Chicken & Orange Summer Salad

Are you looking for a light and refreshing salad to enjoy during the hot summer months? Look no further than this delicious chicken and orange summer salad. This colorful and flavorful dish is perfect for a quick and easy lunch or dinner, and can be customized to your liking by adding your favorite toppings and dressings.

Here's what you'll need:

• 100g of chicken

• 1 orange

• 1/4 of a red onion

• A handful of rocket

• Goats cheese

• Salt and pepper

• A sprinkle of nuts or seeds such as pepitas or sliced almonds (optional)

Instructions:

1. Begin by cooking the chicken. You can either grill it, pan fry it, or bake it in the oven. Season it with salt and pepper to taste, and set it aside to cool. I used a pre-cooked chicken that I bought from my local health food store, that was baked with lemon & herbs, this made the preparation much faster!

2. While the chicken is cooking, peel the orange and slice it into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the red onion as well.

3. In a large bowl, combine the rocket, orange slices, and red onion. Toss everything together until it's evenly distributed.

4. Add the cooled chicken to the bowl, and crumble the goats cheese on top.

5. Sprinkle nuts or seeds on top, if using.

6. Finally, season the salad with a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss everything together until it's well combined.

Health Benefits of this Salad

This recipe is rich in easily digestible protein. Protein is essential for our muscles, bone, immune system, brain function, mood, and so many other things within our body (Paxton, 2015). Getting enough protein is very important for overall health and wellbeing. 

This recipe is also rich in vitamin C. One of the most well-known benefits of vitamin C is its ability to support the immune system. Studies have shown that vitamin C can help to reduce the severity and duration of colds and flu, and may also help to prevent infections in the first place (Hemilä, 2017). Additionally, vitamin C has been shown to play a role in wound healing and may help to improve skin health by promoting collagen synthesis (Pullar et al., 2017). 

This recipe contains 71% of the Recommended Dietary Intake of Selenium. Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential for human health. It plays an important role in a variety of physiological processes, including thyroid hormone metabolism, DNA synthesis, and immune function.

One of the most well-known benefits of selenium is its role in antioxidant defense. Selenium acts as a cofactor for several enzymes involved in antioxidant defence, including glutathione peroxidase, which helps to protect cells from oxidative damage (Rayman, 2012). Studies have also suggested that selenium may have anti-inflammatory properties, which could help to protect against chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer (Cai et al., 2016).

Nutritional Benefits of this Salad

If this salad is paired with half a handful of pumpkin seeds it is rich in:

• Protein (46g = 87% of the RDI)

• Vitamin C (94mg = 50% of the SDTM)

• Potassium (985mg = 21% of the SDTM)

• Calcium (238mg = 24% of the RDI)

• Selenium (42ug = 71% of the RDI)

• Phosphorus (576mg = 57% of the RDI)

• All the B Vitamins

• Vitamin A (326ug = 46% of the RDI)

• Iron (3.1mg = 17% of the RDI)

• Tryptophan (535mg)

• Folate (82ug (35% of the SDTM)

• Vitamin E (9.8mg = 69% of the SDTM)

• Zinc (2.9mg = 35% of the RDI)

And there you have it – a delicious chicken and orange summer salad that's perfect for a light lunch or dinner. The sweetness of the orange pairs perfectly with the tanginess of the goats cheese, while the red onion adds a nice crunch. This salad is also very customizable – feel free to add in other toppings like avocado, cherry tomatoes, or cucumber. Enjoy!

References

Cai, X., Wang, C., Yu, W., Fan, W., Wang, S., Shen, N., Wu, P., Li, X., & Wang, F. (2016). Selenium exposure and cancer risk: an updated meta-analysis and meta-regression. Scientific Reports, 6, 19213. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26786590/

Hemilä, H. (2017). Vitamin C and infections. Nutrients, 9(4), 339. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28353648/

Paxton, F. (2015). Foundations of Naturopathic Nutrition: A comprehensive guide to essential nutrients and nutritional bioactives. Allen & Unwin: Australia. 

Pullar, J. M., Carr, A. C., & Vissers, M. (2017). The roles of vitamin C in skin health. Nutrients, 9(8), 866. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579659/

Rayman, M. P. (2012). Selenium and human health. The Lancet, 379(9822), 1256-1268. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61452-9