When my daughter "Lil Burnt Toast is here for dinner every Tuesday I plan to spoil her. Last Tuesday we started with this heart healthy and nutrient rich summer salad!!!Spinach is prolific in the garden this time of the year. If you grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons you probably remember Popeye who made himself super strong by eating spinach. It was believed for years that spinach contained a remarkable amount of iron. This was due to an error in placing a decimal point when calculating essential nutrients in certain foods. But Popeye may have been surprised to learn that by eating spinach he was also protecting himself against osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis, and other diseases.
The next element in this nutrient rich salad is dried cranberries or Craisins. These are a tasty alternative to dried raisins. Most dried cranberries, particularly those marketed by large-scale manufacturers contain added sugar. If you can dry your own at home all the better, but they will be a little tarter which would marry well with the sweeter dressing of this salad. Dried cranberries do offer a higher count of dietary fiber, about seven grams of dietary fiber per cup. Fresh berries only yield about four grams. They are also considered to have anti-oxidant properties.
The third ingredient for a nutitional punch in this salad is sunflower seeds. In addition to linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid), sunflower seeds are also an excellent source of dietary fiber, protein, Vitamin E, B Vitamins, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, selenium, calcium and zinc. They are also rich in phytosterils to lower your cholesterol. A handful of sunflower seeds in this salad is very calorie-wise.
ENJOY knowing that this salad not only tastes good but is good for you!!!!
**Spinach Cranberry Salad**
1/4 cup shallots or garlic
1 T dijon mustard
1 T honey
Large bowl of baby spinach
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup sunflower seeds (roasted or unroasted)
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Add ingredients to bowl of spinach. Toss with dressing.
You might also enjoy these other spinach salads from the More Than Burnt Toast Archives:
