Healthy Salads Pink Detox Salad with Beets and Green Apple
It’s very surprising how the cheapest ingredients can sometimes be the healthiest. Beets are the perfect example. They are relatively cheap, available the whole year, and have a humble appearance, so if you didn’t know better you wouldn’t guess the health treasures they hide.
I always have beets in my refrigerator, and when I need a quick detox I steam them lightly and add them to a delicious salad along with other nutritious and refreshing ingredients.
Beets are not only a powerhouse of antioxidants and an exceptional tonic for your cells, they also contain phytonutrients that play a key role in triggering the natural detoxification processes within our bodies. The red pigments called betalins support this detoxification, and are pretty much exclusive to beets and a few other vegetables.
The humble beetroot contains a varied nutritional profile, in which folate, a B vitamin, plays a major role, together with various minerals such as magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese. While folate is a key vitamin in the cellular regeneration processes, these minerals have an important role for the healthy function of the body’s cells and for their detoxification, helping them flush out excess water, toxins, and sodium, and help maintain an alkaline environment.
The phytonutrients in beets also offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection to your cells, preventing the installation of chronic diseases and inhibiting the growth of cancer cells.
The best way to balance the sweetness and the earthy taste of beets is combining them with refreshing ingredients, such as citrus or apples. Green apples are exceptional detoxifying foods, because they contain pectin, a soluble fiber which binds with excess cholesterol, toxins, and old estrogen, and flushes them out of the digestive system, giving it a good cleanse.
Apples are also vitamin C superstars, providing antioxidant support to cells to fight against the free radical damage. I also added a mix of seeds and nuts for a nice texture and to enrich the salad with a healthy dose of monounsaturated fats which facilitate the absorption of the antioxidants in beets.
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Pink Detox Salad with Beets and Green Apple
- Yield: 2 1x
Ingredients
- 3–4 medium beets, roasted or lightly steamed
- 1 organic green apple, cut into thin slices
- 1 tbsp lightly toasted almonds, crushed
- 1 tsp mixed seeds (sesame, chia, pumpkin, sunflower seeds)
- 1 small bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- A pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Peel the beets and cut them into slices, then transfer them into a medium bowl, season with salt, drizzle with apple cider vinegar and lemon juice, toss to combine and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, drizzle with olive oil, toss to combine and serve.
This salad looks incredible! I love beets, they’re so rich and earthy!