Ok, so maybe not all the colours of the rainbow are in here, but pretty close!
This is one of my favourite salads and probably the only way that my 6-year-old eats beets without saying “yuck beets!”, which makes me pretty happy.
Ingredients:
1 med sized Green Cabbage, cleaned and thinly sliced (using mandolin or knife)
1 med sized beet, washed, peeled and grated into strips
2 med carrots, peeled and grated into strips
2 tablespoon dry mint or fresh mint
1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
1 large lemon, juiced
¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp real sea salt
Directions:
Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Mix well and adjust seasoning. I like mine with extra lemon!
This salad is great as a side to almost any meat or fish. Here you can see I paired it with some grilled wild shrimp.
Unlike most salads, this salad is great the next day.
Enjoy!
Get to know Beets, Carrots and Cabbage a little better:
Beets:
Since the middle ages, beets have been valued as a blood tonic; since they are rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as carotene B complex and vitamin C. (Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon)
Beets also contain a phytonutrients called betalains, which provide the body with detoxification, antioxidant and anti inflammatory support.
Although roasted beets are amazing, the levels of betalains and its levels of vitamin C (which is heat sensitive) are greatly diminished after long cooking times, so be sure to include raw beets in your diet.
Although I didn’t include beet greens in this version of my salad, they are a great addition. Raw beef greens contain a significant amount lutein, which is beneficial for the health of our eyes. (2)
Carrots:
Carrots are known to improve digestion due to their healthy fiber content, they are also a significant source of vitamin C.
Carrots are well known to be high in vitamin A, however that is a bit of a misconception. Carrots are actually high in beta-carotene, which cannot be converted into vitamin A in the body without the presence of healthy fat in your diet. (3)
So be sure that you consume carrots with a healthy fat source (coconut oil or other healthy animal fats), in order to be able to convert fat soluble vitamin A. Vitamin A helps maintain healthy vision and skin and also acts as an antioxidant.
According to the work of Ray Peat , carrots help the body regulate estrogen levels, which in excess can be very damaging to our bodies.(4)
“There are interesting associations between vegetable “fiber” and estrogens. Because of my own experience in finding that eating a raw carrot daily prevented my migraines, I began to suspect that the carrot fiber was having both a bowel-protective and an antiestrogen effect. Several women who suffered from premenstrual symptoms, including migraine, had their serum estrogen measured before and after the “carrot diet,” and they found that the carrot lowered their estrogen within a few days, as it relieved their symptoms.” (5)
Cabbage:
Cabbage often get’s forgotten among other cruciferous vegetables, such as such broccoli and brussels sprouts, but it is boast a pretty great nutritional profile.
Cabbage has been used as a source of vitamin C, since ancient times. It is also a good source of fiber, carotenoids, B complex, potassium, magnesium and calcium. (Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon)
Like other cruciferous vegetables, it is not recommended to eat raw on a daily basis, since it contains goitrogens, which can interfere with the thyroid hormone. (Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon)