It’s hot and you’re craving cold. It’s hot, so you are craving a light healthy meal. When you think of summer, what comes to mind? Is it beaches, barbecues, or vacation? Summer is the perfect time for all things light, free, and HEALTHY.
For me, summer is a time for reading, sunscreen, lighter fabric and healthy eating. This year, I am planning a staycation which may include some grilling. I’ve never been much of a beach goer, but you can bet your public health crisis that beach travels are not among my summertime plans this year. As a result, these non-traditional plans leave more room for creativity, including creating easy, light, and healthy meals!
So, you’ve already read the blog title but you can imagine that salads are the perfect solution! Full of variety, you cannot get bored with salads. Ditch the days of iceberg lettuce, tomato, and carrots and let’s get fancy! Of course, if that is your go-to salad combo, than by all means–keep it!
Healthy meal idea!
Enter the Kale, Chickpea & Quinoa salad. This recipe is not only easy to make and customize (vegan or add other protein like this recipe with chicken), it’s a healthy meal packed full of nutrition to give your meal satisfaction without feeling sluggish. Extra snaps for not requiring the oven, especially on these 90+ degree days. Perfect for on-the-go or working from home! Here’s how to create this healthy meal—perfect for eating any day of the week.
Ingredients for Kale, Quinoa, and Chickpea salad:
- Kale (I love kale, so my serving had approximately 1-1.5 cups)
- Quinoa (I used Success Boil-in-Bag Tricolor Quinoa; 1/2 cup)
- Chickpeas (I used The Good Bean Organic Chickpeas; serving size)
- Optional, other fresh vegetables and garnishes (i.e. carrots, tomatoes, sunflower seeds—all your favorites!)
Cook kale to your liking (I rinsed, massaged with olive oil, and boiled) and follow the package directions for quinoa. Let both cool and then add in the chickpeas and your other salad ingredients. Voila! An easy healthy meal comes together within 30 minutes.
So….cheers to our health!
What’s your salad mix?
What are your favorite salad ingredients? Do you prefer warm or cold salads? What is your go-to healthy meal for summer? Let me know in the comments! If you try it, I also want to hear from you. Don’t forget to save this post on Pinterest and share across social!