Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Are you looking for new recipes that fall within the guidelines of the Mediterranean diet? My strawberry spinach salad does just that, as it’s full of fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, nuts, seeds and high-quality cheese.

Not only does this strawberry spinach salad include nutrient-rich spinach, avocado and strawberries, but the dressing also packs a healthy punch with beneficial ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar and poppy seeds, which are high in minerals like manganese and play a role in many of the body’s chemical processes.

Strawberry Health Benefits

Many of the health benefits associated with strawberry nutrition are due to the presence of free radical-fighting antioxidants, including uteolin, gallic acid, flavonols and quercetrin. These antioxidants help to fight premature aging and serious diseases like heart disease, diabetes, neurological disorders and cancer. (1)

Strawberries are also beneficial to your health because they are rich in vitamin C, with one cup providing 149 percent of your recommended daily value. Eating vitamin C foods promotes healthy skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and relieving dryness and boosts your immune system, helping you to fight off colds and the flu. (2)

And to point out one more benefit of eating strawberries, they promote detoxification and help the body to restore the proper digestion, promoting regularity and reducing inflammation. That’s why strawberries are one of the best ingredients for detox drinks.

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Nutrition Facts

One serving of my strawberry spinach salad made using this recipe contains roughly the following (3, 4, 5, 6) :

• 357 calories
• 32 grams fat
• 15 grams carbohydrate
• 5 grams protein
• 5 grams fiber
• 8 grams sugar
• 197 micrograms vitamin K (219 percent DV)
• 3,505 IU vitamin A (150 percent DV)
• 50 milligrams vitamin C (67 percent DV)
• 5 milligrams vitamin E (33 percent DV)
• 127 micrograms folate (32 percent DV)
• 0.3 milligrams riboflavin (24 percent DV)
• 0.3 milligrams vitamin B6 (22 percent DV)
• 0.8 milligrams vitamin B5 (17 percent DV)
• 0.1 milligrams thiamin (11 percent DV)
• 0.3 micrograms vitamin B12 (10 percent DV)
• 0.8 milligrams manganese (46 percent DV)
• 0.2 milligrams copper (23 percent DV)
• 63 milligrams magnesium (20 percent DV)
• 133 milligrams phosphorus (19 percent DV)
• 166 milligrams calcium (17 percent DV)
• 1.22 milligrams zinc (15 percent DV)
• 541 milligrams potassium (12 percent DV)
• 2 milligrams iron (11 percent DV)
• 171 milligrams sodium (11 percent DV)
• 4 micrograms selenium (7 percent DV)

Take a look at some of the top health benefits associated with the ingredients in this strawberry spinach salad:

• Extra virgin olive oil: When you use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil, you are getting many heart-healthy macronutrients (such as monounsaturated fats), anti-inflammatory compounds and disease fighting antioxidants. The dressing in this strawberry spinach salad allows you to take advantage of the many olive oil benefits, like its ability to help with weight loss and obesity prevention and boost your mood. (7)
• Poppy seeds: Poppy seeds are an excellent source of manganese, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and thiamin. A tablespoon of poppy seeds contains 29 percent of the recommended daily value for manganese and 13 percent of calcium. That means they help to promote bone development, fight inflammation and aid nutrient absorption. (8)

• Spinach: There’s no doubt that spinach nutrition makes it one of the healthiest foods on earth. It is packed with a dozen different types of flavonoid antioxidants, plus other important nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, manganese, zinc and selenium. Adding spinach to your diet will help protect you against heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline and even cancer. (9)
• Avocado: Avocados are one of the top superfoods because they contain monounsaturated fats that have been shown to reverse insulin resistance and regulate blood sugar levels. They also provide anti-inflammatory compounds like polyphenols and bioflavonoids that reduce the risk of serious degenerative disorders. (10)

How to Make Strawberry Spinach Salad

To start preparing this strawberry spinach salad, grab a small bowl to mix the ingredients for your dressing. Combine ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of either honey or maple syrup, ¼ tablespoon ground mustard, 1½ tablespoons of poppy seeds and salt and pepper to taste.

Next, add your salad ingredients to a large bowl. To feed 4 to 6 people, include 6 cups of spinach, 2 cups of chopped strawberries, half a chopped red onion, 1 chopped avocado, about ½ cup of goat feta cheese and ¼ cup of chopped sprouted almonds

Pour the poppy seed dressing into the salad and mix it all up until it’s well-combined. Then I like to refrigerate the salad for about 20 minutes so that it’s served cold and crisp.

And there you have it — a nutrient-rich, heart-healthy and disease-fighting salad that can be served for lunch or dinner. Enjoy!