Baby Kale & Quinoa Salad

This is one of my favorite lunch recipes! It’s simple and easy to prep.  It’s packed with flavor and easily digestible energy sources to keep you going without the slump of the mid-afternoon. Plus every bite is a mouthful of nutrient dense, high fiber foods. Let’s look at a few nutritious components of this salad.

Quinoa

Per 1 Cup

• 8 grams of Protein
• 5 grams Fiber
• 15% RDA of Iron
• 13% RDA of Zinc
• Contains a small amount of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Baby Kale

I enjoy baby kale since it’s easier to chew and can have a sweeter, milder taste than regular curly kale, but pretty much has the same nutritious benefits. So if you want raw kale in your salad, use baby kale next time to see how you like it.

Per 1 Cup

• 3 grams of Protein
• 2 grams of Fiber
• 134% DV of Vitamin C
• 206% DV of Vitamin K
• Loaded with powerful Antioxidants

So dig in and enjoy!

• Servings: 4 Servings
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Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cup water
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey or agave
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 15oz can (1 1/2 c) garbanzo beans
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 5 oz pkg of baby kale

Directions

1. In a small pot, add quinoa and broth and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Turn off heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, and mustard. Pour into medium size mixing bowl.
3. Add the cranberries, shallot, parsley, and garbanzo beans to the medium bowl and mix with the dressing.
4. Once quinoa is cooled, add to the dressing mixture and combine together.
5. To serve, take a handful of baby kale and top it with about 1 cup of the quinoa mixture and eat immediately!
6. To store, keep the quinoa mixture separate from the baby kale until ready to eat.

Nutritional Information

449 Calories | 9.6 g Fat | 1.1 g saturated fat | 0 g Trans Fats | 0 mg Cholesterol | 315 mg Sodium | 72 g Carbohydrates | 13.6 g Fiber | 9.6 g Total Sugar | 18.2 g Protein

Macro Sources

65% Carbohydrates | 19% Fat | 16% Protein

Dietary Servings per Portion

• 0.4 Fruit
• 2.1 Grain
• 0.6 Meat Alternative
• 2.5 Vegetables

Meal Prep

If you are wanting to have this salad for lunches throughout the week, here is how I pack mine. Keep the baby kale separate from the quinoa mixture since it will wilt the leaves, and store in the fridge! As you can see, I have sophisticated meal prep skills. : )

 

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