Kale-Carrot-Cabbage Salad

It is the start of a new year and naturally the focus is shifting from indulgence to wellness. As much as I love healthy treats… I LOVE veggies even more!

I would like to propose another challenge: Eat veggies 3 times every day!

For those participating in the Fuel Up, this is one of action steps they have committed to. One easy way to get more veggies is to throw a big salad together. And I mean BIG! The great thing about veggies is you can eat a TON of them! It turns out you don’t need to be so worried about portion control when you are choosing the RIGHT foods.

If you have not heard about the Fuel Up, click this link to my website to learn more. Participants are gearing up to start on January 5^th and I have sent them care packages full of goodies to ensure their success over the next month. One helpful handout I included was a list of Approved Salad Dressings. I’ll let you all in on the list so you can start building a better salad in 2014!

In the New Year, eat nourishing foods, and eat in abundance until you are full and satisfied. Wow! What a relief! No more New Years diets! Hope you all had a great holiday and are starting off the year strong. Here is one of my favorite go-to salads when I feel like I need a detox…. It's almost 10 cups of salad and you can eat the whole dang thing! 

Kale-Carrot-Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

• 4 cups green cabbage, shredded (~1/2 head)
• 3 cups lacinato kale, confetti chopped (~1/2 bunch)
• 2 cups shredded carrots (~1 large carrot)
• ½ cup kidney beans, canned (drain and rinse)
• Dressing of choice (I love Whole Foods Garlic Tahini Dressing)

Preparation Instructions

1. Toss all ingredients together and enjoy!

Bring it for lunch!!

Fuel Facts

Numbers: 358 calories, 20 g protein, 3 g fat, 76 g carbs, 22 g fiber
**The WHOLE recipe (without dressing)

Ingredient Breakdown:

v Cabbage – Part of the cruciferous vegetable family, cabbage is a fantastic source of fiber and boasts numerous health benefits. It’s ability to bind bile acids help lower cholesterol significantly when eaten regularly. Slightly steaming the cabbage will enhance this action even further.

           

Cabbage is also extremely beneficial to digestive tract. The glucosinolates in the vegetable are used to make anti-inflammatory isothiocyanates (ICTs). These ICTs help regulate bacteria in the gut, keeping it a healthy environment.

v Kale – You won’t here me use the word “super” food very often, because I believe all foods contribute their own, unique healing powers. That being said, if there was one food to eat more of, it would be kale. Studies continue to show kale’s ability to lower the risk for cancer, prevent inflammation and even act as a detoxifier at the genetic level. Bottom line… eat more kale.

v Carrots – These root vegetables were named for their high content of the carotenoid, beta-carotene.  This antioxidant helps protect against cancer and is good for eye health.  Carrots are also naturally sweet, which makes them a good addition to baked goods, stews, curries, and a variety of other dishes.

v Beans – The legumes are a wonderful protein source for those wanting to increase their intake of plant-based foods. Beans have a very high content of fiber as well which is associated with lower blood cholesterol levels, decreased risk of heart disease and lower body fat. It is recommended to get at least 25 grams of fiber a day.