Click here to view. Strawberry Spinach Salad recipe. strawberry baby spinach salad is an Indian style strawberry, spinach and almond salad which is perfect to make when strawberries are in season. 

strawberry baby spinach salad recipe  can be made in a jiffy. All you need to do is make a dressing combining roasted sesame seeds, khus-khus, olive oil, red chili flakes, lemon juice and honey. Simply pour it over combined baby spinach, strawberry and roasted sliced almonds and toss everything well. This  Indian style strawberry, spinach and almond salad is super easy to make. 

Using roasted sesame seeds, khus-khush and almonds will give the salad a excellent nutty aroma and taste to  Indian style strawberry, spinach and almond salad and also will improve the texture making it crunchy. We have used baby spinach instead of palak as it is sweeter than palak and tastes much better. 

An unusual salad combination of strawberry and spinach that pairs very well with a tangy dressing – this  Indian style strawberry, spinach and almond salad looks very good on the dinner table, especially if you are hosting a party. 

Is Strawberry Spinach Salad healthy?

No, this is not healthy. Let's see why.

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

1. Spinach (Palak) : Spinach is one of the richest plant sources of Iron and it should be part of a healthy diet for everyone.  Raw spinach is very rich in insoluble fibre, 25% having soluble fiber and 75% insoluble fiber.  Spinach is good for the heart, diabetics and eyes. Read this on the 17 benefits of spinach and why you should eat it. 

2. Strawberries : Strawberries are chock-full of a phytonutrients, which are good antioxidants and reduce body inflammation. This pink-red coloured fruit abounds in vitamin C. You will be surprised that a cup of strawberry is enough to fulfills your day’s requirement of vitamin C, which helps in building a healthy immune system and keeping all types of infections away. These high vitamins C count benefits in preventing cancer and also fighting the existing the cancer cells if any. Strawberries are a rich source of potassium and magnesium, which helps in lowering blood pressure. With a glycemic index 41, they can be added in limited quantity to a diabetic meal too. Moreover they are a very good source of fiber too. A cup of strawberry yields 4.6 g of fiber, which is a boon for weight loss.

3. Almonds (badam) : Almonds are rich in B complex vitamins such as Vitamin B1, Thiamine, Vitamin B3, Niacin and Folate which plays an important role in the brain development. Almonds balances your cholesterol levels. almonds have a very low glycemic index and good for diabetics. See all 13 super health benefits of almonds. 

4. Sesame Seeds (Til) : These tiny white seeds are indeed a good source of protein. Half of daily requirement of calcium is fulfilled by consuming ½ cup of sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are a storehouse of iron, folic acid and help to prevent iron deficiency  anaemia and boost your energy. The lignans, a type of polyphenol, present in seed does wonders to naturally reduce cholesterol levels. See detailed benefits of sesame seeds.  

5. Olive Oil : Olive oil is a strong antioxidant and good for heart. Also its has anti inflammation properties. This is one of the healthiest oil you can opt for. It has around 77% of MUFA. Olive oil, especially the extra virgin olive oil, is unrefined oil in its natural state and free of chemicals. Moreover, olive oil also possess polyphenols – a type of antioxidant which protects body cells and maintains heart health as well. Popular in Mediterranean cooking, this oil works best for salad dressings or quick sautéing recipes. They cannot be used for prolonged cooking at high temperatures.Note that its a fat at the end of the day so don't consume too much. Read the super article of  which oil is the healthiest avoid vegetable oil. 

6. Onions (pyaz, kanda) :  Raw onions are a very valuable source of vitamin C – the immune building vitamin. Along with other phytonutrients from onions, it helps to build WBC (white blood cells) which serves as a line of defence against illness. Yes, it’s a source of many antioxidants, the most important one amongst them being Quercetin. The quercetin in Onions promotes production of HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers total cholesterol in the body. The sulphur in onions act as a blood thinner and prevents blood clotting too. This in turn would lower blood pressure and good for heart,  diabetics. Read the benefits of onions. 

7. Lemon, Lemon Juice : Lemon is a very good source of Vitamin C and thus helps in the production of  white blood cells and antibodies in the blood which attacks invading microorganisms, prevents infection and builds immunity. Therefore, Lemon juice is given to prevent common cold. The ascorbic acid in lemon juice helps in absorption of iron from the food. So if you’re iron deficient or have anaemia squeeze a lemon on iron rich recipes. See detailed benefits of lemon, lemon juice.

What's the problem?

1. Sugar : Sugar used in the recipe is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage. 

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Strawberry Spinach Salad?

No, this recipe is not good for diabetics, heart and weight loss.

Some healthy Salad options for you

Soups and Salads make a great combination for a healthy meal. We have a huge collection of healthy salads and try some popular salads like Sprouted and boiled moong, Mooli ka salad, Sprouts spring onion and tomato salad and Lettuce orange and spinach salad. 

Sprouts, Spring Onion and Tomato Salad

Can healthy individuals have Strawberry Spinach Salad?

No. 

8 Pointers to get healthy on a Indian diet

1. Eat healthy and say yes to good home cooked food. Prefer whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and healthy flours like bajra flour, jowar flour, quinoa flour, wheat flour etc. rather than refined ones like maida. Have healthy Indian fats like ghee, coconut, coconut oil in your diet.

2. Opt out of junk food, packaged food, deep fried foods. Prefer steamed snacks and other non-fried snacks. Check out some Healthy Indian Snacks. Remember to eat small frequent meals through the day as that will keep you always full and prevent your blood sugar from dropping. By starving your body through some diet, will not help you one bit. In fact, dieting will make you binge on 2 to 3 meals which is not good. 

3. Have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 3 servings of fruit is a must. Follow the logic of a vegetable in each main meal of the day and a fruit in-between meals. Check out a few Healthy Indian Soups and Healthy Indian Salads  recipes using this food group.           

4. Cut down on sugar and salt in your diet and pick honey ( very small amounts) or dates to sweeten your food. Slowly cut the sugar habit as this is not going to happen over night. Sugar  is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage. 

Salt and blood pressure. Apart from stress and obesity, one of the main reasons for high blood pressure is excessive sodium and salt intake. Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of salt in their cooking, thinking it will affect the taste of their favourite dishes. 

This is not true. Bajra and jowar are rich in potassium and critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So include the basic bajra roti and jowar roti in your daily diet to have with Lower Blood Pressure Subzis Recipes. 

5. Befriend a few healthy seeds and nuts like chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds. 

6.  Sprouts are called ‘living food’. They are high is most nutrients and easy to digest as well. Let them feature in your meals at least thrice a week. Also Read : All Benefits about Sprouts. 

7.  Exercise 45 minutes every day. No excuse. You can walk fast, run, do weights, play your favourite sport or go to the gym. No activity reduces muscle tissue which will lead to muscke loss and all kinds of problems with that. 

8.  Sleep early and get up early. Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover and makes you look much younger. Also getting good sleep prevent muscle loss. 

Strawberry Spinach Salad is high in

1. Folic Acid : Folic acid is an essential vitamin required throughout pregnancy.

2. Vitamin C :  Vitamin C is a great defence against coughs and colds.

Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 20% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

How to burn 194 calories that come from Strawberry Spinach Salad?

Walking (6 kmph) = 58 mins

Running (11 kmph) = 19 mins

Cycling (30 kmph) = 26 mins          

Swimming (2 kmph) = 33 mins

Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.