Rainbow salad with avocado, sweet potato, beetroot, and tomato

This beautiful “rainbow salad” really is a meal-in-one.

Serves 2
2 medium/200g sweet potato, cut and diced into small cubes
1 ripe avocado
1 pack of vacuum-packed organic beetroot
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bag of watercress and spinach salad
Balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp of ground black pepper

Preparation and cooking:
Place the cubes of sweet potato in a pan of boiling water and allow them to cook until tender. While the potato is cooking, empty the watercress and spinach into a large salad bowl. Then remove the beetroot from the pack and cut into cubes. Place in a small bowl with the tomatoes, and dress with the vinegar, salt and pepper. Leave to one side. Cut the avocado in half; lengthways, and gently twist away the stone. Place each half on a plate. When the potato cubes are tender, drain immediately under cold water. Add to the watercress and spinach, and finally add the beetroot and tomatoes. Toss together, and pile equal amounts over the avocado. Serve immediately. 

Health Benefits:

Avocado
Avocado is rich in Vitamin E and the monounsaturated fat oleic acid, both of which help maintain healthy skin cells, and increase the skin’s suppleness. Oleic acid is also a known anti-inflammatory with inflammation being a prime feature in sunburn and skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. Avocados also contain natural polyphenols, antioxidant chemicals that support healthy skin, and reinforce collagen and elastin. Unfortunately when exposed to air, polyphenols also turn the avocado flesh brown! See Extra Tip.  

Sweet potato
Sweet potato contains plenty of vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene) and vitamin C, potent antioxidants that fight skin aging, and neutralise free radicals that lead to wrinkles. Vitamin C plays an essential part in the incorporation of proline into collagen and is also involved in the formation of the protein elastin. A deficiency of vitamin C can cause the skin to become more fragile.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an up-coming skin care ingredient, known for its “free radical-quenching” ability, thereby reducing damage to skin tissue. Tomatoes are also high in vitamin C, which is incorporated into the skin, protecting the skin from ultra violet (UVA) damage.

Watercress and spinach
Both watercress and spinach contain plenty of the skin protective antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin A and E. They are also rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, similar plant chemicals to lycopene. These two dark leafy greens are therefore perfect foods for skin health, and more nutritious than many standard lettuces.

Beetroot
Plant pigments called betacyanins give beetroot it’s rich red colour. This purple pigment has been shown to increase and normalise cell respiration, thereby protecting against development of skin cancer. Beetroot also contains the minerals silica and sulphur. Hair, skin, nails, every fibre of muscle and portion of bone contains silica, and so getting enough in the diet is key to looking good on the outside! Sulphur is needed by the sulfur amino acids L-cysteine and L-methionine to form the protein structures of the skin, hair and nails.

Extra Tip
Squeeze lemon or lime juice over the avocado to avoid browning, and get a dose of vitamin C at the same time.

Nutrient breakdown per serving
303 calories
16g fat
7g protein
36g carbohydrate

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