Crunchy Apple and Jicama Slaw

Crispy, crunchy, savory and slightly sweet - this salad is my new obsession. It's full of flavor, a cinch to throw together, and packs some serious antioxidant punch. It's also completely raw, allowing the maximum amount of nutrients to stay in the food - and in your body.

Even better, it's balanced with protein from the nuts and seeds, healthy fat from the oil, and good carbs and fiber from the veggies to round out a complete meal.

Jicama (also called a Mexican turnip) is a root vegetable that's sort of a cross between an apple and a potato. It's neutral flavor and crispy texture are perfect for salads of all sorts; it's also great with hummus and other spreads. It contains tons of vitamin C, B vitamins, and a special kind of fiber called inulin. Inulin is a prebiotic, a fiber that creates an optimal environment for probiotics (i.e. all that good bacteria in your belly) to thrive.

Bonus: The acid in the lime juice pulls color from the red cabbage, the apple and the jicama slurp up the color (and flavors), and voila! A pink salad! Great for kids that like fun, colored food… no artificial color necessary :-)

Crunchy Apple and Jicama Slaw
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• ½ head of red cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups shredded)
• 1 medium jicama, peeled and julienned (about 2 cups julienned)
• 1 fuji apple, julienned (skin on, about 1 cup julienned)
• 3 scallions, white and 2 inches of the green, finely chopped
• ¼ cup raw, hulled sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup raw, sliced almonds
• Juice of one lime (about 1½ tbsp)
• 2 tbsp flaxseed or macadamia nut oil
• ½ tsp sea salt 

Recipe:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, chill at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator to allow all of the flavors to combine.

Store in the refrigerator covered, up to 3 days.

Prepare once, eat 2 or 3 times: I make a large batch of this salad to eat for meals and snacks during the following few days.

Tips:

• The scallions can easily be left out if you don't care for onion flavor, or substituted with 3 tbsp finely chopped red onion for a bolder flavor.
• I prefer the taste and texture of a fuji apple here, but any kind can be substituted.
• Green cabbage tastes great in this salad too, just won't turn it pink.