Creamy Broccoli Salad

I usually make some type of salad on a daily basis, and love to add a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to my salads. In the past few months, I have started making salads using raw broccoli and cauliflower and I thoroughly enjoy the crunch in these salads as well as their versatility. In this particular salad, I featured broccoli used raw cut into bite sized pieces to which I added shredded carrots, red onions, slivered red peppers, and sunflower seeds. For my dressing, I wanted to create something creamy but I also wanted to keep it healthy. I did have a small avocado on hand that was quite ripe so I made a dressing of the avocado, fat free Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, lemon, salt and pepper. This salad is colorful, crunchy, and full of flavor and would be a great choice for lunch, or as a side dish for dinner, particularly when grilling outdoors.

•  Broccoli is packed with nutrients including vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, folic acid, calcium, and fiber.  Broccoli is also rich is anti-inflammatory phyto nutrients.
• Avocados provide nearly 20 essential vitamins and minerals: potassium, folic acid and other B-vitamins, as well as vitamins E and K. They also contain phytonutrients, believed to help prevent many chronic diseases.
• Avocados contain the mono- and polyunsaturated “good” fats that are recommended as part of a healthy diet.