Protein-y Brussels Sprouts Salad Recipe

Do you find it more difficult to stay on track with eating your salads when the weather starts to cool off? You’re not alone…I find it difficult at times too.

No worries my Beauties! My Brussels Sprouts Salad Recipe doesn’t have to be eaten cold. In this recipe we are cooking the veggies (but you can choose to eat it raw too). This way it will be warm and appetizing, and you’ll still get tons of nutrients- including minerals and amino acids to build protein in your body. Green protein sources are simply awesome!!

Beauty Food: Brussels Sprouts

Amino acids…our protein-building, hair-building and muscle-building buds. There are twenty-three different amino acids, of which, only fifteen the body can manufacture on its own. So the other eight MUST come from the food we eat. But…it’s not that hard to do that. Read on!

Good news is, when a food contains all eight of these amino acids (also known as the essential amino acids), it is called a complete protein. These eight amino acids can be found in vegetables, fruits, sprouts, seeds and nuts. And yes, you guessed it, Brussels sprouts are one of the many great plant-based sources where we can fill our bodies with these necessary amino acids!

The essential eight amino acids cannot be manufactured by the body, so we need to get these key protein-building blocks from the foods we eat. Here are the essential eight amino acids: phenylalanine, valine, lysine, leucine, isoleucine, tryptophan, threonine, and methionine.

By consuming a wide variety of these foods, (which you can find in Beauty Detox Solution), you will receive the essential eight amino acids in abundance.

Brussels sprouts are also a great source of plant protein. In fact, I know some plant-based hard core athletes that consume them regularly for this very reason (plus our beloved Tony, from our Beauty Inside Out podcast!). Plus, they are high in vitamin C and minerals.

In order to really benefit from these little mini cabbage looking veggies (when you think of it that way aren’t they adorable??), we need to remember to chew Brussels sprouts well. They are super fibrous, for sure! We will be slicing then up for today’s recipe, but we still need to keep great chewing in mind to get their full benefit.

Click here if you want to give your gut a boost of cleansing power!

Why Eat Beauty Salads?

Eating at least one salad each day is one of the simplest and most powerful health disciplines you can incorporate into your daily beauty routine. Creating this habit will have a lasting impact on how you look and feel each day.

In the Beauty Detox Solution I talk about how lunch should be based around a salad- topped with anything from avocado, cooked veggies, lentils, seeds and nuts, quinoa and so on. Or, you can choose to pair it with a soup or wrap.

Regardless of the season, there are so many beautiful, fresh raw veggies that you can use to create stunning, delicious salads. I know I tend to eat a higher percentage of raw/living foods in the summer, and in the winter I tend to pair some raw with more cooked, and I do like to cook the Brussies in today’s salad! But year-round, we do need raw veggies, which we will always get with the Glowing Green Smoothie, and other salads we work in as well.

By incorporating a light lunch (that is properly combined), we will be maintaining optimal digestion and ongoing cleansing throughout the day. Once dinner comes rolling around, we can start relaxing a bit and can choose more heavy and grounding foods, knowing we have the rest of the evening to digest (without putting new food on top), and then all the way into the morning.

Today’s salad is one I would pair with a soup, Sunchoke and Beet Kitcheree, or sprouted brown rice.

There really is nothing but great benefits to adding salads in your daily meal planning, and your body will continue to function at it’s optimum best- allowing for a good night’s rest.

Let’s get started on the meal prep!

Prepare ingredients.

Cut ends off of Brussels sprouts and remove leaves. Discard the core once it is too tight to remove leaves. You may also use a food processor to cut the Brussels sprouts into very thin slices (if you feel like cleaning it afterwards! :) ). Place in a bowl and toss to separate layers.

Add the sliced red cabbage.

Add the red onions.

Add sliced jalapeños (optional).

Prepare dressing ingredients.

Add the coconut oil to a small mixing bowl.

Add the minced garlic.

Add the balsamic vinegar.

Add the coconut nectar and mix until fully combined.

Add to vegetables and toss. Saute salad in sauce pan lightly, adding additional coconut oil if needed. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!

See this full tasty recipe below…