Nutrition
Endive, apple and herb salad
Is endive an ingredient that you use? Either way, this endive, apple and herb salad is a fun way to experience this ingredient.
Most of us choose to have the same greens and vegetables in our diet because we like to use them or because they are so popular. However, changing your salad ingredients is not only a great way to find more pleasant textures and flavors that you love, but it also helps you get a variety of nutrients from different sources.
If you haven’t used endive before, say hello to this delicate bundle of leaves from the chicory family. It’s the star of this simple salad and a nice break from the routine – if you’re like me, don’t buy endive at every grocery store! Endive is usually more expensive than most supermarket salads, but it’s worth it for the right recipe.
Endive delivers a nutritious punch. It’s full of fiber and high in vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, folic acid, beta-carotene, riboflavin, iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
Add in the apples, which are incredibly digestible and have their own set of vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium, potassium and phosphorus and you have a winning combination.
If you’ve never eaten it before, the tender, crispy leaves of endive, along with sweet apple slices, make a nice little crunch for a light, refreshing salad.
CREATE A BASIC FIVE NOURISH MEAL WITH THIS ENDIVE AND APPLE SALAD
A Foundational Five Nourish Meal is a meal that contains all 5 elements of our Foundational Five system: non-starchy carbohydrates, starchy carbohydrates, healthy fat, protein, and the flavor factor.
The Foundational Five will help you nourish your physical body so you can learn what to eat. This is the first step in mindful eating. The rest is knowing how to eat and how to positively experience your food.
By including these 5 elements in your meal, you are supporting your physical body on a cellular level and ensuring that you are consuming the nutrients you need for sharp focus, calm digestion, sustained energy, healthy sleep, and long-term vitality achieve health.
Here are the following five basic elements in this endive and apple salad:
1 • Non-starchy carbohydrates
2 • Starchy or sugary carbohydrates
3 • Healthy fat
- olive oil
- Optional pine nuts, pistachios, or hemp seeds
4 • protein
- For a complete meal, serve with a protein of your choice
5 • Taste factor
- lemon
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- tarragon
- Shallot
- parsley
- salt
- pepper
Vitamins & Minerals:
Endive is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, folic acid, beta-carotene, riboflavin, iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium.
In addition, apples pile up on the vitamins and minerals; Think of vitamin C, B complex vitamins (riboflavin, thiamine, and vitamin B-6), calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.
Digestion:
Apples are easy to digest because of their unique fiber content. They contain both insoluble and soluble fiber, which are great for improving digestion and maintaining regularity. Apples have been studied and linked to improving cognitive function, reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, lowering cholesterol, weight control, bone health, and digestive health.
One of the greatest health benefits of apples is related to digestion. It is a natural coincidence that raw apple cider vinegar is also good for our digestive system. From a culinary point of view, apples are great to add to dishes for crispness, moisture, texture, crispy bite and a touch of sweetness without being overwhelming.
When buying, apples are one of those whole foods that I highly recommend going organic for as you will be eating the skin on them too.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients:
Apples are also rich in polyphenols, the powerful antioxidants that protect the body from free radical damage. When combined with these antioxidants, the phytonutrients found in apples can lower the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer.