A perfect springtime salad filled with good for you ingredients. Add a protein and make it a main dish salad, or keep it simple and enjoy as lunch or a side.
I don’t know about you, but I’m basically just constantly searching for the perfect salad. As a small child (and lets be honest, some of young adulthood) my only qualifier for a “good” salad was: does this salad have cheese and enough ranch dressing to drown a small child on it?
Luckily for everyone (mostly my arteries) my tastes have improved considerably over the past decade, and while I still indulge in cheese and ranch dressing as much as I possibly can, they are no longer the king of salads.
Today is National Spinach Day, and I thought that there was no better way to celebrate than with this salad. This salad might actually be the king of salads, now that I think about it. It’s an antioxidant powerhouse of a salad. Spinach, blueberries, onions and almonds are all crazy high in antioxidants. The feta doesn’t really count as an antioxidant, but as far as cheeses go, it’s considered one of your healthier options. Mix all these things together and top it with some bottled or homemade balsamic vinaigrette, and you’ve got yourself a feast. I tend to eat this salad as a side or a light lunch, and the protein from the nuts and cheese are plenty, but you could totally grill up some shrimp or chicken (or steak) and make this an amazing healthy dinner. In fact, I might do that myself tonight!
Spinach:
We all know that leafy greens are amazing for you, and should be eaten every day. But did you know that spinach, while being high in antioxidants, is also great at helping you maintain healthy vision, has been shown to have cancer preventing compounds, and has also been shown to help moderate blood pressure levels?
Blueberries:
Or bloobs, as they’re sometimes known are low in calories, but high in fiber which makes you feel fuller, longer. They’re rich in vitamin C and vintamin K, and have some of the highest antioxidant levels of all common fruits and veggies. They’ve been shown in multiple studies to help with maintaining healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and they’ve also been linked to higher brain function and improved memory.
Onions:
I can and have waxed rhapsodic about onions multiple times on this blog, and for good reason. Onions are so so so good for you! Like the rest of these ingredients, they’re packed with antioxidants, they contain cancer fighting compounds. They’ve been shown to help control blood sugar levels and they’re good for gut health, which is super important. I can also personally attest to the fact that they are great at treating burns if you have no aloe in your house. Just cut an onion in half, and rub the cut side on the burn, and voila!
Almonds:
Almonds are well known to be a “superfood”. High in protein and fiber, these little guys help you feel fuller, longer. Even though they’re high in fat and calories, they are still considered something of a weight loss miracle. They’re also loaded with antioxidants, help with “bad” cholesterol levels, and have cancer fighting properties. Some issues have arisen lately around the sustainability of almond farming, and the damaging effects it has on the environment, but that hasn’t slowed down almond consumption at all.
If you like salads, you might also like these:
Pink Pear Salad with Goat Cheese and Pecans
Quick and Easy Autumn Squash Salad
2
Sara Rauckhorst
5 Min
5 Min
Spinach and Blueberry Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups baby spinach
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 english cucumber, thinly sliced
- ½ cup blueberries
- ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons of slivered almonds
- ¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the spinach, onion, cucumbers and dressing; toss to coat. Divide between bowls, and top with the feta, almonds, and blueberries.
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