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Immunity Boosting Broccoli Salad

July 23, 2018 9 Comments

Immunity boosting broccoli salad? You know it. I’m always looking for ways to boost our immune systems, especially when the kiddies go back to school. A new school year equals new germs and I have no problem admitting my germophobia. It’s a little intense. So when it comes to packing lunches, I make sure to have an immune boosting strategy!

Speaking of a new school year… where the heck did summer go? Just when I felt like we were falling into a summer routine BAM it’s time to start a new school year! As much as I’m going to miss lazy summer days, I am looking forward to a fall routine! We all thrive on a good routine at our house and mornings are my favorite. If I start the day early and with a schedule, I am so much more productive. You can read all about our morning routine here.

Do you pack home lunches for your kiddies? I tend to run out of ideas quickly. Large batches of veggie packed salads make our mornings a breeze. They take the guess work out of a balanced lunch and are easy to bulk up with protein for a well rounded meal.

Immune Boosting Broccoli Salad

This broccoli salad is packed full of immune boosting ingredients! Not to mention you’ll be boosting your OptUP score after shopping for them! You all know how obsessed I am with our family OptUP score. I check it weekly to see if it’s gone up (this week we upped it by 6 whole points) best part the only person I’m competing against is myself. Its genius really. I have become far more cautious roaming the aisles of the grocery store. I strive to fill my cart with at least 50% green scoring items. That means lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and quality meats and dairy. Pretty much what we shop for anyways, with an occasional treat!

Immune Boosting Broccoli Salad

Foods that help Boost Your Immune (and your OptUp score)

Broccoli- is supercharged with an abundance of vitamins and minerals. It’s loaded with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as many other antioxidants and fiber. Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your table and is best to consumed raw, as the health benefits tend to lessen as it’s heated.

Citrus fruits- are packed full of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is thought to increase the production of white blood cells, which are key to fighting infections. Because your body doesn’t produce or store it on it’s own, you need daily vitamin C for continued health.

Greek yogurt- yogurt, especially that with “live and active cultures”printed on the label, like Greek yogurt may stimulate your immune system to help fight diseases. Yogurt is also a great source of vitamin D, which helps regulate the immune system and is thought to boost our body’s natural defenses against disease.

Sunflower seeds- are full of nutrients, including phosphorous, magnesium, and vitamin B-6. They’re also incredibly high in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, which plays an important role in regulating and maintaining immune system function.

Chickpeas- contain zinc which is one of the most important minerals for the immune system and one of the minerals most of us are deficient in. Zinc plays an important role in the function of T-cells, natural killer cells and lymphocytes, which are some of the power houses of your immune system.

Bell peppers- did you know red bell peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as citrus fruits? Crazy right?! They’re also a rich source of beta carotene, which helps keep your eyes and skin healthy… BONUS!

This salad is packed full of all the above making it a delicious addition to your healthy meal plan!

Immune Boosting Broccoli Salad

I’m really loving all of the Simple Truth Organic products that keep popping up on Kroger shelves! High five for making this mamas life easier! Not only can I can grab my specialty groceries but I can also stock up on all of my families vitamins + supplements AND grab a venti iced green tea to fuel my shopping in one stop! PRAISE.

I’ve also been snagging some major health and wellness inspiration through their Wellness Your Way site. They have an impressive round up of vegan and gluten free recipe inspiration over there. Go check it out.. after you make this broccoli salad of course!

Immune Boosting Broccoli Salad

I love bento boxes for my kids but I love them even more for MYSELF! One way I have incorporated a healthier lifestyle is by meal planning and prepping my lunches in advance. I don’t know why but feeding myself lunch seems to be a tricky task. Spending a full day in the kitchen prepping isn’t always an option for me, but I make sure to prepare large batches off veggies and extra protein for dinner to use for lunches during the week! That way I’m only cooking once but I have my meals covered for a few days. Try it. It takes no longer to grill 12 breasts of chicken than it does 4. Easy peasy!

Immune Boosting Broccoli Salad

Simple Truth rotisserie chicken | mini bell peppers + Simple Truth hummus | immune boosting broccoli salad

Immune Boosting Broccoli Salad

Mamas, don’t forget to put as much energy into YOU as you do your babes when it comes to mealtime. It’s easy to put our nutritional needs on the back burner when we are making sure our kiddies have all their bases covered. The best thing you can do for your kids is to ensure they have a healthy, happy and active mama. I promise you when you fuel your body properly the stars will align and you will notice a huge difference overall. Food is fuel.

Make yourself a priority. Xo

Print

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound organic broccoli about three crowns, chopped small
  • 2 cups organic red grapes halved
  • 8 oz cheddar cheese cubed or grated
  • 1/2 cup organic red onion chopped small
  • 1/2 cup Simple Truth fully cooked uncured bacon crumbled
  • 1/2 cup Simple Truth organic raw sunflower seeds toasted
  • 1/3 cup Simple Truth dried cranberries
  • 1 bottle Simple Truth Organic Lemon Poppyseed Greek yogurt dressing 
  • kosher salt & pepper taste 

Instructions

  1. Toast your sunflower seeds: add seeds to a skillet, they do not require oil. Over medium heat dry-roast them by shaking (or stirring) them back and forth for two to three minutes or until they've browned in color. Set aside.
  2. Add the chopped broccoli, grapes, cheese, red onion, bacon, sunflower seeds and cranberries to a large serving bowl.
  3. Pour dressing over broccoli combination and toss or stir well. 
  4. Season with kosher salt and pepper to your liking. I like to let it set for a good 20 minutes to absorb the dressing. It's even better the next day.
  5. Divide the salad into individual bowls and serve. Leftovers will keep well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge in an air tight container. Enjoy!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kroger, the opinions and text are all mine.

Filed Under: Food Prep, Gluten Free, Lunch, Sides Tagged With: bacon, bento, broccoli, cheddar cheese, cranberries, immune, kroger, lunch, meal prep, optup, organic, red grapes, red onion, salad, simple truth, sunflower seeds, wellness your way

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kim

    August 9, 2018 at 2:07 pm

    I’m so glad I found your site!! This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!!

    Reply
    • shannon

      August 14, 2018 at 4:56 pm

      I’m so happy you’re here! It is one of my faves! I craaaaave it!! Try it with white cheddar too! SO good!! Xo

      Reply
  2. Coral

    November 25, 2018 at 9:31 am

    5 stars
    I love this salad. Have eaten it both hot and cold. I paricularly like it warm wen the broccoli melts the cheese.

    Reply
    • shannon

      December 10, 2018 at 12:52 am

      Oh my goodness warmed up sounds amazing! I have not yet tried that but I will now! Thank you for the idea!

      Reply
  3. Missy

    July 3, 2020 at 8:17 pm

    Can I sub a different dressing for this salad?

    Reply
    • shannon

      August 18, 2020 at 7:30 pm

      Yes! I like a sweet and creamier texture!!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Immune-Boosting Recipes to Fight Colds and The Flu - Good Living Guide says:
    January 31, 2019 at 5:25 pm

    […] Immunity Boosting Broccoli Salad from Clean Eats and Treats […]

    Reply
  2. 10 Easy Immune Boosting Recipes - Baking-Ginger says:
    April 8, 2020 at 8:58 am

    […] 5. IMMUNITY BOOSTING BROCCOLI SALAD […]

    Reply
  3. 3 Healthy Salads To Make This Spring | Famous Foods says:
    April 15, 2020 at 5:33 pm

    […] a fan of leafy greens? This unique recipe combines broccoli, red grapes sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and red onion with decadent […]

    Reply

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Hi my name is Shannon. I am a wife, mother of three, and lover of food! In 2001 I was diagnosed with a series of digestive issues that forced me to drastically change my diet. From the moment my health journey began I found a new love for cooking...

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