Taco Quinoa Salad is filled with flavor and nutrition. The perfect meal to power you through to the end of the day!

Pin Quinoa Taco Salad Here!

 

Taco Quinoa Salad #lunch #healthylunch #vegetarian #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree

Watch my segment making this recipe (and two other delicious lunch recipes) LIVE on Indy Style here!

Last week, I was lucky enough to appear on Indy Style and share some nutritious and delicious recipes perfect for a midday meal.

I shared my Tuna Avocado Salad, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad and this Taco Quinoa Salad.  All three of these recipes are simple to make, are only one or two servings, really pack the flavor and are full of nutritious ingredients.

Taco Quinoa Salad #lunch #healthylunch #vegetarian #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree

Taco Quinoa Salad is a favorite lunch of Brian’s.  For this recipe I made sure to focus on lots of fresh ingredients:

  • Black beans – full of fiber and plant protein
  • Quinoa – contains plant protein
  • Salsa – filled with tomatoes and other vegetables! Adding salsa is a great way to sneak in veggies.
  • Cherry tomatoes – good source of lycopene, which is the pigment that makes the tomatoes red and does wonderful things for our bodies.
  • Avocado – healthy fat (monounsaturated fatty acids) and fiber
  • Bell pepper – very high in vitamin C
  • Lime juice – another good source of vitamin C

I also added a touch of cumin and salt to boost that flavor even more.

Taco Quinoa Salad #lunch #healthylunch #vegetarian #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree

When it comes to lunch time, here were the top questions I received:

  • Not full enough or feel like you aren’t eating the right combination of foods to energize you and keep you focused into the afternoon.
  • Lack of time for planning lunches.
  • No microwave to reheat leftovers.
  • In a lunch rut and need more options.
  • Looking for plant protein options.

Here are my answers…

Need a more filling lunch

When it comes to feeling full and having sustained energy, it’s important to eat a combination of foods giving you protein, fat and carbohydrates at each meal and snack.  This will help stabilize your blood sugar levels, energy and keep your focus on point!

Pay attention to your hunger cues and if your are consistently hungry in the afternoon, ravenous at dinner or have zero energy to power through the end of the day, eat a little more or pack an afternoon snack (or both!).

Lack of time

I get it! I’ve been in busy seasons of life, and I am sure more are coming my way.  That being said, I always felt like when I carved out a little time (30 minutes or less) to plan breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the week my mind was a little more free to think and worry about OTHER things that needed to get done.

Something I use with a lot of my clients is a meal planner and grocery list template.  If you sign up for my email list (the link is in a pop-up or at the bottom of the home page), you will receive a download with my grocery list and meal planner template!

Plant Protein

Some of my favorite plant protein sources are:

  • quinoa
  • tofu
  • tempeh
  • chickpeas
  • black beans
  • hemp seeds

They are all pretty versatile and can be added to a wide variety of dishes to boost the protein content.

And for the other requests…no microwave is required for these meals and hopefully they are new dishes you can add to your rotation!

Food Allergies and Intolerances

This meal is naturally gluten free and dairy free 🙂

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Taco Quinoa Salad #lunch #healthylunch #vegetarian #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree

Taco Quinoa Salad


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  • Author: Tara Deal Rochford
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x

Description

Taco Quinoa Salad is filled with flavor and nutrition. The perfect meal to power you through to the end of the day!


Ingredients

Scale

1 cup quinoa, cooked

1/2 avocado, diced

1/2 cup black beans*

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup salsa, any kind

2 limes, juiced

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt


Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, avocado, black beans, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, salsa, lime juice, cumin and sea salt.

Stir to combine and enjoy!

Notes

*look for low sodium, no salt added or rinse under water for about 1 minute.

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: lunch
  • Method: no cook
  • Cuisine: mexican

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2 recipe
  • Calories: 314
  • Fat: 10g
  • Carbohydrates: 49g
  • Fiber: 13.7g
  • Protein: 11g

Taco Quinoa Salad #lunch #healthylunch #vegetarian #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree

 

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