Magnesium Bonanza: Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad
Lately I’ve written about magnesium, and I often talk about eating cruciferous vegetables every day. I decided to fall back to one of my favorite recipes from my mother-in-law, Ruth, modify it a little, and give you a recipe for a great salad you can enjoy this holiday weekend. Nutritional information is at the bottom.
Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad
1 pound (about 5 cups, chopped) broccoli
1 pound (about 5 cups, chopped) cauliflower
1 green onion, sliced fine
4 tablespoons sunflower seeds
½ cups mayonnaise
½ cups Miracle Whip salad dressing
¼ cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cups bacon bits or chopped bacon
¼ teaspoon vinegar (I prefer rice wine vinegar for the milder taste)
¼ teaspoon herb blend Mrs. Dash or a blend you prefer
Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces, put into a large bowl, and mix together.
Mix together the wet and flavor-building ingredients. Pour over the vegetables and refrigerate overnight. Mix before serving. If you’re like me, I don’t like to wait, so it’s fine to eat it right away as well. You could use light versions of the mayo if that’s what you like, but at only 98 calories from sugar in the whole recipe, I wouldn’t bother with sugar substitute.
You can also adapt it to your taste. Add sliced cherry tomatoes or grapes, shredded carrots, chopped basil, sliced almonds, or maybe pomegranate seeds, or whatever ingredients you like, especially more veggies. And now I wish I’d used some purple broccoli—that would look outstanding! Other recipes add raisins or shredded Cheddar cheese, although those add more calories. The objective is to get your friends and family to eat it, so do whatever it takes to get there.
What’s the beneficial nutrients look like? First, all the phytonutrients that come in 1.5 cups of cruciferous vegetables plus some allium nutrients from the green onions. Second, the estimated magnesium level would be about 170 mg per serving. As another bonus, there would be 2,200 mg of potassium per serving, a nutrient we just don’t get enough of in our typical diet.
Compare that with the typical 80/20 burger cooked on a grill: it has no phytonutrients, 25 mg magnesium, and 250 mg potassium. We need that salad! And remember, I never said it had to taste bad. The most important point is to eat what your body needs, and it needs those veggies, even if mayo and bacon are along for the ride.
Remember to check the Health Info section of drchet.com for this and more delicious recipes. I hope you enjoy your salad and have a fun, safe, long weekend.
What are you prepared to do today?
