Eat the Rainbow Salad

   This salad really requires a clean canvas. Not only because the colors are so beautiful, but because unless you are used to eating clean foods, this salad may be a stretch in taste for you. While I adore it, I know that not all of my readers right away will enjoy eating this crunchy dish because it may contain foods that you are not accustomed to eating on a regular basis in a salad.

    The key ingredient to this salad really is the "crunch" because cruciferous vegetables like cabbage are a potent powerhouse of nutrients. Radishes, which are a root vegetable, also give it a peppery crunch that is loaded with folic acid, potassium, and ascorbic acid. Radishes are also full of calcium, vitamin B6, magnesium, riboflavin, and copper. All of which help to support your healthy immune system.

  When all of these ingredients are combined, they help to cleanse and detoxify your digestive system of toxic buildup. But the truth of the matter is, I severely dislike the work detox. It is gimmicky and you will not find me referring to any of my dishes as such. I prefer to feature clean, whole foods in a wide variety so that you benefit most from each ingredient rather than focusing on "detox" foods that one would eat during a "cleanse".

   The key is to incorporate all types of fruits and vegetables into your diet on a regular basis so that you are not just eating these foods when you have over done it with junk. I can ensure you that once you do incorporate fresh foods into your diet, and free your body from all that processed junk, you will feel amazing. Try each week to pick a different fruit and vegetable that you have never had before and incorporate it into your weekly meal plan. Thus, Eat the Rainbow.

   This is an especially important method to adopt with children and babies as well. Introduce them to a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables from the start and they will never rely on processed baby/kid food that has most parents wondering why their child won't just eat their vegetables instead of macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets. Don't give them crap and they won't know what they are missing! Make it a challenge for older children as well. Let them pick out the new fruit or vegetable each week. Letting them make choices early on and making it a fun challenge is a great way to get kids excited to try new things especially if vegetables have been absent from their regular meal. Just don't get too wordy about how nutritious it may be for them. They don't care about glowing skin, immune systems, or perfect digestion. Just offer it up and shut up.

The same goes for you and your spouse. Offer it up, shut up, and reap the benefits.

Recipe:

Salad:

4 radishes, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 head purple cabbage, shredded
2 organic celery stalks, diced
2 organic carrot stalks, diced
1/4 cup fresh Italian leaf parsley, chopped

Dressing:

1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed
1 Tbsp organic Dijon mustard
1 small shallot
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
pinch of sea salt
cracked black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp filtered water

Directions:

1.) Wash and prepare salad ingredients.

2.) In a blender, combine dressing ingredients and blend until smooth.

3.) Toss salad with dressing. Store remaining salad in a glass container for up to 2 days.