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Fall has FINALLY arrived in Texas and this Fall PEARed Salad is SO SIMPLE and a chance for you to learn all about Resistant Starches! It requires ONE sheet pan and I’ve got a couple tips on how you can take out the chopping portion as well! Per usual the recipe is at the bottom for those who do not want all the secret tips to making this a quick and easy weekly lunch item!
What Are Resistant Starches?
As you can see there is a boat load of delicious root vegetables (sweet potatoes & parsnips) that are toasted and sprinkled into this salad. Other common root vegetables include carrots, beets, squash, etc. These root veggies also known as “starchy” vegetables have been researched heavily due to recent discoveries of how you can increase the amount of resistant starches in them.
Resistant starches increase especially in potatoes when you let them cool first, this goes for your pastas, and rice as well. That’s why meal prepping isn’t such a bad idea after all since you will let the food sit in the fridge before eating it Monday for lunch allowing for more resistant starches to form.
Why Do We Want Resistant Starches?
Let’s STARtCH with the basics…(I’m hilarious)! Alright so starches are the main energy source for the body, these are also known as carbohydrates. Resistant starches do exactly that, RESIST being broken down via our digestive enzymes. This means the food travels all the way through your stomach, small intestine, and arrives in your colon (aka large intestine) unchanged. When food is able to arrive in your colon unchanged it allows the bacteria to ferment the starch into highly beneficial compounds.
Main Proven Benefits of Resistant Starches:
- Improved Gut Health
- Improvement in Insulin Sensitivity (blood sugar lowering effects)
- due to slowing absorption of glucose into the bloodstream
- Improved Calcium Absorption (adolescents & post-menopausal women)
- Leading to improved bone mineral density
Other Resistant Starch Foods:
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- Raw Oats (these have a higher amount vs. cooked)
- Try THESE Chocolate Bliss Balls and Join our Facebook Community!
- Cooked and Cooled Rice
- Green Bananas (great for freezing for smoothies)
- Cooked and Cooled Potatoes
- Try making these “Chili Cheese Sweet Potato Fries”
- Cooked and Cooled Pasta
- Legumes
- Corn
- Raw Oats (these have a higher amount vs. cooked)
Milla’s Recipe Tips & Tricks:
If you do not have the time to buy fresh veggies and then cut them into tiny pieces you have two options:
- Cut into larger cubes and roast
- Buy precut root vegetables cubes from the frozen section and roast
Also when it comes to the pear just place it on the same sheet pan you are making your root veggies on, just make sure to save some room on the side or middle of the pan! Happy roasting you guys and hope you enjoy it!
Fall Veggie PEARed Salad
A warmingly delicious salad PEARed with the best ingredients for your gut!
Main Ingredients
- 1 Whole Sweet Potato
- 1 Large Parsnip ((or 2 small))
- 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil
- 2 Small Pears ((sliced into thin rounds and then stacked))
- 2 Tbsp Local Honey ((for the pears))
- 1 Handful Lettuce ((any greens can work, I personally love butter lettuce))
- Salt & Pepper ((to own taste preferences))
Salad Toppings
- 1/4 Cup Walnuts (Chopped)
- 2 Tbsp Dried Cranberries ((for topping))
- 2 Tbsp Crumbled Feta Cheese
- 2 Tbsp Local honey ((for drizzling))
- Preheat oven to 440F. Cut all of the root veggies into small cubes and place on baking sheet with parchment paper (optional but makes for easier clean up). Drizzle with the avocado oil, and season with salt & pepper.
- Place in Oven for 15 minutes.
- While that is in the oven slice the pears into thin rounds and stack the pears. Pour 1 Tbsp of honey on the top of each pear.
- Once the timer rings stir the root veggies to make sure they do not stick to the pan! Then place the stacked pears onto the baking sheet for an additional five minutes with the root veggies.
- While everything is in the oven get your toppings ready and place the lettuce in your bowl.
- Remove everything from the oven and PEAR together your wonderful Fall Salad with all of the toppings!
- ENJOY!
References:
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- Michael J Keenan, June Zhou, Maren Hegsted, Christine Pelkman, Holiday A Durham, Diana B Coulon, Roy J Martin; Role of Resistant Starch in Improving Gut Health, Adiposity, and Insulin Resistance, Advances in Nutrition, Volume 6, Issue 2, 1 March 2015, Pages 198–205, https://doi.org/10.3945/an.114.007419
- Dahl, Wendy J. et al. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Health Implications of Dietary Fiber, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics , Volume 115 , Issue 11 , 1861 – 1870, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2015.09.003
