Detox Pomegranate & Apple Kale Salad Recipe

This girl is ready to get back on track! After months of quarantine and admittedly eating more dessert and drinking more wine than usual, it’s officially time to get back in shape. For me, working out and eating healthy isn’t about being a certain size, but is rather about feeling good in my body. I have more energy, my digestion is better, my skin is clearer, and overall everything is just better when I eat well and exercise.

As weird and at times stressful the last few months were, I really tried to be kind to myself and not too hard on what I was eating or drinking. I’m slowly laying off the nightly dessert and the more-than-occasional glass of wine, and opting for more greens, lean protein, and whole grains overall. I made a commitment to try to eat greens at every meal (one of my favorite health tips) and have been trying to eat a salad every day for lunch.

Salads don’t have to be boring or leave you hungry! I like to eat salads that are filling – these have the right amount of healthy fat, protein, and crunch in them so you aren’t starving afterward. In fact, this kale salad below has become my new weekday go-to salad. It’s super light and refreshing for summer, and you can easily add or subtract any ingredients you have on hand. It’s also gluten-free and vegan. However, you can customize the recipe and amounts to fit your diet! I’ve eaten this Pomegranate & Apple Kale salad every day for the past week and haven’t gotten bored. Read on for the recipe and other kale salad combination ideas.

{ Detox } Pomegranate & Apple Kale Salad

Salad Ingredients – serves 1

+ 2-3 cups of kale

+ 1/2 avocado

+ 1/8 cup pomegranate seeds

+ 1/2 apple, chopped

+ 1/4 cup nuts (raw pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pecans, or almonds all work well)

Lemon Vinaigrette

+ 2 tbsp lemon juice

+ 2 tbsp olive oil

+ 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

+ 1 teaspoon maple syrup

+ 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

+ Salt and pepper to taste

I usually just eyeball all of the salad ingredients and mix together in the bowl. You don’t have to be so precise when making a salad! The salad dressing is more done to taste, so you may want to play around with the ratio of ingredients. After mixing all of the ingredients together, I’ll mix in a few tablespoons of homemade lemon vinaigrette.

Lately, I’ve been toping with a veggie burger patty for a little extra protein. Other mix-ins I like to add: cucumber, tomato, red onion, dried cranberries, chickpeas, boiled egg. It’s such an easy way to eat your fruits and vegetables and it is so good for you. Your skin and digestion will thank you for eating lots of greens.

Some other kale salad combinations I also love: 

+ Kale Caesar (Sweetgreen inspired): romaine, kale, cherry tomato, avocado, parmesan crisps, Caesar dressing

+ Greek salad: kale, tomato, cucumber, red onion, chickpeas, olives, feta

+ Goat cheese: kale, pecans, apple, dried cranberries, goat cheese