Tasty Superfood Salad Recipe

Our Hebron Kroger Marketplace is basically my second home. Nary a day passes but what I am there...especially with all of the fresh produce I have gone through recently. Over the last few years our family has looked forward to the yummy samples throughout the store. No joke...there have been some days when there are so many that we can literally eat a light lunch as we walk through the store. 

Admittedly, there are normally very few vegan options in the samples. Imagine my delight yesterday when I found this wonderful salad that they called "Taylor Farms Superfood Salad". At $6.99 per pound, I bought a 1/3 pound container. After eating it for my lunch yesterday, I determined to see if I could duplicate it more cheaply. I don't think my expense was much less, but my version (pictured above) had more organic and raw ingredients and would make enough to feed the whole family. I'll list the ingredients, but there's no real recipe...adjust it as you desire.

Organic baby kale, torn or chopped into bite size pieces. Whole blueberries and organic grape tomatoes. Chopped red onion, sweetened dried cranberries, chopped organic raw cashews, organic raw sunflower seeds...

And Lighthouse Pomegranate Blueberry Vinaigrette. I didn't compare any dressings and this one does have sugar...but it must be nominal or the vinegar counteracts it because it didn't leave me thirsty like I have been experiencing lately when I've even had a small amount of sugar. It doesn't have soy oil or high fructose corn syrup though so I was excited! 

Place all ingredients in a container, including the dressing, cover with a lid and shake until well mixed. This is delicious and the baby kale isn't too chewy (my biggest dislike of kale). The only variation from the Kroger version is that they included edamame, which I left out because I am attempting to avoid soy. Enjoy!

The amazing health benefits of these RAW ingredients include:

• Kale is low-calorie, zero fat, high in fiber, iron, Vitamin K (great for bone health and blood clotting), and is filled with antioxidants. It is an anti-inflammatory food and is also high in Vitamins A and C and calcium. It is a powerful detoxifying food.
• Blueberries are also loaded with antioxidants, but are great for brain health too. They are low glycemic and chock-full of Vitamins K and C, manganese and fiber.
• Red onion is packed with the bioflavenoid quercetin, which is great at scavenging free radicals. This antioxidant is cancer fighting, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory. It is being studied for its ability to prevent and control intestinal polyps and for suppressing rhinoviruses that are an underlying cause of the common cold. Allicin, also in onions, has been shown to promote cardiovascular health, prevent and treat cancer and reduce high blood pressure. Allicin, may also help people with dandruff because of its anti-fungal properties. The chromium contained in red onions makes it a great food to fight insulin resistance and there is more...but I have additional foods to get to.
• Tomatoes are a great source of Vitamins C, A, and K, plus folate and potassium.They also provide thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorus and copper. The lycopene and beta-carotene found in tomatoes can make your skin look great and reduce the damage caused by harmful UV rays.
• Raw cashews are a good source of healthy fats, protein and fiber. They are loaded with manganese, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, and tryptophan which can help elevate moods, thus combating depression. I recently heard in the documentary, Food Matters, that just one handful of raw cashews a day can significantly decrease the side effects of depression. Yet, in our fat-crazed society...we are overly concerned with consuming the fat. Your choice...anti-depressants or tasty cashews?
• Raw sunflower seeds are the mighty food in this salad. Don't let their tiny size fool you. Sunflower seeds have a high oil content that is a good source of polyunsaturated fats. They are also overflowing with Vitamins E, B1 and B6, manganese, copper, tryptophan, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus and folate.
• Edamame (optional) in only a one cup serving has at least 6% RDA of all the nutrients you need, except Vitamin D. They also provide 20-40% of your RDA for protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, folate and Vitamin K. Since edamame is a soybean, it contains isoflavones that are similar to estrogen. Therefore, they can be helpful in reducing mood swings, hot flashes, and other hormonal stressors. According to research, if you have a normal level of estrogen, soy can attach itself to receptors first, thus making your estrogen levels go down. A word of caution though...I know women in whom soy has had harmful effects upon their hormone levels. I suggest using soy sparingly.

As stated above, I know with the dried sweetened cranberries and the salad dressing, there is sugar added, so eat this salad in moderation. But if I have to choose between this and caving in to a sweet craving...this is definitely the optimal choice!