CALORIE COUNT: 287
You could eat an entire two pounds of watercress for a mere 110 calories—better still, a study recently found that eating 3 ounces daily increases levels of the cancer-fighting antioxidants lutein and beta-carotene.5 Okay, so that’s a lot of watercress, but it does mean it’s worth eating as often as possible. I’m more entranced by its wild taste: dense, delicious, and—it seems to me—the precise flavor I imagine when I think of green.
Salad
A generous handful of watercress, tough stems removed
1 orange, peeled and segmented
10 blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
Dressing
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Salt and pepper
Combine the salad ingredients. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.
NB
YOU’LL GET TWICE THE RDA FOR VITAMIN C FROM THIS SALAD—NOT A BAD THING; IF YOUR BODY NEEDS EXTRA YOU’LL RETAIN IT; IF NOT, IT’S EXCRETED.
You may wish to add
• A handful of sliced cremini mushrooms (add 5 calories)
• Slivers of fennel, a sprinkle of fennel seeds, and sprigs of mint (add 3 calories)
• Or swap the watercress for raw spinach or finely chopped kale and add thin slices of red onion and 1 teaspoon pine nuts (add 34 calories)