So, this salad today is actually somewhat inspired by my dad who is having some health issues at the moment. We're not entirely sure what's going on, but he's been told to eat better for the time being until his next round of testing. One thing he was told to do was to 'stay away from white stuff', which clearly isn't something I stuck to here because I have to have cheese in my life. I literally think I might explode if I didn't have at least a bit of cheese every day.

What can I say? I've got to be honest here! I'm one that believes strongly in that you can enjoy everything as part of a healthy diet as long as it's in moderation. (Except of course if it's something you've been warned of by a professional.)

A few days back now, my dad and aunt were chatting at me on Facebook about how my dad is now eating more healthy and that he had tried quinoa. He wasn't a huge fan. So, I gave him some suggestions and got to thinking that some quinoa sounded really good actually. And here we are with this lovely Kale & Apple Quinoa Salad!

This salad is paired with one of my most favorite dressings in the whole wide world, and it's so simple to make with just 3 ingredients (plus salt and pepper.) Now, my mom might just flip her lid over the calories in this salad (it's a work in progress with that one) but, again... I'm not one for counting calories either. Calories don't scare me and they shouldn't scare anyone.

I've made this salad clean and with fresh seasonal ingredients, and at the end of the day, that's what it's really about for me. You could really almost call this a super salad with all the wholesome stuff it's got in it. Baby greens, quinoa, and nuts. Oh, my!

Another thing I love about this salad? It's perfectly fine to make it ahead of time and have it prepped and ready to go for a week of wonderful lunch salads that are anything other than boring.

The only thing I could say about preparing this ahead of time would be to keep the dressing separate until you're just about to eat it. Otherwise the spinach and kale might wilt more than you'd like!

Kale & Apple Quinoa Salad
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 4 • Size: About 1 1/2 Cup • Calories: 468.2 • Fat: 28.8 g • Saturated Fat: 4.5 • Carb: 24.4 g • Fiber: 3.9 g • Protein: 6.3 g • Sugar: 13.7 g • Sodium: 232.2 mg

Ingredients:
White Wine Vinaigrette:
1/3 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Honey
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Salad:
6 C. Baby Spinach & Kale Blend
1 Apples, Sliced or Diced
1/4 C. Dried Cranberries
1/4 C. Reduced Fat Crumbled Feta
1/4 C. Nuts (I used pecans and almonds.)
1/2 C. Quinoa, Cooked & Cooled

Directions:

Combine the 1/3 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar, 1 Tbsp. Honey, and Salt & Pepper to Taste; set aside.

Mix together the 8 C. Baby Spinach & Kale Blend, 2 Apples, 1/2 C. Dried Cranberries, 1/2 C. Reduced Fat Crumbled Feta, 1/2 C. Nuts (I used pecans.) and 1 C. Quinoa until well combined.

Toss with the prepared dressing and divide evenly among plates or bowls.

Enjoy right away!