Nourishing, uplifting and energizing food can be wonderful after your period because it’s the perfect time to start fresh! You might crave comforting, warm food during your period, especially if you experience cramps or have a difficult time of the month. The follicular phase is what comes right after your period and most women tend to feel more energetic at this point, as your body’s hormone levels gradually start to rise in preparation for ovulation. Women’s hormone health expert Alisa Vitti recommends going for fresh, vibrant, light foods during this time.
Fresh arugula, sprouts and radish give this salad tons of bright life, phytonutrients and fiber to support your digestion. Sauerkraut is a great way to give your gut even more love, and hemp seeds, almonds and avocado will provide your body with nourishing, healthy fats to support your hormones. Millet is a light, gluten free grain and paired with chickpeas provides protein to keep your blood sugar stable, and if you do eat eggs, we definitely recommend adding them in for extra protein!
ingredients
Salad
Miso Ginger Lime Dressing
directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the millet with 1 cup of water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, until water is absorbed and millet is fluffy.
Related: Toasted Millet Tabbouleh Recipe
Cut the broccoli into florets and slice the carrots in half lengthwise so you have long, thin pieces of carrot. If your carrots are extra large, you can cut the halves in half again lengthwise
Spread the broccoli florets and carrots out on a baking sheet and drizzle extra virgin olive oil over top, along with some sea salt to season. Rub the vegetable gently with your hands so they’re evenly coated. You’ll want the vegetables to lay flat so that they can get crisp on the edges.
Roast the veggies for about 20 minutes and remove the broccoli from the oven. The carrots might need a little bit more time depending on how thick the pieces are. If the carrots need some more time, place them back in the oven for 10 more minutes or until tender inside.
Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients: drain and rinse the chickpeas from the can, slice the watermelon radish into thin pieces, and slice the avocado.
Make the dressing: combine all of the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add sea salt to taste.
Once the broccoli, carrots and millet are cooked, you can compile the salad! Lay down arugula in bowls and top with millet, roasted broccoli, roasted carrots, chickpeas, sliced radish and avocado. Add the sauerkraut, roasted almonds and hemp seeds. If you are including hard boiled eggs, add them to the salad. Lastly, add a large handful of pea sprouts and drizzle the dressing over top.
