, protein), fresh corn (B12), yellow bell peppers and tomatoes (Vitamin C), Florida. Copyright June, 2020, by Helen A. Lockey |
If you want to get more nutrition in your salad then consider using a darker green lettuce varieties like romaine, escarole or endive (bitter greens that aid in digestion).
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| Fresh spring mix salad greens full of color and vitamin K, Florida. Copyright June 2020 by Helen A. Lockey |
Then add any number the following ingredients for vitamins: blueberries (vitamin B6, C), shredded carrot (vitamin A), tomatoes (vitamin C), hemp hearts (vitamin E), cooked sweet potato (antioxidant beta carotene, vitamin A), spinach (calcium), avocado (omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin K, E, C, B6), arugula (calcium, vitamin K, C, foliate), steamed broccoli or cauliflower florets (vitamin K, C, B), celery (vitamin A, anti-inflammatory), cucumber (vitamin C, A), bell peppers (vitamin C higher than oranges), red onions (folic acid), mushrooms (B vitamins and Vitamin D when wild harvested), and hot peppers (vitamin C).
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| Fresh blueberries (vitamin B6) and pumpkin seeds (zinc) add tasty nutrients to your green salad. Toss it with a bit of virgin olive oil (healthy fat) and apple cider vinegar (probiotics) and you have a living vitamin pill. Copyright June 2020 by Helen A. Lockey |
And for minerals, protein and other important nutrients consider adding: pumpkin seeds (zinc), shredded raw turnip (zinc), shredded beets (iron), sweet corn (B12, iron), cooked beans or tofu (protein, iron, and calcium), kimchi or sauerkraut (probiotics), radishes (potassium, magnesium), and lentils (protein that is more digestible than beans).
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| Fresh greens, from left to right: basil, curly leafed kale, sage, Florida. Copyright June 2020 by Helen A. Lockey |
You can also add any number of fresh herbs to increase your vitamin C intake, especially with parsley and cilantro. Be adventurous; try herbs you've not tried before like a generous handful of basil. If you like pesto then you'll love this floral herb in your salad. The only herbs you might want to go light on are sage and rosemary because both of these have very strong, overpowering flavors.
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| Strawberry (Magnesium), string bean (Vitamin K), cucumber (Vitamin C) , shredded carrot (Vitamin A), hemp hearts (Vitamin E), and chick peas (protein) Florida, Copyright June 2020 by Helen A. Lockey |
It's best to limit your fresh fruit ingredients, so as not to spike your blood sugar. Also, most fruit do not digest well with salad greens; the exceptions are blueberries and apples.
These are just a few of the many delicious ingredients you can add to your green salad, use your imagination and explore the yummy world of vegan salads (you could even try some edible flowers).
