This healthy lunch or side salad is packed with ingredients that fight cancer and heart disease. The term “superfood” is more of a marketing gimmick than a nutritional category, but the foods in this meal are definitely good ones to include in your diet. Also, there’s no lettuce in this salad, so it’s a nice change of pace. It’s good for gluten-free, Whole 30, keto, or low-carb diets, just watch out for extra sugars in the dressing.
What Makes This a “Superfood” Salad?
Here’s why I’m calling this a Superfood Salad, even though that may be a misleading name.
- Cruciferous vegetables like the broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and phytochemicals, which may prevent against some types of cancer. Also dark, leafy greens, like the kale in this salad, are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium. (source)
- Chia seeds are high in fiber, protein, and antioxidants. Fun fact, “chia†is the ancient Mayan word for “strength.†(source)
- Walnuts are a good source of plant protein, high in fiber, and contain monounsaturated fats. They can also help prevent heart disease and fight inflammation. (source)
- Blueberries are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and disease-fighting nutrients. They can help fight inflammation and lower the risk of heart disease and cancer. (source)
- Pumpkin seeds, also called pepitas, are a rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, and magnesium, which can help regulate blood sugar. (source)
How to Prep the Veggies
How you chop these veggies can make or break this salad. For the broccoli, slice the florets into thin strips, rather than chopping into bites. It will taste better with the other ingredients.
When using kale, I prefer to buy it whole rather than chopped. I fold the leaf in half, and cut out the center rib. This keeps it from being as bitter.
For the Brussels sprouts, chop off the ends, then cut them in half. Slice them very thin. The thinner, the better.
Finally, make sure to toast the walnuts. They taste much sweeter and nuttier after being toasted. I make a little foil “boat” and stick them in the toaster oven for about four minutes.
Assembling the Salad
In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts. Mix those together. If you’re making this for lunches, divide the salad into three containers. If it’s going to be a side salad, divide it into four or five bowls.
Next, add the berries, walnuts, and chia seeds (dividing them among the containers). This keeps all those yummy ingredients from falling to the bottom. Add a healthy vinaigrette dressing when you’re ready to serve the salad.
For my lunch portions, I put the dressing in a little metal container (from Walmart), cover with plastic wrap, and store it inside the salad container (also Walmart).
Salad Dressing
You can make your own dressing or use a bottled vinaigrette. If I’m using a bottled one, I look for a low sugar content and natural ingredients. I like the one below, but I do find it a little on the sweet side.
I like to make my own using the recipe below. I just add the ingredients to a small mason jar, and shake it up before using it.
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
You could add a little feta cheese to make the salad even tastier, but it would add calories. Another option would be to add a boiled egg or chicken breast to boost the protein content.
Superfood Salad has 361 calories per lunch-sized serving (without dressing). What is impressive is the 9 grams of fiber and all the Vitamin A and C you need for a day! The macros are 26 grams of fat, 25 grams of carbs, and 15 grams of protein.
Below is a printable PDF version of this recipe:
Let me know if you try making this! I’d love to know how it turns out.
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