Get Healthy Recipe: Strawberry, Fennel, and Orange Salad

Hey there everyone! We have reached another Friday which means its recipe time!

The past 2 weeks I have brought you the All-Year Berry Smoothie and the Roasted Vegetables with/without Fish or Meat. If you missed these recipes click on them and check them out!

I thought it was about time to bring you a salad recipe. It is getting towards the end of summer and I was in the mood to soak up as much as that fresh summer fruit as possible before autumn produce arrives.

This salad is very easy to make (take it from me with NO cooking or preparing skills) and will have you switching your favorite healthy lunch to this scrumptious one!

This week’s recipe’s health benefits:

Oranges: We all know oranges have lots of Vitamin C, but did you know it was also loaded with lots more?

Betacarotene (antioxidant), Calcium (bone health), Folic Acid (brain development), Magnesium (blood pressure), Potassium (healthy heart), Thiamin (Food -> Energy!), and Vitamin B6 (produces hemoglobin which carries the oxygen in your blood) are all other nutrients that are found in the orange! Hand me that orange!

I love oranges! They taste great and I feel energized after eating them! Awesome!

Strawberries: I love strawberries! Who doesn’t? They can be used in so many things such as in smoothies, salads, desserts, side dishes, yogurts, drinks, fruit dishes, and ice creams! They not only taste good, they are awesome for you!

High in Antioxidants. Phenols have been in the news and in commercials lately due to the crazy health benefits recent studies have found. Phenols are known to protect your body against cancer, heart disease, and inflammation. Emerging science is showing that a great majority of chronic diseases could be linked to inflammation in your body. Having a diet high in antioxidants can have profound health benefits for you!

Protection against Rhematoid Arthritis has been found to be a health benefit of strawberries due to the vitamin C levels as well as the ability to serve as an anti-inflammatory.

Low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat allows you to have a healthy snack and guess what? With one cup of strawberries that is only 50 calories you can’t have a better snack that is full of health benefits and will help you feel full quicker and longer than processed snacks!

Lemons: Lemons contain flavonoids, a compound that contains antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. It helps to prevent osteoarthritis, diabetes, and arthrosclerosis. It is also a natural antiseptic.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: EVOO as Rachel Ray says, contains lots of heart healthy fats. These fats are vital to our heart health. It can reduce blood pressure, inhibit the growth of some cancers, protect against diabetes, help sufferers of asthma and arthritis, and actually help your body maintain a lower weight.

Give me some EVOO!

Fennel: Have you heard of fennel before? It is most often associated with Italian cooking. It is composed of a white or pale green bulb from which closely superimposed stalks are arranged.

Fennel is a great source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, folate, molybdenum, and niacin as well as the minerals phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, and copper. This makes it great for heart, colon, and immune health. Eat up!

These ingredients are all definitely something we should use more of! With this it is important to keep it as a small topping or flavoring for your food. It can be high in calories if used liberally. This should not scare you away from using it because, like I said before, if used properly can help you maintain a lower weight!

Alright! With all those awesome ingredients, are you ready to dive in! Let’s get to the good part: the recipe! Here is this awesome salad recipe that will have you loving your greens, not dreading it! Imagine love eating salads and not thinking of the word “diet” while eating it!

Strawberry, Fennel, and Orange Salad

Ingredients (4 servings):

 2 navel oranges

8 ounces strawberries (about 16), hulled and quartered or halved

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced lengthwise, some fronds reserved for garnish

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

8 Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves

Directions:

Zest one orange, and reserve zest (2 teaspoons). Cut peel and pit away from both oranges. Use a paring knife to cut out the segments, letting them fall into a bowl, along with the juice.

Add strawberries, sliced fennel, orange zest, and fennel fronds to the bowl of orange segments and toss together gently. Stir in the lemon juice and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Add lettuce, toss, and serve.

YOUR TURN! Let me know what you think of all these awesome health benefits! Have anything to share with this community? Don’t forget to leave a comment below, share the love by sharing this post with your friends, and click the “like” button below!

To your health journey success,