Lemon Herb Quinoa Salad With Spinach, Walnuts, and Strawberries

If you crave something refreshing and satisfying, then this Lemon Herb Quinoa Salad is exactly what you are looking for. 

In general, the AntiCancer 360  approach doesn’t rely on just one anticancer diet. We choose one of five different anticancer diets depending on the case and situation. 

Today, we’ll show you this yummy and nutritious whole-food recipe that is quick, easy, and full of ingredients that have high anticancer potential. 

This recipe is packed with vitamins and nutrients. And it will provide you with plenty of protein, good fats, and fiber to keep you full and feeling good for a long time.

The combination of fresh ingredients like baby spinach, strawberries, cucumbers, and tomatoes combines perfectly with the energizing lemony vinaigrette.

The fresh parsley gives a nice refreshing touch to the whole dish that makes you crave it even more. Anyone can master this recipe. It’s easy, affordable, and you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to make it.

This dish can be served warm or cold. You can prep the quinoa in advance and mix it with the other ingredients when ready to eat. 

You can substitute the whole tomato with cherry tomatoes and if you would like a little kick. And to increase even more its anticancer potential, you can add freshly chopped basil and crushed garlic. To maximize the garlic anticancer effect, just crush the garlic and let it sit for 10 minutes before eating. 

In this recipe, we chose to add honey in the dressing due to recent studies highlighting its anti-cancer potential. But natural no-calorie sweeteners like stevia and monkfruit sweetener are good also.

This meal travels well and you can enjoy it anywhere. You can pre-make the dressing in advance and pour it over the salad when you’re ready to enjoy.

Here are some of the great anticancer ingredients that you will find in our tasty and good for you Lemon Herb Quinoa Salad.

• Spinach: The natural substances found in spinach, can prevent macromolecular oxidative damage, modulate the expression and activity of genes involved in metabolism, proliferation, inflammation, and antioxidant defense. It can also reduce food intake by inducing the secretion of satiety hormones. All these biological activities contribute to the anti-cancer, anti-obesity, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic properties of spinach [1].

• Quinoa:. Both quercetin and kaempferol compounds are also found in quinoa in high amounts [2]. These important molecules have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-cancer, and anti-depressant effects [3]. Quinoa is also gluten-free, tasty, easy to prepare, and goes well with many foods.

• Walnuts: Recent studies shows great potential for walnuts to contribute to a cancer-preventive diet through various compounds likely working together. Ellagitannins, melatonin and gamma-tocopherol may each work through different routes to reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, and gene expression that can lead to cancer [4]. Researchers have also identified other biochemicals found in walnuts, such as omega 3 fatty acids, tocopherols, β-sitosterol, and pedunculagin, that have cancer-prevention properties [5]. In a study comparing different nuts and their anticancer effect, walnuts presented the highest total antioxidant activity. The proliferation of HepG2 and Caco-2 cancer cells was significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent pattern after exposure to the extracts of nuts, with walnuts and pecans exhibiting the highest antiproliferative activity [6].

• Strawberries: Strawberries are especially rich in vitamin C, anthocyanins, and phenolic acids such as ellagic acid. Compounds like ellagic acid can provide an antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic effect. Anthocyanins have been shown to inhibit the growth and spread of cancer cells, as well as activating signaling that leads to the self-destruction of abnormal cells. Another promising study also identified the powerful anti-proliferative activity that strawberries have on human liver cancer cells [5],[7]. 

Enjoy this healthy, delicious, and pick-me-up salad that comes with different textures and yummy flavors. It can be a powerful breakfast to give yourself a boost for a hard-working day. Or you can enjoy it for an energizing lunch. 

If you can get all the ingredients organic, that’s ideal. But, if not… You should get ingredients like spinach, tomatoes, and strawberries in organic form since it’s known to be especially high in toxins if bought in the conventional form [8].

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