Crunchy Broccoli Carrot Salad with Jicama

This Crunchy Broccoli Carrot Salad is not your typical broccoli salad. Crisp broccoli is paired with carrots and chunks of jicama and crunchy seeds. But instead of mayonnaise, it’s topped with the tanginess of a zingy avocado dressing.

Are you tired of the same ole’ salad?  Today’s recipe, a Broccoli Carrot Salad Recipe with Jicama, is sure to stir things up a bit at your table by adding variety to your meal and it will help you add veggies to your diet.

I already thought that I was eating a lot of veggies, but when I really sat down and took stock of the servings of vegetables that we were eating every day, I realized that they were sorely lacking.

The veggies are what we should focus on more since they have a lower glycemic index (don’t impact your blood sugar heavily). If it were up to my tastebuds, I would eat fruit all day long and call it good, but my candida wouldn’t be doing very well.

So instead I have been focusing more on the veggies and how to get more into our diets.

Not Enough Veggies

I realized that really I don’t typically eat any veggies for breakfast.  I typically take my probiotic, then waiting and having some fresh squeezed lemonade or limeade (with a dash of stevia only) to get some fresh juice into my system, and then I brew some of my Coffee Substitute with added protein (from collagen) and fat from coconut oil, and then I eat a little of whatever is around.

Great in some ways, but no produce.

Then sometimes I’m so busy with things that lunchtime has kind of been a blur.  In fact, so much has been a blur in the past months.  I’ve been in a funk about not being creative in the kitchen, not really wanting to cook, so I just grab something fast like some nuts or seed butter and a bite or two of a health bar.

Two things that have really set me back are first, I think I might be allergic to carrots.  I would typically grab a few carrots and dip them in this yummy Dairy-Free Ranch Dip, but alas that isn’t happening right now.  More on that later.

And secondly, I used to have loads of my Crispy Green Bean Chips in the house, but since there was a recall of them and many other veggies at Costco, I haven’t been able to make them.  So a great veggie snack went right out the window. I’m working on a different source for the green beans while Costco does as well. (Hurry up, Costco!)

Typically it’s recommended to get at least five servings of veggies.  Some say 9-13 servings, and there are some who say more than that, especially for those with health concerns.

Despite my typical healthy ways, I sure wasn’t eating that many on most days.

Getting More Veggies In Your Diet With This Salad

Over the past month or so, however, things have been getting better in the “get more veggies into your diet” program in our household.

One thing that has really helped is we ended up buying aeroponic gardens.  I researched these for years and finally, we decided that they were a great option for us.  You can see some of my small successes on Instagram including calendula flowers, zucchini (including a fun 8 Ball variety), stevia, and cucumbers.

I’ll tell you all more about the Aeroponic Garden later, but it really has helped up our veggie intake.  I love going out and grabbing a few (or more) leaves of lettuce and popping them into my mouth — and knowing that I have already had part of or a whole serving of veggies, without even thinking about it!

I go out in the morning and check on the gardens briefly and grab some leaves to nibble on, and so my breakfast intake of veggies has totally shot through the roof! (Not hard to do when you are starting with nothing.)

And in the winter, we’re going to have the Gardens inside so we can produce freshly grown all winter long.

Well, as much as I love having salad, sometimes I get tired of leafy greens.

This Broccoli Salad is perfect for those times. It’s crunchy, full of color, and tastes fabulous smothered with this Zingy Avocado Dressing. It would also be great with my Five-Ingredient Dressing, Moroccan Vinaigrette, the Vegan Ranch Dressing, or this Herbed Salad Dressing.

If you’re avoiding carrots simply omit them or add more jicama or peas.

About Jicama

For those of you not familiar with jicama, it’s a root veggie. However it’s not starchy and is much lower in carbohydrates than a potato, so it’s fabulous for those on a candida or otherwise low-carb diet.

Its flavor is similar to a very mild apple, raw potato, or large water chestnut and it adds a great crunch.

It can be eaten either raw or cooked, and in fact, some like to make faux french fries from it.

Broccoli Benefits

Broccoli is full of vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid, calcium, and fiber

It is also very low in sugar, even naturally occurring sugars. One cup of chopped broccoli contains only about 1.6 grams of sugar.

In the spirit of more veggies in my diet, and in yours, I give you a delicious broccoli salad to boost your intake easily!

Note that this recipe was adapted from one on GI365.

Special Diet Notes

• AIP: Replace the peas with asparagus. and use red grapes, organic tiger nuts, or organic plantain chips instead of pumpkin seeds.
• THM: This recipe is a crossover for those on the Trim Healthy Mama plan.

What is your favorite veggie?