Eat the Rainbow

Happy Earth Day y’all! This salad is brought to you by Mother Earth and all her magical vegetable glory. Made this colorful rainbow kale bowl / salad from my delivery of @imperfectproduce. Hard to believe, right? Jam-packed with goodness and my fav southwestern sweet potatoes, I can’t wait to eat this salad all week long. See below for the dEATs!

One of the healthy rules that I live by is counting colors, not calories. Eating a diverse palette of colorful food is an easy way to ensure you’re getting a well-rounded base of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Phyto-what? Phytochemicals are compounds produced by plants to thwart predators and diseases. There’s evidence that these compounds can help humans fend off disease as well. It’s phytochemicals that give produce the array of hues that span the rainbow.

Here’s a quick guide to the rainbow of nutrients you can expect from each color group:

Red: lycopene gives these veggies their bright pigment. Lycopene is an antioxidant associated with heart heath and cancer prevention.
Orange: fruits and veggies are rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, which is converted by the body into Vitamin A. There’s a reason you’re told to eat carrots for vision health!
Yellow: these veggies are rich in lutein, which is also good for eye health. Get some vitamin C from these fruits & veggies too!
Green: chlorophyll gives these veggies their vibrant color. Green veggies are an excellent source of acid, vitamin K, carotenoids, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Blue/Purple: this hue comes from anthocyanins, an antioxidant that is good for the heart and supports healthy blood pressure.

For more info on @imperfectproduce, check out my blog post or my unboxing video. Less waste, more good-for-you veggies and all at a reduced cost. Give it a whirl here.

Now, what you’ve been waiting for – the recipe!

Rainbow Kale Bowl
Servings: 2-3

– 1 bunch of Tuscan kale
– 1 bunch of rainbow carrots, thinly sliced
– 1 can of low-sodium black beans, rinsed
– 1 sweet potato, diced
– 1 tsp cumin
– 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
– 1 avocado*
– 1 lime
– 1 cup cooked red quinoa
– 1 can of vegetable broth (optional, can sub 2 cups of water)
– Olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Quinoa: Bowl 2 C of vegetable broth in a 2 quart pot. Rinse the quinoa and add to the pot of boiling broth. Cook for 15 minutes or until light and fluffy and the liquid has cooked off. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Southwestern Sweet Potatoes: Prep the sweet potato by peeling and then dicing. Heat a skillet to medium high, add a bit of olive oil. Place the sweet potatoes in the skillet with the cumin, paprika and a touch of salt and pepper. Cook for roughly 10 minutes, or until the pieces can be easily pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool.

Kale Bowl:

Step 1: Remove the ribs of the Tuscan kale and roughly tear. Place in large bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and the juice of 1/2 the lime. Massage.

Step 2: Mash the avocado with the juice of 1/2 the lime along with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Assemble the by placing the kale in two individual bowls. Top with the quinoa, black beans, sweet potatoes, carrots and avocado mash.

*Shortcut: Sub the avocado for Wholly Guacamole.