Golden Beet, Grapefruit, Fennel Salad

Dairy-free | Low glycemic | Helps With Digestion

This salad is simple, delicious and tastes like summer! It takes about 10 minutes to throw together and lasts well so you can make it the night before and enjoy it all week. Fennel is an excellent anti-inflmatory and helps with digestion. Grapefruit helps improve your metabolism and detoxify your body and golden beets are packed with all kinds of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. This salad is a simple and easy but sophicitated crowd pleaser.

Servings: About 6

Time: 10 minutes (Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 0 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium to large ruby red grapefruit

• 1 fennel bulb

• 1 medium golden beat

• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 cup farro (optional)

Directions:

• Bring a medium pot of water to boil, add beet, cover and boil until beet is soft (10-15 minuets).

• Measure 1/2 cup farro and cook to instructions on package (note: to make this gluten-free, omit farro).

• Cut grapefruit in half and individually cut out each wedge. Add to bowl.

• Cut bottom and top off fennel and slice fennel bulb into thin slices. Use 1/2 to full bulb to bowl depending on size.

• When beet is cooled, peel skin and cut into small cubes. Add to bowl.

• Add cooled farro (optional).

• Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and toss.

• Enjoy!

How this nourishes you:

Grapefruit- Grapefruit is a power-packed food. It's Low in Calories, yet High in Nutrients. It has benefits for immune support, appetite control and has been shown to aid in weight loss. Grapefruit may also help prevent insulin resistance and diabetes. It is high in antioxidants which help with anti-aging, anti-cancer and heart health and it may reduce the risk of kidney stones. Getting grapefruit in your diet daily is a great way to support your metabolism and detox your body. One note with grapefruit, it does have some drug interactions so check with your pharmacist if you’re on any prescription drugs.

Fennel-Fennel is a powerhouse. It’s packed with fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin C, vitamin B-6, and phytonutrients. Its nutrient content helps improve energy levels. It has been shown to improve digestion because it has digestive enzymes in it. It also may help lower cholesterol and improve heart health. If you’re feeling like you’re getting some indigestion or acid reflux, having a few bites of fennel may help calm that down and help you digest your meal. Starting your meal with a few bites of fennel may also help your food digest better.

Beets- Beets are low in calories and pack impressive amounts of nutrients. Three separate peer-reviewed studies published in the US National Library of Medicine have shown that beets can significantly lower blood pressure (by up to 4–10 mmHg) over a period of only a few hours. Their high levels of dietary nitrates may improve athletic performance by increasing the ability of cells to produce energy (which may explain why beet shots are showing up next to 5-Hour Energy on many grocery store shelves). Beets have a reasonable amount of protein (1.7 grams/serving) and also provide essential vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C, Folate, Vitamin B6, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorous, Manganese and Iron. Golden beets are a bit sweeter than red beets but have very similar nutritional profiles.  Read more about beets here. 

Farro--Farro is an ancient wheat grain that originated in Mesopotamia. It is an extremely nutritious grain, loaded with fiber and high in protein. Adding some farro to your diet will give you a healthy dose of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B3 (niacin), all of which play important roles in your body. Zinc is essential for a healthy immune system and wound healing, as well as breaking down carbs during digestion. Magnesium is needed for strong bones, optimum immunity, healthy nerve and muscle function and to keep your heartbeat regular. Farro helps regulate blood glucose levels and is linked to improved insulin sensitivity. It is also a great source of polyphenols, carotenoids and selenium. Although it’s not gluten free, it is an ancient grain so most people with gluten sensitivities can eat it with no problem and may help heal that sensitivity, although always ask your doctor and pay attention to how your body responds (It is not safe for celiac disease.)