Shrimp and Citrus Power Greens Salad

Our challenge this week is to incorporate more leafy greens into our diets.

Leafy greens are great as the base for salads, wilted as a side dish or in a GLOW Bowl, and are great nutrient-dense additions to smoothies.

If you’re looking for a light, refreshing salad, I’ve got the perfect recipe for you this week – and it makes getting that extra serving of greens easy! I’ve also included a vegetarian/vegan option.

The base of this salad calls for a mix of spinach, kale, and arugula, but you can use any dark, leafy greens you like.

Chard, collards, parsley, shaved brussels sprouts, microgreens, or beet greens would be delicious in this as well.

Dark, leafy greens are rich in vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and fiber.

Spinach, for example, is a great source of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, and Manganese. Vitamin K reduces blood clots and promotes healthy bones.

Spinach is also packed with Folate, which plays a key role in red blood cell production and the prevention of neural tube defects in pregnancy.

Kale is considered one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables due to its many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

One cup of raw kale has 684% of the Daily Value (DV) for Vitamin K, 206% of the DV for Vitamin A, and 134% of the DV for Vitamin C. That’s a lot of nutrition packed in one leafy green.

You can see that leafy greens are an excellent source of Vitamin C and can be great immune-boosting food.

Kale also contains antioxidants such as Lutein and Beta-Carotene, which reduce the risk of diseases caused by oxidative stress.

When eating kale raw, you can drizzle it with a little olive oil and lemon juice and massage it before eating. This helps to break the kale down a bit, which helps the texture and digestion.

Eating a diet rich in leafy greens can offer numerous health benefits including reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and mental decline.

You should aim to eat 6-9 cups of vegetables per day. This includes leafy greens. Incorporating a minimum of 3-4 cups of leafy greens should be an optimal daily goal.

Keep in mind that if you don’t eat a lot of greens or veggies already, that eating too much at once can cause a little digestive upset.

Start with one cup of greens and veggies per meal, and work your way up to 2-3 cups per meal over the course of several weeks or even a month or two.

Remember that it is progress over perfection. Look for ways to incorporate those greens into your meals and snacks!

Shrimp & Citrus Power Greens Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 4-6 cups Spinach, Kale, and Arugula mix (you can use any combination of leafy greens)
• 1 Grapefruit, cut into segments
• 1 Orange, cut into segments
• 1 Blood or Cara Cara Orange, cut into segments
• 1/2 small Red Onion, sliced thin
• 1 Avocado, cubed

For the Spicy Shrimp

• 15-20 Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 teaspoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Granules
• 1/4 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
• Pinch Cayenne Powder (omit if you don’t like spicy food)

For the Grapefruit Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup fresh Grapefruit Juice
• 2 tablespoons Avocado or Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated Ginger
• 1 teaspoon Honey
• Pinch Fine Sea Salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Place leafy greens in a bowl. Add in citrus segments and sliced onion and set aside.
2. In a bowl, toss shrimp with oil and spices.
3. In a skillet heat the oil and add in shrimp. Let the shrimp cook for 6-8 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking, until shrimp are fully cooked and opaque. Place on a plate and let cool.
4. Make your dressing. Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside!
5. Add shrimp to the salad with lettuce and citrus. Toss with some of the dressing and serve. Reserve additional dressing in case anyone wants a little extra!
6. For a vegetarian and vegan option, omit shrimp. Instead, you can toss chickpeas, black beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, or your favorite plant protein option with the shrimp seasoning blend (you may need to adjust seasoning to taste).