Kale, Almond and Orange Salad with Tahini dressing (dairy-free calcium-rich salad🦴)

There has been a lot of talk online recently about bone health, the role of calcium, and sources of calcium in the diet. Dairy is one of the major calcium sources in our diets, however for various reasons many people don’t consume dairy regularly and so may be concerned about meeting calcium requirements.

You can absolutely reach your calcium requirements on a varied plant-based/dairy-free diet but it will require some planning. Foods high in calcium include calcium-set tofu, calcium-fortified plant milk/yoghurts, dried figs, kale, nuts including almonds and seeds including sesame seeds, oranges, beans, pulses and soya foods.

I was recently reading up on plant sources of calcium and the idea for this salad got lodged into my brain and wouldn’t go until I tried it out…I have been eating a lot of kale this week! I have used a tahini dressing – made from sesame seeds- a great calcium source.

One final point on bone health – calcium isn’t the only important factor;  vitamin D, protein and strength exercises (Think yoga, Pilates, gym classes, body weight exercises etc) are also all crucial for maintaining bone density and avoiding fractures as we age.  

Ingredients   

Kale 200g unprepared//150g prepared (prepared = thick middle stem cut out and leaves finely chopped)

Dried figs 2-4 chopped  

Orange 1 medium

Almonds chopped/flaked 25g

Sesame seeds 15g / 1 tablespoon

Tahini & hot honey dressing

3 tbsp tahini

1 tbs hot honey ( sub: maple syrup or honey)

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and pepper

30 – 40 ml water

Method

Wash and dry the kale.  Use a sharp knife to cut out the thick middle stem then finely shred the leaves. I do this by gathering a few leaves and rolling them together, then using a large sharp knife to shred finely. I started with about 200g unprepared but was down to 150g once I removed all the middle stems. Put the shredded leaves into a large bowl.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients: Chop the dried figs into small pieces, chop the almonds if needed, peel the orange and chop each segment into 3 or 4 pieces. Add all of these to the bowl.

Make the dressing: Mix the tahini and honey until combined. Whisk in the lemon juice and mix well, season with salt and pepper.  Using a whisk slowly add the water to reach your desired consistency.

Add the dressing to the kale and mix well – Having a big bowl is key to avoiding kale going everywhere!

Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and drizzle another teaspoon of tahini on top if you like. Serve!