Honey Mustard Chicken Salad with Tomatoes and Avocado

Honey mustard chicken salad is a quick meal that is great for the warmer months!
 

Eating lots of raw, dark leafy greens in salad has become very popular, but it’s important to understand that when you’re eating to support your thyroid, there are certain raw vegetables that are best to avoid.

Goitrogenic and cruciferous vegetables can inhibit the thyroid’s ability to use iodine. Your thyroid has to have iodine to make thyroid hormones, so eating foods that slow down or block this process isn’t a good idea and can contribute to hypothyroidism, goiter, cysts or nodules. 

The good news is that cooking reduces the goitrogens, so while it’s a good idea to avoid eating them raw, you can still enjoy them cooked! Boiling is the best way to reduce the goitrogens, and steaming is second-best.

Here is a quick list of raw goitrogenic and cruciferous vegetables to avoid (and only eat cooked):
Kale
Mustard greens 
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Bok choy
Cabbage
Rutabaga
Turnips

Here are the greens I recommend using for salads:
Butter lettuce
Romaine lettuce
Green leaf lettuce
Red leaf lettuce
Iceberg
Little gems lettuce
Batavia lettuce

For further reading on the topic of goitrogens, this article written by Chris Masterjohn, PhD, is a great resource.

The honey mustard dressing can be put together quickly, and I like to keep it in a mason jar throughout the week for a quick dressing or to dip raw vegetables like carrots or celery.

This salad would also taste great with steak or shrimp swapped out for the chicken, or other seeds or vegetables sprinkled on top!

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