An easy trick to get more nutrients on your plate is to incorporate a variety of colours. I love mixing up my salads and coordinating the toppings to be bright and colourful – it’s an easy way to know I’m packing in a lot of healthy vitamins and minerals, plus it also looks pretty!

Putting together a delicious salad comes very naturally to me, so it doesn’t always dawn on me that some people need a recipe, even for a salad as simple as this one. But I made it, posted it to my Instagram and got a request for the recipe so here we are! I made this salad as a side for a BBQ and it was a huge hit. The kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and K, the carrots are loaded with antioxidants, which help fight disease, and the purple cabbage boosts the immune system and is an anti-inflammatory. Only 3 ingredients and all those health benefits! Feel free to add croutons or seeds for some crunch, and your favourite dressing that compliments whatever you’re pairing this salad with!

Ingredients (serves 4-6):
– 4-6 cups of kale, chopped in to bite-sized pieces
– 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
– 1 tbsp lemon juice
– 1 English cucumber
– 1 cup shredded carrots
– ½ head of purple cabbage

Directions:
1. Fill a large salad bowl with the kale and drizzle the olive oil and lemon on top. With clean hands, “massage” the EVOO and lemon into kale, covering it evenly and softening the leaves. You only need to do this for about 1-2 minutes.
2. Chop your cucumber, cabbage and carrots in to bite-sized pieces – this is my biggest tip for making great salads!
3. Add the cucumber, cabbage and carrots in to the salad bowl and mix well with your favourite dressing – or you could even skip the dressing if you prefer. Enjoy!

Follow @cleaneatkates on Instagram for more healthy eating inspiration and food pics!