Meatless Monday – Maple Mustard Broccoli Salad

In this week’s Meatless Monday recipe we have the Maple Mustard Broccoli Salad! This dish is an amazing, flavor sensation! With the unique blend of sweet and tangy you’ll fall in love with a salad.. just be sure to tell your other Plantfire salads that their time will come again. We don’t want any GREEN envy ;)Sweet, tangy, crunchy, and rich.. get ready to taste “mustard” like never before! But first, you know what I have to do.. let’s talk about why eating this delicious meal is also great for your health:

Broccoli – We all know that broccoli is great for our bodies!  We’ve been raised with the little, cartoon broccoli guy flexing and smiling at us.. but do we know why? Here’s a good way to get things kicked off – Broccoli is the MOST nutrient-packed veggie! Broccoli’s note-worthy nutrients include Vitamins A & C, folic acid, calcium & fiber. I recently posted a video about the Dangers of Dairy, Broccoli is a great way to get yourself the calcium you need! It’s fiber count is high and impressive – Broccoli has both soluble and insoluble fiber, which (in Laymen’s terms) means that you are ingesting just the right blend of fiber to keep your system in perfect working order. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore isolated from broccoli an element, called sulforaphane, that increases the activity of a group of enzymes in our bodies that squelch cancer-causing agents!

Dijon Mustard – If you’re like most people the word “mustard” usually conjures up an image of ballpark hotdogs, cookouts, or family BBQs.. but once you add the purest form of this condiment to your healthy diet, you’ll find it takes on a whole new connotation! Dijon Mustard is made from the brown or black mustard seed, and this little seed has some amazing benefits! Dijon Mustard is rich in magnesium which has been recorded as playing a role in reducing high blood pressure and preventing heart attacks. The Natural Food Benefits has stated that this mineral may help prevent cancer, as well as reducing symptoms of asthma and certain types of arthritis. The mustard seed is from the mustard plant, which is chronicled as a cruciferous vegetable. You know what else is cruciferous? Broccoli!