If this salad was served at a restaurant, I just know it’d be a $20 salad - but making it at home is super easy so there’s simply no need to go out for it. Beets, kale, radishes, and blueberries are all great foods for the menstrual phase because they have high levels of antioxidants which can help reduce cramping. And kale and beets are both high in iron which is crucial to eat during this phase to counteract the iron you’re losing during your bleed.
This recipe is perfect for the menstrual phase because of the blueberry, radish, kale, and beets. During your menstrual phase, you want to focus on warm, comforting cooking methods to warm up your uterus. From the nutrition side, you want to stock up on micronutrients that are the building blocks of blood. Your hormones are at their lowest levels and energy is low, so keep your blood sugar steady with low GI foods.
Kale is high in vitamin E which helps flush out estrogen and is an antioxidant that calms inflammation. Just make sure to cook it because otherwise it contains goitrogens (which suppress thyroid function) and can contribute to PCOS. Vitamin E also contributes to healthy progesterone levels, which is important at this time of your cycle.
Beets are a great source of iron - which is essential to focus on when you bleed since your body is losing iron rapidly. It's also rich in beta-carotene and antioxidants, which promote the flow of blood to the uterus and reduce cramping.
Blueberries are great for the menstrual phase because they help reduce inflammation! They also contain iron, calcium, zinc, and magnesium.
Radishes are powerful antioxidants, which is helpful to alleviate inflammation in the body and potentially reduce cramping during your bleed. They also contain high levels of vitamin C which aids in the iron absorption process.
Roasted Beet Spring Salad
Serves: 1 Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
2 beets, chopped
3 cups kale, chopped
1 small apple, thinly sliced
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1 tbsp feta
3 walnuts
1/2 tbsp olive oil (for cooking the veggies)
Blueberry Vinaigrette
2 tbsp blueberries
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Process
Preheat the oven to 400ºF
Chop your beets into 1/2-inch slices. Move them to a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil over them, and use your hand or a spoon to fully cover the beets in oil. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until soft.
Meanwhile, chop your kale and add a small drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes at the end before serving
In a small jar, mash the blueberries, then add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. Shake.
Assemble the salad by combining the baked beets, cooked kale, apple slices, radish slices, walnuts, feta, and vinaigrette
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