This Purple Cabbage and Split Pea Power Bowl is not only full of color, but loaded with flavor and nutrition!
While I love to focus on clean eating here on Lemons and Basil, please know that my way of eating is by no means perfect, nor am I overly strict with my own daily eating habits. Sometimes I catch up with family or friends that I haven’t seen in a while, and hear something like “you don’t eat “fill in the blank“, do you?”I eat pretty much anything and everything, in moderation and balance.
I do love fresh fruits and vegetables, kale and dark leafy greens, and eat a lot of legumes and whole grains. I make a conscious effort to pack my daily diet with these foods. But hear me when I say that there are no foods that are off-limits to me, unless I just don’t like them. I don’t eat a lot of greasy foods, tend to stay away from fried things, and try to make sure that the largest part of my plate is covered with vegetables.
But that’s about it, no strict rules, no major taboos, just balance.
However…this last week, balance has been a bit out of check. I love baking sweets for others; whether we’re having company for dinner, welcoming a new friend to the neighborhood, or wanting to send a little “thank you”, baked goods seem to be my go-to. I’ve done a lot of baking this week, and for whatever reason my discipline has gone out the window and I’ve eaten a lot of sugar! SO, this Purple Cabbage and Split Pea Power Bowl is my effort at getting back in check.
Lentils have been a longtime favorite of mine, they are loaded with nutrition, while being so versatile. I’ve used them to make Curry, Spaghetti “Meatsauce”, BBQ “Meatballs”, and Sloppy Joes, to name a few. But I’ve recently tried split peas in place of the lentils and am currently hooked. Their texture is hearty and a bit more chewy than most lentils, likely due to their longer cook time and my impatience. Regardless, they are high in protein and fiber and low in fat, making them ideal for this colorful power bowl.
And speaking of color, this gorgeous purple cabbage is bursting with it. As with most vegetables rich in color, it is high in antioxidants and other nutrients and vitamins. Eating it in its raw state provides your body with the most nutrients, so it works perfectly chopped and added to this bowl of veggie goodness!
{OH! And before I go, for those of you who enjoy taking a look into the past, check out my recent Q&A with Borrowed & Blue for a peak at Josh’s and my wedding… eight years ago and what we’ve learned since then!}
Health Benefits of Purple Cabbage:
- One cup of chopped purple cabbage provides 2 grams of fiber. Dietary fiber prevents excess cholesterol from entering your bloodstream through the wall of your small intestine; the fiber absorbs the cholesterol and excretes it through the waste elimination process.
- Purple cabbage is a good source of potassium, which keeps your body’s fluid level from fluctuating to unhealthy volumes, providing healthy blood pressure levels. Potassium also prevents heart muscle stress by supporting the contraction that fuels your heartbeat.
- The vitamin C content in purple cabbage is nutritionally significant. A 1-cup serving provides 85% of the daily requirement. Raw purple cabbage contains a higher level of vitamin C than it does when cooked. Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant. It protects cells from the DNA and compositional destruction that metabolic toxins often cause.
- Purple cabbage has a rich supply of anthocyanins, which can help lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, macular degeneration and many other diseases.
- The vitamin A content in purple cabbage is 20 percent of the daily requirement. It is a nutrient that provides a variety of functions in your body. It produces retina pigments for your eyes, maintains vision health and improves vision at night. It also supports your body’s immune response, reducing your risk of microbial infection.
Health Benefits of Split Peas:
- Split peas are included in the legume family, along with beans, lentils and peas. The Department of Health and Human Services recommend that healthy adults eat about 3 cups of legumes per week.
- Eating Split Peas (legumes) regularly may help lower risk for diabetes, as they have low glycemic index, which means they do not cause rapid spikes in your blood sugar.
- Green split peas are a good source of dietary fiber per serving. Soluble fiber, such as that in legumes, slows down sugar absorption so it does not get into your bloodstream as quickly.
- Eating green split peas may improve your heart health. The fiber from split peas may lower your total and bad LDL cholesterol, thus reducing your risk for heart disease.
- High fiber foods like split peas can help with weight loss. To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. Green split peas may be able to help you lose weight or avoid gaining weight because they are low in calories and they may help you eat less. Many high-fiber foods, including green split peas, take a long time to chew, so you feel full before you have eaten very many calories.
- Split peas are good sources of protein, with about 16 grams per cup. High-protein diets may promote weight control by slowing down digestion and making you less hungry at the next meal.
Purple Cabbage and Split Pea Power Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups spinach roughly chopped
- 2 cups kale or super greens mix roughly chopped
- 1 cup purple cabbage chopped
- 1/4 cup split peas uncooked
- 1/2 cup garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper chopped
- 1/4 large avocado sliced
- 1/4 cup raw pecans
- 1 oz blue cheese
- chia seeds to garnish
- dressing of choice I made an adaption of my Balsamic Almond and Turmeric Dressing
Instructions
- Add 1/4 cup split peas to 1/2 cup water in small sauce pan, bring to a bowl, then simmer for approx 45 minutes, or until cooked to your preferred texture. I like mine to be soft, yet chewy, it gives them somewhat of a nutty texture.
- Once split peas have cooked, remove from stove and allow to cool. While they cool, add spinach and kale to two large bowls.
- Top with chopped purple cabbage, cooled split peas, garbanzo beans, red bell pepper, pecans, and blue cheese, then sprinkle with chia seeds and your dressing of choice. Serve!
Notes
Nutrition
