This simple, versatile cruciferous vegetable slaw is more than just a salad—it’s a brain-nourishing, anti-inflammatory bowl of resilience. Packed with fiber, phytonutrients, healthy fats, and detox-supporting compounds, it makes a perfect side dish or the foundation for a complete meal.
Leafy greens give you the most nutrients per calorie. Rich sources of fiber, vitamins C and A , B3, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and vital phytochemicals (natural plant compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties), these plant foods boost your mood, brain health and immune system. Make greens part of your meals. Choose the ones you most enjoy. Discover new leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts). Find the ways that work best for you.
Green plants are rich in chlorophyll, the green color of plants that helps to clean and build blood. It inhibits bacterial growth, yeasts and fungi in the digestive tract, purifying the body of toxins. It is anti-inflammatory and helps to renew cells and support healthy gut bacteria. It is an energizing food important to people with fatigue-related conditions, depression and IBS (inflammatory bowel syndrome. — Leslie Korn, Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health
Salads: Add rainbow vegetables and use leafy varieties to keep salads tempting – arugula, spinach, bok choy, kale and different lettuces
Coleslaws– Use different cabbages, add colored veggies, herbs, nuts and seeds
Cruciferous Salads – Go beyond cabbage, use any cruciferous, add any thinly sliced, or grated vegetable – carrot and beets to from fennel and jicama and more. Skip the mayo and use a tangy vinegar-based dressing
Breakfast Smoothies – always add protein, and health fat (nut butter, flaxseed, chia seed, kefir or milk of choice)
Egg Casseroles, breakfast tacos and omelets
Roasted vegetables – Use cruciferous vegetables with sweet potato and other root vegetables.
Chicken and Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner
Add to grain bowls and pasta dishes – leafy greens, herbs, chopped or grated broccoli/cauliflower
Add leafy greens – such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard – to soups, chilies, stews the last few minutes of cooking.
Or serve with chopped herbs (such as cilantro, parsley) on top
Use in lunch wraps with hummus, pesto, leafy greens and leftovers
Use the Swiss chard or collard greens as the lunch wrap. Spread hummus, Greek yogurt or pesto and add leftovers. Or shredded veggies like carrot or beet and chopped nuts or seeds.
[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Elson M. Haas MD” source_title=”Staying Healthy with Nutrition” full_quote=”Chard is about one-third protein and a good fiber food. Collards are among the richer sources of Vitamin A, folic acid and vitamin C are strong. Minerals calcium, potassium, iron and zine are plentiful as are multiple phytochemicals.” short_quote=”Chard is about one-third protein and a good fiber food”]
Updated from original post published October 2021
Did you know that the foods you eat can significantly impact your mood, energy levels, and mental wellness? Whether you’re navigating brain fog, fatigue, mood shifts — or the challenges of perimenopause and menopause — food can make a difference. By nourishing your brain with essential nutrients, you can improve both your mental and physical well-being. Discover the power of leafy greens and how they can
Leafy greens are among the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat. They provide essential vitamins and minerals for overall health, AND they are particularly beneficial for mental wellness and brain health. Rich in B vitamins, antioxidants, and key nutrients, leafy greens support cognitive function, memory, and mood. They also reduce inflammation and oxidative stress that contribute to brain fog, fatigue, and even anxiety.
Regularly eating leafy greens can help your body
all are critical factors for maintaining mental clarity, emotional stability, and overall wellness.
Did you know there are at least 18 different varieties of lettuce?
In addition to lettuce, here are some of the most powerful leafy greens you can add to your diet to boost brain health, mood, and mental clarity:
Kale: The Ultimate Cognitive Superfood
Kale is often called a “superfood” for its powerful array of nutrients. It contains
Studies have shown that including kale in your diet (daily lifestyle) regularly can help prevent cognitive decline. This makes it an essential green for mental wellness.
Swiss Chard: A Memory-Enhancing Powerhouse
Swiss chard is another top green for brain health, packed with vitamin K, which is essential for memory. It’s also loaded with
It’s a great choice for those experiencing mental fog or fatigue.
Spinach: A Nutrient-Rich Green for Clarity
Spinach is loaded with folate, a vital B vitamin that plays a crucial role in cognitive function and mood regulation. It also contains antioxidants that protect the brain from oxidative damage, helping to reduce brain fog and support mental clarity. Spinach is also rich in iron, an essential nutrient for brain health that helps prevent cognitive complications.
Cruciferous Vegetables: More Than Just Leafy Greens
Did you know that cruciferous vegetables, which belong to the leafy greens category, are also packed with brain-boosting nutrients? Named for their flower shape, these include broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and kale. These vegetables contain potent antioxidant phytochemicals that protect neurons from oxidative damage, making them excellent choices for supporting brain health. Additionally, they are rich in compounds like DIM (diindolylmethane), which help balance hormones—especially important during perimenopause and menopause.
Broccoli: A Brain-Boosting Powerhouse
Broccoli is rich in B vitamins, which are linked with better mental functioning and the prevention of dementia. The antioxidants in broccoli protect the brain from damage, while its high vitamin C content supports overall brain health and mood.
Cauliflower: A Mood-Elevating Superfood
Cauliflower may be a simple vegetable, but it’s packed with vitamin C, which plays a crucial role in protecting the brain and elevating your mood. The vitamin C in cauliflower helps maintain cognitive function and supports the nervous system.
Brussels Sprouts: Nutrient-Packed for Mental Wellness
Brussels sprouts are high in vitamin K, which is vital for memory. They also contain powerful antioxidants that protect your brain from damage. Incorporating Brussels sprouts into your meals helps reduce inflammation, a key factor in mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
Women experiencing perimenopause and menopause face unique challenges, such as hormonal shifts, hot flashes, mood swings, and brain fog. Nutrient dense foods, especially leafy greens, can play a significant role in alleviating these symptoms by supporting hormone balance, reducing inflammation, and promoting mental clarity.
Leafy greens like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard are rich in magnesium and vitamin K, both of which have been shown to reduce the severity of symptoms related to hormonal fluctuations. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are especially beneficial due to compounds like DIM (diindolylmethane), which support healthy estrogen metabolism and help balance hormones. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory properties of these greens can help address the brain fog and irritability many women experience during this time.
Leafy greens are incredibly versatile and easy to incorporate into your daily meals. Here are some simple and delicious ways to enjoy them:
Leafy greens are one of the most powerful foods you can eat to support your brain health and mental wellness. Whether you’re facing the challenges of perimenopause, menopause, or simply looking to improve your cognitive function and mood, incorporating more nutrient-dense leafy greens into your diet can make a world of difference.
Start small—add a handful of spinach to your morning smoothie or toss some kale into your next stir-fry—and watch your energy, focus, and mood improve over time.
Feeling inspired? How will you eat your greens today?
Did you know that eating leafy greens almost every day may be one of the most powerful steps you can take for your mental and physical health? They give you optimal amounts of immune-protective micronutrients
Cruciferous Vegetables are in the same high-nutrient leafy greens category. Named for their flowers with four equally spaced petals in the shape of a cross, cruciferous vegetables include:
Our bodies are programmed to fight off infection and cancer. Green and cruciferous vegetables help our immune system to protect us from disease. Over 120 of phytochemicals (natural plant chemicals) have been identified that have strong immune-boosting effects:
What to Do?
Call to Action: Try a leafy green each week you have not eaten before. Which one will do you choose this week?
Updated from original post published November 2016
Some of the most nutrient-dense (nutrients per calorie) foods on the planet are:
Eating lots of these vegetables give us optimal amounts of immune-protective micronutrients that can fend of disease.
This salad combines 4 of those superfoods: broccoli, onions, nuts, and berries. It’s a delicious, nutritious way to eat more broccoli and change up dinner salad from leafy greens. Leftovers make a great lunch topped with some chicken and/or leftover grains.
Variations
Cauliflower was a boring vegetable I pretty much ignored until I discovered its exceptional health boosting powers.
[su_expanding_quote_book source_author=”Michael Greger MD” source_title=”How to Not Die” full_quote=”Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale can potentially prevent DNA damage, activate defenses against pathogens and pollutants, help prevent lymphoma, boost liver detox enzymes and target breast cancer cells. The component responsible for these benefits is thought to be sulforaphane, which is formed almost exclusively in cruciferous vegetables.” short_quote=”Cruciferous vegetables can potentially prevent DNA damage, activate defenses against pathogens and pollutants, and help prevent cancer”]And Alfredo sauce was something I avoided as heavy, fatty and too white. I like color in my food after all. But my family loves Alfredo sauce.
This recipe happily marries the benefits of cauliflower with my family’s eating pleasure. Simple and quick to make, it can also be a vegan Alfredo sauce.
Recipe Variations
Serving Variations
What? Did you know cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables, have powerful properties protect against brain disease and strengthen your immune system? It’s a vegetable I used to avoid – blech.
Cabbage was cultivated going back 6,000 years. It was grown chiefly for medicinal purposes in ancient times. Today science is proving its brain-protecting, cancer-fighting, immune-boosting properties.
[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Joel Fuhrman MD” source_title=”Super Immunity” full_quote=”Cruciferous vegetables are twice as powerful as other plant foods. They contain an array of compounds with powerful immune-boosting effects which can serve to attack microbes such as viruses; heighten resistance to viral infection, enhance defenses against bacterial infections, and have natural antimicrobial effects that can boost natural cellular defenses. A 20% increase in cruciferous vegetables intake corresponds to a 40% decrease in cancer rates. ” short_quote=”Cruciferous vegetables contain compounds with proven and powerful immune-boosting effects “]Cruciferous vegetables also contain sulphorophane, a powerful phytochemical that effectively reduce the occurrence and severity of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke while also enhancing stem cell growth.
Well! That certainly motivated me find a way to not just to eat cabbage but to enjoy it.
That’s when I discovered coleslaw. When I realized coleslaw doesn’t have to be slathered in mayonnaise, I discovered a whole new salad world.
Coleslaw from Dutch term koolsla (kool is the Dutch word for cabbage and sla part is Dutch abbreviation of salade). Dutch settlers brought their recipe for chilled cabbage salad to New York in the late 17th century.
Boring white cabbage is fun when tossed with other shredded cruciferous
Double the fun, flavor and nutrient density by adding other plant foods:
Suddenly coleslaws aren’t just immune-boosting, brain protective arsenals, but also bright, beautiful, delicious, and gratifying.
Do you have a favorite coleslaw recipe?
Here are some of mine
Purple cabbage has extra health benefits. The purple color comes from anthocyanins – part of the flavonoid family of phytochemicals. Studies show they may improve blood flow, cognitive function, and help maintain thinking and memory by reducing inflammation and by inhibiting DNA damage in the brain.
This of this as a base recipe and change it up
The red, yellow, orange bell peppers change up the flavor and increase the nutrient density with carotenoids.
Here’s a fantastic way to enjoy cauliflower – a rather-tasteless-boring-white vegetable. Ha! Yeah those were my sentiments; I confess I avoided cauliflower until recently. Discovering how powerful it is to our immune system motivated me to find ways to eat it. And as always in my kitchen – nutritious must also be delicious!
So thank you SkinnyTaste for introducing me to Cauliflower “Fried Rice”! I’ve made multiple iterations; consider this a baseline rather than a precise recipe and go creative with what’s seasonal or in your kitchen.
Cauliflower is a cruciferous along with broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage.
“ Cruciferous vegetables are among the most powerful weapons in our dietary arsenal against cancer. That alone would elevate it to the status of a SuperFood. Cruciferous vegetables boost the immune system, lowers the incidence of cataracts, supports cardiovascular health, builds bones and fights birth defects. They are some of the most nutrient-dense foods known offering an incredible high level of nutrition for a very low caloric cost. Steven Pratt MD and Kathy Matthews” SuperFoods: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life”
Variations:
Cabbage used to make only a once-in-a-long-while appearance in my meals, but learning of the nutritional power of this mighty cruciferous and discovering the kitchen mandolin which slices it in a jiffy, cabbage is now a regular part of my salad repertoire.
“Cruciferous vegetables (cabbage is a cruciferous) are twice as powerful as other plant foods. In population studies, a 20 percent increase in plant food intake generally corresponds to a 20 percent decrease in cancer rates, but a 20 percent increase in cruciferous vegetable intake corresponds to a 40 percent decrease in cancer rates. One or more servings of cabbage per week reduces the occurrence of pancreatic cancer by 38 percent.” Super Immunity by Joel Fuhrman M.D.
Visually delightful with its vibrant hues, this salad is super-charged with healthy benefits.
Cabbage is one of the most nutrient-dense foods that can boost our immune system and protect us from disease.
Although green cabbage is most common, red cabbage has added nutritional benefits. The rich red color of red cabbage providing unique antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Beets also have exceptional nutritional powers.
[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”full” source_site=”World’s Healthiest Foods: Beets” source_url=”www.websitename.com” full_quote=”Beets contain powerful nutrient compounds that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain cancers, especially colon cancer.” short_quote=”Beets help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain cancers”]Variations:
This simple, versatile cruciferous vegetable slaw is more than just a salad—it’s a brain-nourishing, anti-inflammatory bowl of resilience. Packed with fiber, phytonutrients, healthy fats, and detox-supporting compounds, it makes a perfect side dish or the foundation for a complete meal.
Some of the most nutrient-dense (nutrients per calorie) foods on the planet are:
Eating lots of these vegetables give us optimal amounts of immune-protective micronutrients that can fend of disease.
This salad combines 4 of those superfoods: broccoli, onions, nuts, and berries. It’s a delicious, nutritious way to eat more broccoli and change up dinner salad from leafy greens. Leftovers make a great lunch topped with some chicken and/or leftover grains.
Variations
Cauliflower was a boring vegetable I pretty much ignored until I discovered its exceptional health boosting powers.
[su_expanding_quote_book source_author=”Michael Greger MD” source_title=”How to Not Die” full_quote=”Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale can potentially prevent DNA damage, activate defenses against pathogens and pollutants, help prevent lymphoma, boost liver detox enzymes and target breast cancer cells. The component responsible for these benefits is thought to be sulforaphane, which is formed almost exclusively in cruciferous vegetables.” short_quote=”Cruciferous vegetables can potentially prevent DNA damage, activate defenses against pathogens and pollutants, and help prevent cancer”]And Alfredo sauce was something I avoided as heavy, fatty and too white. I like color in my food after all. But my family loves Alfredo sauce.
This recipe happily marries the benefits of cauliflower with my family’s eating pleasure. Simple and quick to make, it can also be a vegan Alfredo sauce.
Recipe Variations
Serving Variations
Here’s a fantastic way to enjoy cauliflower – a rather-tasteless-boring-white vegetable. Ha! Yeah those were my sentiments; I confess I avoided cauliflower until recently. Discovering how powerful it is to our immune system motivated me to find ways to eat it. And as always in my kitchen – nutritious must also be delicious!
So thank you SkinnyTaste for introducing me to Cauliflower “Fried Rice”! I’ve made multiple iterations; consider this a baseline rather than a precise recipe and go creative with what’s seasonal or in your kitchen.
Cauliflower is a cruciferous along with broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage.
“ Cruciferous vegetables are among the most powerful weapons in our dietary arsenal against cancer. That alone would elevate it to the status of a SuperFood. Cruciferous vegetables boost the immune system, lowers the incidence of cataracts, supports cardiovascular health, builds bones and fights birth defects. They are some of the most nutrient-dense foods known offering an incredible high level of nutrition for a very low caloric cost. Steven Pratt MD and Kathy Matthews” SuperFoods: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life”
Variations:
Cabbage used to make only a once-in-a-long-while appearance in my meals, but learning of the nutritional power of this mighty cruciferous and discovering the kitchen mandolin which slices it in a jiffy, cabbage is now a regular part of my salad repertoire.
“Cruciferous vegetables (cabbage is a cruciferous) are twice as powerful as other plant foods. In population studies, a 20 percent increase in plant food intake generally corresponds to a 20 percent decrease in cancer rates, but a 20 percent increase in cruciferous vegetable intake corresponds to a 40 percent decrease in cancer rates. One or more servings of cabbage per week reduces the occurrence of pancreatic cancer by 38 percent.” Super Immunity by Joel Fuhrman M.D.
Visually delightful with its vibrant hues, this salad is super-charged with healthy benefits.
Cabbage is one of the most nutrient-dense foods that can boost our immune system and protect us from disease.
Although green cabbage is most common, red cabbage has added nutritional benefits. The rich red color of red cabbage providing unique antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Beets also have exceptional nutritional powers.
[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”full” source_site=”World’s Healthiest Foods: Beets” source_url=”www.websitename.com” full_quote=”Beets contain powerful nutrient compounds that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain cancers, especially colon cancer.” short_quote=”Beets help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain cancers”]Variations:
Something magical happens in roasting vegetables, imbuing them with an aromatic flavors and softened luscious textures. This seems especially true for Brussels sprouts. Many a person who vowed not to like Brussels sprouts has been surprised into enjoying this dish.
This blend of vegetables is not only richly flavorful, it packs a mighty nutritional boost. Brussels sprouts, mushrooms and onions are GBOMBS – a group of the most nutrient-dense, healthy promoting foods on the planet.
[su_expanding_quote_book source_author=”Joel Fuhrman, MD” source_title=”Super Immunity” full_quote=”Certain plant foods contain significant amounts of substances that enhance human immune function and defenses against acute illness and chronic disease…Cruciferous vegetables (Brussels sprouts) are twice as powerful as other plant foods. A 20% increase in cruciferous vegetables intake corresponds to a 40% decrease in cancer rates…Mushrooms contain many unusual disease-fighting compounds that empower the body to react quickly and powerfully when we are exposed to viruses and bacteria.…Compounds in the onions have anti-inflammatory actions that protect against osteoarthritis and ward off infections.” short_quote=”Certain plant foods contain significant amounts of substances that enhance human immune function”]Variations
Serving suggestions
Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower) have more micronutrients than any other food. Micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber) are essential for our survival and longevity.
This salad is great on its own, but I often make a double batch to use as a base for different salads throughout the week.
Variations: