Nitrate rich salad full of healthy fats
Beets are particularly interesting for cyclists because they are a great source of nitrates. Those are compounds that have a beneficial impact on the human body when it comes to sports performance. They improve blood circulation and lower blood pressure which can results more efficient oxygen use while riding.
The recipe also provides a moderate amount of complex carbs through quinoa. Those are an important source of slow-release long-lasting energy. And on top of that it’s rich in healthy fat sources such as avocado, almonds and walnuts. Healthy fats are not only helpful to reduce inflammation but they also serve as slow-release energy.
How does it fit into your diet?
This salad is ideal 2-3 hours before a long endurance training ride. It will keep you full and contains a lot of long-lasting energy balanced with some protein from salmon and a nitrate boost from beets. Just keep in mind that it contains a lot of healthy fats and fibre which slow digestion. It wouldn’t be a good idea to have it before a high-intensity ride or a race.
You can also have it for dinner, especially if you want to do a fasted ride with low glycogen availability in the morning. The recipe is low to moderate in carbs which is great for recovery days or days when you’re planning to ride low to moderate intensity.
Watch the video to follow along with the chef. The salad gets a seal of approval from Yara Kastelijn, European cyclocross champion and a Tour de France stage winner from Team Fenix–Deceuninck.
The ingredients below will yield 4 salads and each of these will have approximately 860 kcal, 40 g of protein, 48 g of carbs, 58g of fat, and 13 g of fibre.
Ingredients
400 g beets
200 g quinoa
400 g salmon filet, fresh
200 g goat cheese, soft
2 pcs avocado
40 g almonds
40 g walnuts
Little gem lettuce, rocket
For dressing:
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp mustard, coarse
2 tbsp raspberries or cider vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wrap the beets in aluminium foil and bake them in the oven for about 45 minutes or until soft.
2. While the beets are baking, cook the quinoa in gently salted water until tender and let it cool.
3. Cut the salmon into cubes and roast it until tender or fry briefly in some olive oil and let it cool.
4. Peel and cut the baked beets into cubes.
5. Cut the avocados into cubes.
6. To prepare the dressing, mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl.
7. Divide the lettuce over 4 plates. Spread the quinoa, beets, salmon, and avocado on the lettuce.
8. Crumble the goat cheese over the salad and then sprinkle the nuts on top.
9. Drizzle the salad with the dressing just before serving.
