Kumquat n Kale Power Salad

Thank you OXO for providing complimentary green savers and Melissa Produce for complimentary kumquats, to facilitate this post and keep it free for my readers.

Kumquat and Kale Power Salad is a protein packed power salad that not only tastes amazing, but gives you the energy and fuel needed to power through the day.

Power Salads are quickly becoming on of my favorite go to meals. And this one is a killer option because it tastes like an indulgence, but is chock full of good for you ingredients. Can’t beat that!

I often find myself with good intentions for eating healthy, but poor follow through.

I go to the store and buy a ton of fresh produce. I plan a bunch of healthy recipes. Then I come home tired and order pizza, or make mac and cheese. Basically, my good intentions go out the window, and that fresh produce sits in my fridge and goes bad.

I am not alone. Sometimes produce goes bad because good intentions dissipate, sometimes people over buy, sometimes they get food they don’t know how to use, or don’t like. It doesn’t really matter why, statistics show that more than 25% of the fresh fruits and vegetables purchased by U.S. consumers are wasted annually before being consumed. That equates to more than 226 pounds per the average U.S. family!

For many this waste occurs because when we buy produce, we bring it home, put it in plastic bags or the containers it came in, and store it that way. Storing produce in this manner causes it to go bad faster.

The three main reasons produce rots and spoils are the ethylene gas fruits and veggies give off, which speeds up the ripening process. The improper airflow when produce rests against the walls of a container or bag, which can allow moisture to build up, making food go bad. Or uncontrolled humidity. Fruits and veggies need proper humidity to keep them crisp and not wilted. And unfortunately different fruits and vegetables require different humidity levels.

These are the three main factors, but food spoilage can be caused by any of them, or a combination of them. I have definitely seen this happen at my house. But lucky for me, there is a solution, the OXO GreenSaver.

The OXO GreenSaver can help solve these three produce storage challenges by absorbing ethylene gas, promoting airflow, and controlling humidity. Plus, these containers fit nicely in the fridge, and come in different sizes, making them a great solution for storing awesome produce, like the kumquats and kale sprouts I got from Melissa’s Produce.

Basically these containers help your produce stay good longer. Which for me is a huge plus. And means I can buy stuff for this awesome salad, and have it stay good for weeks.

I can have my salad and eat it too. So, let’s get back to this amazing salad. Tangy and sweet kumkuats, creamy hard boiled eggs, crunchy (protein packed) edamame, zesty grilled chicken, and sweet crisp mini peppers make this salad one you will want to eat again and again.

But when you top it with this kumquat salad dressing, you take a good salad, and make it a great salad that will quickly become part of your regular rotation.

One of the other things is that most of the ingredients in this salad can be kept on hand. You may have seen in my fridge picture above that I have eggs in my fridge, and one of the containers has “HB” written on the outside. That stands for “hard boiled”. Honestly, I used to hate having hard boiled eggs in the fridge, and the reason why is I hate peeling them. Hate it!!! But then I saw a YouTube video where someone just used a knife to cut the egg, and then used a spoon to scoop out the inside. Totally amazing and means I can now have hard boiled eggs because peeling is as easy peasy as I require! Thanks internet.

Anyway, I love this salad, and often make it, my husband eats it after a long run, or a gym session, and even my kids will eat it (the older ones) because it is yummy. But on top of that, it is filling! I love when I can eat a salad and feel satisfied. So here’s the recipe so you can enjoy it too: