this salad reminds me a bit of christmas morning. the tiny little packages of roasted butternut squash are strewn all over a floor of baby greens, topped with cranberry bows + tied with goat cheese ribbons.
but just as any beautiful christmas package – it’s what’s inside that counts! and inside those beautiful ingredients is the real present. we’re talkin’ nutrients here people! and speaking of stuff that’s good for you, did you know that butternut squash is a leader in the veggie world for eye health!? who knew! butternut squash is rich in carotenoids, folate, vitamins a, b6, + c – all those fancy words mean nutrients. and the bottom line: nutrients are important for keeping your eyes on the prize.
over here in my ambitious kitchen i try my best to balance some kitchen guilty pleasures with ingredients that nutritionally shine and let’s just say, this salad excuses that extra piece of bacon {or three} that i steal from the skillet every sunday!
eye health is something that is often overlooked. {PUNS!} bugs bunny taught us that a chomp on a carrot here or there will help us see + in turn escape elmer fudd. wearing this season’s ray-bans help protect us from those pesky UV rays. but, there’s gotta be more? right?
right! turns out there’s tozens of ingredients that you can incorporate into your light lunches + delightful dinners that will make a difference!
with macular degeneration affecting more than 10 million americans, it is the leading cause of vision loss for those 55 + older. my grandmother + two great aunts suffered from macular degeneration + knowing first hand what they went through gives me that extra push to add in a bit of butternut here + a handful of blueberries there. another reason? fresh veggies are delicious! duh!
so today, i’m doing something awesome! i am showing my support for eye health by blogging about healthy vision! i encourage you to grab yourself a bowl of this satisfying salad, then take just a few seconds + read some fun {cooking is fun peeps!} ways to increase + incorporate these optic superfoods into your diet!
once you’re done, you’ll have a new salad to share with your loved ones, all while becoming a believer that it’s as easy as a blink of an eye {you know i had to. .} to amp up your eye health!
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch chunks {about 2 cups}
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar
- 1¼ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- One 5-ounce bag baby greens
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pecan halves, lightly chopped
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons whole grain Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon freshly snipped chives
- preheat the oven to 350°F.
- in a mixing bowl, toss the butternut squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the agave nectar, and 1 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.
- spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment + bake until tender and golden, 20 to 25 minutes, tossing after 10 minutes. set aside to cool.
- assemble the baby greens, cranberries, pecans + goat cheese in a salad bowl.
- top with the butternut squash.
- in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, vinegar, mustard, chives, ¼ teaspoon salt + extra pepper into a vinaigrette and toss with the salad.
- serve immediately + enjoy!
- eat three colors of veggies + fruit every day. the nutrients for your eye health come from the pigment in vegetables and fruit!
- when it comes to eye health, the darker the better! go for a red pepper over a yellow one, kale over romaine + blueberries over honeydew!
- did you know that farm fresh eggs from well-fed hens produce darker yolks than the pale yolks you’ll find in ‘factory’ eggs from grocery stores? we talked about darker being better so go for the gold! {the puns are out of control and i just love it.}
- omega 3 fatty acids are important to healthy development of your brain, nerves and eyes. they are found in salmon, sardines, mackerel, flaxseeds, walnuts, squash + tofu.
- deep-colored antioxidants charge directly to your retina. antioxident – now there’s a buzzword that puts kale to shame! learn more about antioxidents here + eat more blueberries, grapes, pomegranates + cranberries like the smoothie here.
join along as kelly posts, pins + peruses for inspiration in her ambitious kitchen!
Loved this recipe and all the information about preventative eye care! Can’t wait to make it…I definitely have my eye on thus recipe! !!!
This is the perfect way to break down this inmifratoon.