Superfruit Salad Recipe

January 6, 2017

This salad is so simple and delicious it’s hard not to love and it’s packed with ingredients that have the health benefits you want and need. Inspired by two of our favorite flavors—strawberry and orange—this salad focuses on budget-friendly produce to provide freshness even in the dead of winter. Using kale for the greens of the salad makes it perfect for a make ahead take to work salad with no fear of sogginess. Toasted almonds add and a lovely crunch and an added boost of protein, but you can always add grilled chicken breast instead. 

Superfruit Salad Recipe

Makes 4 Servings 

1 Bunch Kale, de-stemmed and chopped

12-15 Strawberries, quartered

a handful of sliced almonds  

1/2 of an orange, peeled and sectioned

6 Tablespoons of Olive Oil 

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons of honey

Salt & pepper to taste

Combine the first three ingredients and toss well for the salad.

Combine the last five ingredients in a mason jar. 

Screw the lid on tightly and shake well for the dressing.  

Strawberries

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), fruits are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber and should be a part of a diabetes-friendly diet — just keep track of them as you do with all carbs. The key is to keep an eye on portion sizes and to stay away from fruits canned in syrups or contained in other types of added sugar. If you’re using the glycemic index (GI) — a measure of how foods affect your blood sugar levels — to manage your diabetes, most fruits are a good choice because they rate low on the ranking. Satisfy your sweet tooth and keep your blood sugar in check with the following fresh or frozen low-GI choices.

Whether you love blueberries, strawberries, or any other type of berry, you have the go-ahead to indulge. According to the ADA, berries are a diabetes superfood because they’re packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber, plus they’re low-GI. Three-quarters of a cup of fresh blueberries has 62 calories and 16 grams (g) of carbohydrates. If you can resist the urge to just pop them into your mouth, try berries in a parfait, alternating layers of fruit with plain non-fat yogurt — it makes a great dessert or breakfast. So go ahead and add all your favorite berries to this salad for added variety. We promise it’s delicious.

Oranges 

Oranges provide smart carbs and do not cause a blood sugar spike. Oranges like all fruits have simple sugars in them, but the orange has a glycemic index of 40. Anything under 55 is considered low. This means as long as you don’t eat too many oranges at one time, they won’t spike your blood sugar and cause problems with insulin or weight gain. Oranges lower cholesterol. Since they’re full of soluble fiber, oranges are helpful in lowering cholesterol. Learn more about the health benefits of oranges.

Kale 

Kale is a diabetes superfood for many reasons: It’s naturally low in calories and carbohydrates, and high in protein (helps to keep you full) compared to other vegetables. Kale contains a special cholesterol-lowering fiber that works best in your body when kale is cooked. The fiber binds to bile acids in your body and whisks fat and cholesterol out of your body so the fat doesn’t get absorbed. Raw kale still has cholesterol-lowering ability — it just doesn’t work as well as cooked kale.

Kale also contains a very special array of compounds that fight disease, beyond high levels of vitamins and minerals that most Americans are lacking (including vitamin A, C, and K). Kale also contains over 45 different flavonoids, including kaempferol and quercetin just to name two, which means it has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, important for protecting your heart as well as fighting cancer. Learn more here.

Almonds

Almonds, while nutritionally beneficial to most people, are especially good for people with diabetes. “Research has shown that almonds may reduce the rise in glucose (blood sugar) and insulin levels after meals,” says Kochenbach.

Almonds may reduce your risk of heart disease and overall mortality. This is important for people with diabetes because, according to the World Heart Federation, people with diabetes are at a higher risk of heart disease.

A few almonds can go a long way towards filling you up. Try to stick to a 1-ounce serving, which is about 23 almonds. One ounce of almonds contains 161 calories, 6 grams of protein, and 3 grams of dietary fiber.

To avoid mindless eating, try portioning out your almonds in small containers or plastic bags. Some companies also sell almonds in single-serving-size packages for an easy grab-and-go option. Get more facts about almonds and diabetes here.

Looking for the perfect on-the-go snack? Try our Transcend Glucose Gels!