Arugula Spinach Avocado Tomato Salad With Fresh Basil & Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

Say hello to summer salad season. Whether you are looking for a healthy summer salad recipe, making a tasty salad for your next get-together, or just trying to put dinner on the table without having to turn on the oven, we’ve got your back!

This salad is simple, refreshing, and super easy to make. 

Overall, the AntiCancer 360 approach doesn’t utilize just one anticancer diet. We choose one of five different diets depending on each person’s case and situation. 

So today’s recipe will be perfect for those who want to maximize the anticancer potential of their meal while using a plant-based ketogenic diet.

The combination of the plant-based diet with a ketogenic diet can be a powerful way to help your body combat and prevent cancer. A plant-based diet has numerous plant compounds that act on different pathways in the body to help combat cancer growth, while a ketogenic diet puts cancer cells at an energetic disadvantage by depriving them of sugar, their preferred fuel source [1].

Our fresh and flavorful salad is loaded with spicy arugula, spinach, juicy grape tomatoes, fresh basil, and creamy avocado chunks tossed in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette and topped with crunchy almonds. 

All you will need to do is to add all the ingredients to a large salad bowl and toss them with the tangy balsamic vinaigrette to create a beautiful infusion of flavors. 

You can use both cherry tomatoes and yellow grape tomatoes to make this salad even more appetizing. 

We also used almonds to add a delicious crunch to our salad. But you can use pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or pecans as well.

For this recipe, we used monk fruit maple syrup as our natural, zero-carb sweetener.

We added tofu to our salad to increase the protein content in our dish. But tofu is a very controversial topic. Some studies show that it’s ok to eat and maybe beneficial against cancer. But some studies show that it could possibly stimulate some cancers, especially estrogen driven cancers. 

But overall… our view is that a little soy here and there is alright. One meal with soy every other day should be ok for most people.

Here are some of the great anticancer ingredients that you will find in this delicious and refreshing summer salad: 

Almonds: Especially high in Alpha-tocopherol, a form of vitamin E known to offer powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection. Special compounds found in almonds and other nuts in general have the potential to trap and neutralize highly reactive molecules before they can damage cells’ DNA and start the cancer process while also reducing the formation of free radicals and putting the brakes on cell signals that support and promote cancer development [2].

Arugula: High amounts of erucin and sulforaphane are found in arugula. These two compounds have been shown in studies to help fight breast cancer cell growth and dissemination [3]. Other researchers have found that sulforaphane can inhibit the enzyme histone deacetylase (HDAC) that is involved in the progression of cancer cells [4].

Avocado: Researchers have found potential health benefits of avocados and extracts of avocado against inflammation and cancer cells [5]. Other studies have also identified that phytochemicals extracted from avocado can selectively inhibit the growth of precancerous and cancerous cells and cause the death of cancer cells, while also encouraging the proliferation of immune system cells called lymphocytes. These phytochemicals may also decrease chromosomal damage caused by cyclophosphamide, a chemotherapy drug [6].

Basil: Not only enhances a meal’s taste but is also a potent source of anticancer compounds. Basil presents certain anticancer activity against diverse cancer cells due to the presence of compounds such as rosmarinic acid, chicoric acid and caftaric acid [7].

Spinach: The natural substances found in spinach, can prevent macromolecular oxidative damage and modulate the expression and activity of genes involved in metabolism, proliferation, inflammation, and antioxidant defense. By inducing the secretion of satiety hormones it can also help individuals to not overeat. All these biological activities contribute to the anti-cancer, anti-obesity, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic properties of spinach [8].

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are packed with nutrients and other compounds well studied for their role in cancer protection. Lycopene, a phytonutrient that gives tomatoes their distinctive red color may help prevent prostate, lung, and stomach cancers [9]. Studies have demonstrated the lycopene’s ability to inhibit oxidative damage to DNA and suppress cell growth by downregulating redox-sensitive signaling pathways, including MAPK and NF-κB pathways in human prostate cancer, breast cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines [10].

This is the perfect refreshing and satisfying salad that you can enjoy during the summer and all year round. You can prep all ingredients in advance and just pour the balsamic vinaigrette right before serving. 

You will find that the spicy flavor from the arugula is perfectly balanced by the sweet and juicy grape tomatoes, creamy chunks of avocado, and the yummy balsamic dressing.

If you can get all the ingredients in their organic form, that would be ideal. But, if not… You should get ingredients like spinach, cherry tomatoes, and avocados in their organic form since it’s known for them to be especially high in toxins if bought in the conventional form [11].

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