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Berry Spinach Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

January 5, 2021 by Emily Brees Leave a Comment - This post may contain affiliate links.

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This classic Berry Spinach Salad is perfectly balanced with toasted almonds, fresh berries and dressed with maple balsamic vinaigrette. It’s simple goodness + looks super gorgeous on the plate!

Two plates of berry spinach salad with a side of dressing

It’s the start of a new year so I thought I’d share some dietary changes I’ve made over the past 6 months. Since the pandemic had opened up all kinds of time for reading, I took the time to read about brain health!

Alzheimer’s runs in my family and my mom is currently suffering from dementia. So I set out to inform myself about anything and everything I could do to keep things running smoothly up top. Did you know that dementia starts to develop in mid-life? It’s not a old person disease. Just like any other inflammatory disease (like heart disease), it develops over time.

So what does this have to do with this spinach salad?

Well, it has everything to do with it. I’ve been following the MIND diet. The MIND Diet isn’t very different from my typical eating habits – it puts emphasis on the importance of certain brain-friendly foods.

The MIND diet recommends that you eat 6 servings of leafy greens per week. It also encourages consuming berries a few times a week for brain health.

After reading books + research papers, listening to podcasts and following other brain health nutritionists, I have made several permanent changes to my eating habits including:

1) eating leafy greens in EVERY day,

2) popping berries every morning, +

3) eating wild caught salmon once a week.

Through all of my research I concluded I was robbing my brain of DHA – one of the omega-3 fatty acids it absolutely needs + I believe the best source, for me, is fish. Since making these small changes + increasing my daily water intake, I have noticed much less brain fog.

So how can you get more greens into your life?
My advice:
Grow Your Own!

Greens are one of the easiest crops to grow in your garden – even if it’s kind of shady! I find that if you have something growing right outside your doorstep, you’ll be more likely to grab a handful and add it to your meal. Plus you’ll be super proud of yourself for being self-sufficient and all!

In fact, I have arugula, kale and spinach growing in a cold frame we built right and it’s the middle of winter! The yield isn’t huge, but makes this gardener super happy!

New greens for my 2021 garden are: Tatsoi + Chijimisai.

There are so many types of greens outside of the usual suspects – spinach + kale. Check out this great guide to greens to get you started on expanding your green horizons!

Berry Spinach Salad – A Winning Salad Combination

This berry spinach salad checks off several brain-healthy options from the MIND diet recommendations. Serve it alongside salmon packed with Omega-3s and you’ve got a meal full of brainpower!

  • Spinach for your daily serving of greens providing you with brain-healthy nutrients like vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta carotene.
  • Blueberries and blackberries full of flavonoids – powerful antioxidants shown to improve memory function.
  • Almonds add both crunch + healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E.

If you’re interested in learning more, I’ve linked lots of excellent brain health resources and recipes here.

I love when healthy can look so beautiful on a plate, taste amazing, and is so simple to create. Tell me if you make this salad and how much you love it in the comments below!

This classic Berry Spinach Salad is perfectly balanced with toasted almonds, fresh berries and dressed with maple balsamic vinaigrette. #Salad #Spinach #vegan #vegetarian #healthrecipes at OatandSesame.com #oatandsesame

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Blueberry Spinach Salad with Almonds on plate
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Berry Spinach Salad with Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
 

This classic Berry Spinach Salad is perfectly balanced with toasted almonds, fresh berries and dressed with maple balsamic vinaigrette. It’s simple goodness + looks super gorgeous on the plate!

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: healthy salad, spinach salad
Servings: 4
Calories: 199 kcal
Author: Emily Brees | OatandSesame
Ingredients
  • 6 cups baby spinach (or any super green combo)
  • 1 cup any combo of blueberries and/or blackberries
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • Feta cheese, crumbled to top (optional)
  • a sprinkle of hemp seeds, to top (optional)
Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbs maple syrup
  • salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette
  1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl; whisk until well combined and thoroughly incorporated.

Berry Spinach Salad
  1. Toast almonds in a dry pan over medium-low heat. Careful to watch them so they don't burn! Set aside.

  2. In a large bowl, lightly toss spinach with a couple tablespoons of dressing. You want a super light coating on the greens. *You'll most likely have some dressing left over.

  3. Add in berries and gently toss again. Top with toasted almonds and a light drizzle of additional dressing.

Nutrition Facts
Berry Spinach Salad with Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 199
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

++ Turn this into a Quinoa Power Bowl.
Toss this spinach salad with cooked quinoa for hearty one-bowl lunch option! Recipe coming soon….

Eat your Greens!

Apple Spinach Salad
Spinach Burgers
Chicken + Spinach Enchiladas
Spicy Kale and Mushroom Tacos

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I'm Emily - a home cook, gardener and recipe creator located in Flagstaff, AZ.

Healthy eating + travel are my passion! Learn More

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