Salad Recipes with Skin-Protecting Ingredients

Many common foods offer some protection from the potentially damaging rays of the sun, but coming up with dishes that combine these skin-protecting foods is not always easy. We put together this recipe collection to help you create healthy salads with skin-protecting effects. The salad recipes below feature some of the very best skin-protecting foods, including carrots, broccoli, and salmon. Bon appetit!

Now, before you let out the foodie in you and dive into the wonderful salad recipes below, make sure you have already perused the section Diet Tips for Protecting Skin From Sun Damage and the section 10 Skin-Protecting Foods which provide more general information about how the food you put into your mouth influences your skin's natural defense mechanisms.

Super-Nutritious Broccoli Salad with Apples and Cranberries

This super healthy salad is made of ingredients that provide substantial amounts of nutrients that help protect the skin, including beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium. What's more, this salad also contains some omega-3 fatty acids (provided by the broccoli).
See the Recipe

Romaine and Smoked Salmon Salad

Salmon is a super food when it comes to protecting the skin. It provides an excellent source of omega 3-fatty acids which help protect the skin from UV damage and premature aging. In addition to omega-3s, salmon contains astaxanthin, a carotenoid and a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to scavenge free radicals created by skin exposed to ultraviolet rays and to alleviate the pain and inflammation associated with sunburn. In addition, the combination of romaine lettuce and carrots in this salad provides an excellent, low-calorie source of numerous skin protecting nutrients, including beta-carotene and vitamin C.
See the Recipe

Shrimp and Eggs on Romaine Lettuce

Shrimp are rich in omega 3-fatty acids which help protect the skin from UV damage and premature aging. In addition to omega-3s, shrimp contain astaxanthin, an antioxidant that has been shown to scavenge free radicals created by skin exposed to ultraviolet rays and to alleviate the pain and inflammation associated with sunburn. Also the eggs in this salad can help protect the skin from the sun due to their high concentration of selenium, a mineral that plays an important role in the antioxidant system of the body.
See the Recipe

Salmon Salad

Salmon is a super food when it comes to protecting the skin. It provides an excellent source of omega 3-fatty acids—a type of fatty acids that are often in short supply in Western diets. Research also suggests that these essential fatty acids can help protect the skin from UV damage and premature aging. In addition to omega-3s, salmon contains astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to scavenge free radicals created by skin exposed to ultraviolet rays and to alleviate the pain and inflammation associated with sunburn.
See the Recipe

Carrot and Avocado Salad

Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene which neutralizes harmful effects of UV light by scavenging skin-damaging free radicals. The chopped avocado in this salad increases your body's ability to absorb these carotenoids.
See the Recipe

Arugula, Avocado and Tomato Salad

Tomatoes possess a number of extraordinary properties that make them exceptional at protecting the skin against the sun. Their most attractive quality: they contain carotenoids which can neutralize the harmful effects of UV light by scavenging skin-damaging free radicals. The chopped avocado in this salad increases your body's ability to absorb these carotenoids.
See the Recipe

Tomato, Cucumber and Red Onion Salad

Tomatoes are packed with lycopene, a phytochemical that can neutralize harmful effects of UV light by scavenging skin-damaging free radicals. Red onions deliver antioxidants.
See the Recipe

Beet and Carrot Salad with Ginger

This recipe pairs two powerful root vegetables to create an impeccable weapon for fighting skin damage caused by the sun. Several studies have found betacyanin, a phytochemical responsible for beets' intense purple color, to be highly effective at scavenging free radicals. Carrots, which are packed with beta-carotene, are also known free radical scavengers.
See the Recipe

Skin-Protecting Carrot Fennel Cucumber Salad

This summery salad works like magic to soothe your soul—and skin. The skin soothing and protecting properties of this salad are due to the wide range of antioxidant nutrients found in this salad, including omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
See the Recipe

For more recipes that can help protect your skin, visit the main recipe directory of HealWithFood.org's Guide to Protecting Skin from Sun Damage.