Key Takeaways:
- Brain-Boosting Ingredients: This weight-loss salad contains five superfoods that promote brain health, including blueberries, walnuts, leafy greens, sesame seeds, and marigolds.
- Flavorful & Fresh: The combination of fresh greens, sweet red peppers, crunchy cucumbers, and blueberries creates an explosion of flavors and textures in every bite.
- Easy Weight Loss Aid: Packed with fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats, this salad supports weight loss while keeping you energized and satisfied.
- Homemade Dressing: The sweet and savory Asian sesame dressing enhances the salad’s flavor while providing additional brain-boosting nutrients.
- Microgreens for Extra Nutrition: Add homegrown microgreens to boost the salad’s nutritional value, especially during the winter months.
- Edible Flowers for Extra Brain Power: Marigolds and other edible flowers not only brighten your dish but also contribute to cognitive health.
My all-time favorite weight loss salad will supercharge your brain and help your shed pounds. This salad is an explosion of flavors and textures that will tantalize your taste buds. The fresh greens, sweet red peppers, crunchy cucumbers, and sweet ripe blueberries are perfectly complemented by the sweet and savory Asian sesame dressing. This salad has five brain-healthy super foods. Blueberries, walnuts, leafy greens, sesame seeds, and marigolds. Every bite of this salad is a burst of freshness that will leave you feeling satisfied and energized. For some extra nutrition in the winter months make this salad with homegrown microgreens.
For additional flowers to brighten up your salad or dishes, check out my post about Edible Flowers That Boost Your Brain and Body.
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SIS Tips - Simple is Smart Tip
- Freshen wilted lettuce leaves by letting them soal in a pan of icy cold water for 10 minutes.
- Use a salad spinner to remove extra water from the washed lettuce leaves.
- Keep your washed lettuce leaves fresh for up to two weeks by layering them between layers of paper towel in a plastic lettuce container, Save the container that you purchased some spring mix from the market in and use this for storing your garden lettuce. This also will extend the freshness of purchased lettuce.
Neuro Nutrition Nugget - Five Super Food to Super Charge your Brain
Blueberries These tiny blue fruits are packed with nutrients and antioxidants that can protect your body from various diseases. But what makes blueberries a brain superfood? Well, studies have shown that blueberries contain high levels of flavonoids, which can help improve memory, cognitive function, and overall brain health. In fact, eating blueberries regularly can even reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related cognitive declines.
Walnuts: These tiny, crunchy nuts pack a serious nutritional punch that can do wonders for your cognitive health. How, you ask? Well, for starters, walnuts are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to improve brain function and reduce inflammation. They’re also rich in antioxidants, which protect against oxidative stress and may help prevent cognitive decline. Plus, walnuts are a great source of vitamin E, folate, and fiber – all of which have been linked to improved brain health. So the next time you’re feeling a little forgetful or foggy-headed, grab a handful of walnuts and let those little brain-boosters do their thing!
Leafy Greens: Leafy greens are more than just a colorful addition to your plate. They are brain super food that can help keep your cognitive abilities sharp and your mind clear. These green powerhouses are rich in essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, folate, and iron, that help improve brain function and memory retention. Plus, their high fiber content aids in digestion and helps regulate blood sugar levels, which can lead to better mental focus and alertness. So, don’t just push those leafy greens aside on your plate – embrace them as the brain-boosting superfood they truly are!
Sesame Seeds: These tiny seeds are packed with nutrients that are essential for cognitive function. Sesame seeds are rich in vitamin E, which is known to reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline. They are also loaded with zinc, magnesium, and iron which help in maintaining healthy brain cells. Additionally, sesame seeds contain sesamin and sesamolin, two compounds that have been found to protect the brain from oxidative stress. So next time you’re munching on some sesame seed crackers or adding them to your stir-fry, remember that you’re not just satisfying your taste buds, but also giving your brain a boost!
Marigolds: Marigolds, those beautiful flowers that add a pop of yellow to your garden, are also packed with nutrients that can boost your brainpower. Not only are they rich in antioxidants, which protect your brain from damage, but they are also high in lutein and zeaxanthin, two compounds that have been linked to improved cognitive function. So, next time you see a marigold, don’t just admire its beauty, eat it up and give your brain a boost!
Ingredients for the Weight-Loss Salad That Will Super Charge Your Brain
- Mixture of Leafy Greens: Romain, Red Leaf, Green Leaf, and Spinach.
- Red Peppers: Garden Fresh, cut into strips
- Cucumbers: mini cucumbers or slicing cucumbers from the garden
- Blue Berries: pick-fresh or purchase
- Walnuts: top brain super nut.
- Marigolds: Brain Super Memory Food. Make sure the marigolds weren’t sprayed with any chemicals prior to picking them.
Ingredients for Asian Sesame Dressing
- Sesame Seeds: Purchase raw organic seeds and toast in a frying pan on medium heat.
- Soy Sauce: Use low sodium if on a low salt diet. I eat this salad a lot in the summer and need the extra salt in my diet to replace the salt lost sweating out in the garden.
- Sesame Oil: A good quality oil is transparent and evenly colored from the top to the bottom of the container.
- Rice Vinegar: look for an organic rice vinegar
- Simple Syrup: Make simple syrup by heated 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Cool and use. Store in the fridge.
Step by Step Instructions for Weight Loss Salad
- For Lettuce from your garden, wash and spin extra moisture off of the lettuce in the salad spinner.
- Make the Asian Sesame Dressing: Mix all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour into the cruet. Set aside.
- Assemble the Salad: Tear the lettuce into small pieces and arrange the pieces on a plate or in a bowl
- Peel and slice the cucumbers, Cut the peppers into pieces,
- Cut the petals off of the marigolds and squash blossoms and discard the stems, dice the squash blossom petals.
- Arrange the cucumbers, peppers, blueberries, walnuts, squash blossoms, and marigold petals on top of the lettuce.
- Drizzle with the Asian Sesame Salad Dressing and serve immediately. Alternatively, let everyone add their own dressing.
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FAQ:
Q: What makes this salad a brain-boosting powerhouse?
A: The salad is packed with five superfoods—blueberries, walnuts, leafy greens, sesame seeds, and marigolds. Each of these ingredients supports cognitive function, memory, and overall brain health.
Q: Can I use other greens instead of the mix suggested?
A: Yes! While the recommended mix of romaine, red leaf, green leaf, and spinach is ideal, you can substitute any leafy greens you prefer, like kale or arugula.
Q: How do marigolds benefit my brain?
A: Marigolds are rich in antioxidants and contain lutein and zeaxanthin, compounds that help improve cognitive function and protect the brain from oxidative stress.
Q: Can I use a store-bought dressing instead of making my own?
A: While store-bought dressings are convenient, making your own Asian sesame dressing allows you to control the ingredients and ensures you’re adding fresh, brain-boosting nutrients to your meal.
Q: How do I keep my lettuce fresh for longer?
A: To extend the freshness of your lettuce, wash it, dry it with a salad spinner, and store it between layers of paper towels in a plastic container. This method can keep your lettuce fresh for up to two weeks.
Q: Are there any alternatives to walnuts if I have an allergy?
A: Yes, you can substitute walnuts with other brain-boosting nuts like almonds, pecans, or even pumpkin seeds, which also provide healthy fats and antioxidants.
Weight Loss Salad to Super Charge Your Brain
Equipment
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- To see the ingredient amounts in metric units, click the "METRIC:" button between the ingredients and the instructions for this recipe.
Ingredients
Garden Fresh Salad
- 8 cups mixture of fresh leaf lettuce from the garden. If don't have a garden, purchase a mixture of baby leaf lettuce, mesculin, spinach, and kale.
- 4 small garden cucumbers peeled and sliced
- 4 sweet red pepper diced into pieces
- 12 small marigold blossoms (use only the petals) Make sure they haven;t been sprayed with chemicals.
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 4 squash blossoms, (use only the petals)
- 1 cup walnuts
Asian Sesame Salad Dressing - 5 Ingredient
- ¼ cup sesame oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup simple syrup (liquid sugar)
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- For Lettuce from your garden, wash and spin extra moisture off of the lettuce in the salad spinner. *see notes
Make the Asian Sesame Dressing
- Mix all of the ingredients for the dressing together and pour into the cruet. Set aside.
Assemble the Weight Loss Super Brain Salad
- Tear the lettuce into small pieces and arrange the pieces on a plate or in a bowl
- Peel and slice the cucumbers, Cut the peppers into pieces,
- Cut the petals off of the marigolds and squash blossoms and discard the stems, dice the squash blossom petals.
- Arrange the cucumbers, peppers, blueberries, walnuts, squash blossoms, and marigold petals on top of the lettuce.
- Drizzle with the Asian Sesame Salad Dressing and serve immediately. Alternately let everyone add their own dressing.
