Nutritional Value of Salads
They are one of the most essential parts of our diet. Eating salads has plenty of health benefits and eating salads every day may be one of the most healthy eating habits, you can adopt and one of the simplest foods one could prepare. Eating salads with more fiber makes one feel fuller and one tends to eat less and thus lose weight.
The salads recipe mentioned here contains not only vegetables but fruits too.
Vegetables like carrots, beetroots, radish and fruits like pomegranates, papaya, watermelon, and banana are all healthy and contain a lot of nutritional value.
Health benefits of Salads combination of Vegetables and Fruits and their Nutritional Value –
- CARROTS: They are a good source of fiber is an amazing vegetable and easy to add to your diet. It slows down the aging of cells, excellent for the eyes and contains a large quantity of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. It also has cancer-curing properties.
- BEETROOT: This vegetable has a very high level of nutrients like vitamin C and Iron. As it contains vitamin C along with iron this helps in absorbing iron by the body. Beetroot is best eaten raw as vitamin C is water-soluble hence if you cook the beetroot, it loses its vitamin content. It helps in high blood pressure and prevents the build-up of fatty deposits.
- RADISH: It contains a lot of juice and contains both the tastes sweet and pungent. It has very rich roughage and hence facilitates digestion and cures constipation. It is very good for people having piles, being a very good detoxifier it helps heal up piles. It also helps a lot with urinary disorders. This vegetable also is very good for weight reduction.
- WATERMELON: It is an excellent source for vitamin A and vitamin C. Vitamin A is important for healthy eyes. The vitamin B6 found in watermelon helps the immune system produce antibodies which are needed to fight diseases. It is an excellent fruit to be added to the diet for people to lose weight.
- POMEGRANATE: This is widely used in the traditional medicine Ayurveda for various remedies for ages. It is very effective in reducing heart disease risk factor and very good in lowering blood pressure and has the anti-oxidant capacity.
- PAPAYA: It is a rich and powerful source of antioxidant and contains carotenes, vitamin C, B, E. Also minerals like Potassium and Magnesium.
- BLACK CURRANT: This fruit has a lot of therapeutic value and contains a complex of vitamins. They contain Vitamin C, Potassium Salts and essential oils. This fruit is also considered to be an elixir of youth.It’s a good diuretic and has anti-rheumatic effects and helps in the elimination of uric acids.
- CELERY: It is a very important medicinal plant, and helps in curing various health disorders. It helps in arthritis, rheumatism, liver disorders, etc. It contains minerals, vitamins, and its oil has a specific effect on the regulation of the nervous system with great calming influences. It also helps to reduce high blood pressure.
- GHERKINS: This has a large number of medicinal values. It is rich in fiber and has a high percentage of water content. As it has fiber content it helps in cleansing the digestive tract and helps in the smooth functioning of the digestive system. It’s rich in Vitamin ‘C’ and helps in various skin disorders. They have a high content of mineral, including Calcium, Potassium, and Magnesium. It helps in reducing blood pressure due to its content of Potassium and Magnesium. It is rich in various Vitamins, which helps in making your immune system strong.
- CUCUMBER: It has so many health benefits that it becomes one of the most important parts of the food diet as well as skin diet. It is soothing and softening for the skin and very cooling for the eyes. Regular intake of Cucumber Juice is very useful both internally and externally. It contains almost 90% of water and hence the juice is very good for a person to help reduce weight and high blood pressure.
- STARFRUIT: It is very rich in vitamin A and C as well as Potassium, Phosphorous, Iron and Calcium. It’s also a good source of fiber, amino acids, and anti-oxidants. The Star Fruit skin is rich in tannin, which regulates the intestine.
- GUAVA: This is one of the richest sources of dietary fiber. It seeds serves as an excellent laxative. It also contains nutrients such as Vitamin-C, Carotenoids, and Potassium and has a rich source of iron which is proven to be preventive against cold and viral infections. Guava, as it is very rich in vitamin A, B, C and potassium which are very good antioxidants and detoxifiers, keeps your skin glowing and free from aging.
- CABBAGE: it is an excellent source of Vitamins C. Vitamin C being one of the best anti-oxidant helps in reducing the aging process. It also helps in the wear and tears in the body. It also benefits in the treatment of constipation due to its rich fiber contents. It helps in stomach ulcers, excess weight, skin disorders, eczema, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, eye disorders. As cabbage contains Sulpher, it helps fight infections in wounds and ulcers. Cabbage being rich in iodine helps in the proper functioning of the brain and the nervous system. The vitamin E in it keeps the eye, skin, and hair healthy. It is one of the best vegetables for diet food.
Nutritional Salad Recipes
- Carrot Black Currant Salad Serve 2 – 3 Persons
Ingredients:
5- 6 medium carrots (grated)
½ cup black currants
½ cup celery chopped
½ teas spoon of lime juice
½ teas spoon of honey
A pinch of salt
Method:
Soak the black currants in boiling water for about 5 – 10 minutes thereafter strain. Wash the carrots thoroughly and peel the outer layer. Now grate the carrot, put into a salad bowl. Chopped celery, honey, lime juice, and salt is added and mixed well. Then add the black currants and serve in a plate with a wedge of lime.
- Beetroot Gherkins Salad Serve 2 – 3 Persons
Ingredients:
Beetroot – 1 No. large size
Gherkins – 4 Nos.
Green Chili – 1 small fine chopped
Lime Juice – ½ teaspoon
Some fresh coriander chopped
Salt to taste
Method:
Steam the beetroot and gherkins. Peel the beetroot and cut into thin strips and put into a bowl. Slice the gherkins and add to the strips of beetroot. Chop the chili and add to the bowl, lime juice, and salt is added and all these ingredients are mixed well. Serve with fresh coriander topping decorated.
- Garden Fresh Salad Serve 2 – 3 Persons
Ingredients:
Cucumber – 1 No. medium size
Red Radish – 2 Nos. medium sizes
Tomatoes – 3 Nos.
Celery – 1 stalk
Lime Juice – ½ teaspoon
Salt to taste
Method:
Slice the tomatoes and lay them on a plate. Slice the cucumber and lay this on the tomatoes and lastly slice the radish with the skin and lay this on the cucumber. Shred the celery and decorate the salad with this. Add lime juice & salt and serve.
- Sprouted Green Gram Pulse Salad Serve 2 – 3 Persons
Ingredients:
Sprouted green gram pulse – 1 Cup
Onion – 1 chopped
Tomato – 1 chopped
Roasted cumin seed – ¼ teaspoon (powered)
Lime Juice – ½ teaspoon
Finely chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Method:
Fresh sprouted green gram pulse can be prepared at home. Take a hand full of green gram pulse, wash thoroughly and soak into a container till it absorbs water to a good quantity. Drain the water out and put this green gram pulse into a sprouting container and allow it to stand for about three to four days.
Now wash and drain the sprouts, steam for 5 to 7 minutes and put into a bowl. Add the chopped onions, chopped tomatoes chopped chilies and salt and mix all these ingredients well. Now sprinkle the roasted cumin seed powder and lime juice and toss the salad. Serve it in a plate with the finely chopped coriander leaves.
- Banana Cucumber Salad Serve 2 – 3 persons
Ingredients:
Bananas – 2 Nos.
Cucumber – 2 Nos. – Small
Green chilies two finely chopped
Peanuts roasted and crushed – 3 teaspoons
Freshly grated coconut about a tablespoon
Lime Juice – 1 tablespoon
Mint leaves a few
Salt to taste
Method:
Peel the banana and slice them put this into a bowl and add the lime juice to keep the banana looking fresh or else they would start changing color. Now peel the cucumber and slice them too. Add this to the banana and mix them well. After that add the chopped green chilies, salt, and crushed peanuts mix well. The server is on a plate with sprinkling some grated coconut on it with mint leaves.
- White Radish Salad Serve 2 – 3 Persons
Ingredients:
One Radish grated
One-piece ginger thin slices about one inch
One tomato finely chopped
Finely chopped coriander leaves
2 teaspoons lime juice
One Green chili finely shredded
Few mint leaves
Salt to taste
Method:
Grate the radish. The grated radish will release water squeeze the water completely and put it into a bowl. Now add slices of ginger, tomato chopped, green chilies finely shredded, finely chopped coriander and salt and mix well. Add the lime juice and serve in a plate with ½ slice tomatoes and mint leaves.
- Chickpea Salad Serve 3 – 4 Persons
Ingredients:
Chickpea – 1 cup
Potato – 1 No.
Tomato – 1 No.
Green Chili – 1 No.
Lime Juice – 2 teaspoon
Black Salt – ½ teaspoon
Black Pepper Powder – ¼ teaspoon
Roasted Cumin Powder – 1½ teaspoon
Finely chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Method:
Cook the chickpea and potato. Peel the potato and cut into a small cube. Put this into a bowl. To this add the cooked chickpea. Now cut the tomatoes into small cubes than finely chop the green chilies and put into the bowl. Mix all the ingredients and then add the lime juice, black salt, black pepper, roasted cumin powder, salt, and finely chopped coriander mix thoroughly and serve.
- Mixed Vegetable Salad Serve 3 – 4 Persons
Ingredients:
French beans – 50 Gms.
Carrots – 2 Nos. medium size
Cucumber – 1 No.
Violet Cabbage Leaves about – 5 Nos.
Broccoli – 1 No.
Capsicum – 1 No.
Onion – 2 Nos.
Lime juice – 2 teaspoon
Black Pepper Powder – ½ teaspoon
Finely chopped coriander
Tomato – 1 No.
Salt to taste
Method:
Wash all the vegetables thoroughly in running water. Cut the vegetables, french beans, carrots, and capsicum into small cubes, cut the broccoli into florets and steam all these for 10 min. Then cut cucumber, tomato, and onions in cubes and put into the steamed vegetables and mix well. Now add the pepper powder finely chopped coriander and salt and mix thoroughly. Lay the violet cabbage leaves in a plate and put the mix vegetables equally in the leaves and serve.
- Papaya Salad Serve 2 – 3 Persons
Ingredients:
Papaya – 1 raw (small size)
Roasted Peanuts – ½ Cup
Red Chilli powder – 1 Pinch
Tomatoes – 2 Nos.
Jaggery about 1 ½ cube
Tamarind juice – 2 tablespoon
Green chili – 1 No.
Few Tulasi leaves
Salt to taste
Method:
Peel the raw papaya and grate it cut the tomatoes into small cubes. Finely chop the green Chilli and mix all these ingredients into a bowl.
Now prepare the sweet syrup to be added to the papaya. Heat the jaggery cubes in a pan till it liquidities. To this add the red chili powder and a pinch of salt and the tamarind solution. Allow this to cool and mix it with the papaya. Crush the roasted peanut and toss the salad till evenly coated and serve with Tulasi leaves topping.
- Mix Vegetable & Fruit Salad Serve 4 – 5 Persons
Ingredients:
Lettuce one bunch
Watermelon – one small
Baby corn – 4 Nos.
Pomegranate – one cup
Guava – one
Few Tulsi leaves
Bunch of green grapes
Star fruit – 1 No.
Salt to taste
Method:
Steam the baby corn and cut into small cubes. Wash the lettuce thoroughly and leave into cold water for about half an hour and strain. This helps the leaves to remain steady & crisp.
Cut the watermelons into cubes and put into a large bowl. Deseed the grapes and cut the grapes into halves then add the pomegranate. Thereafter cut the guava into cubes and add to the bowl. Slice the Star fruit and add to the bowl, along with the baby corn and lettuce. Toss all the ingredients well and serve with tulsi dressing. Some salt can be added if required.
