Meditteranean Quinoa Salad

Main Course, Recipes

September 25, 2018

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I tend to fly by the seat of my pants for lunch. It’s easy to do when you work from home. The issue with that is one of two things can happen:

  1. If I’m busy/stressed I forget to eat and then get hangry
  2. I get hangry and eat all the snacks and never eat a full meal

While this may be okay to do once in a while, I’ve been committing to trying and having healthy options on hand for myself so that there is no excuse. And by healthy options, I mean healthy PREPARED AHEAD OF TIME options. Because even though I work from home, it does not mean I have endless hours to make a 4-course meal.

This Meditteranean Quinoa Salad hit the spot this week and I’m excited to share it with you. I made sure to prep this the same time I prepped my dinners for the week (this one included) so that I bulked prepped and saved more time during the week.

meditteranean quinoa salad

Homemade Lunch

It’s not always easy to plan ahead, I get it. You are busy and you have 5 million things to do but, if we’re being honest don’t you feel SO MUCH BETTER when you’ve prepared ahead of time? It’s like going to work without your laundry done for the week you know? Would you want to wear dirty clothes to work?

No. (I hope anyway)

So why do you then want to eat not-so-desirable food options for lunch?! It’s the same thing. Wash your lunch box out (or buy yourself one) find some nice glassware containers and reusable bags (because it’s 2018 get with the show) and pack yourself a lunch, no arguments.

We don’t pack our lunch because we get complacent, busy, lazy, etc. and all of a sudden lunch falls by the wayside. I swear corporate America is sabotaging our health. We are overworked and overfed (but somehow undernourished) with fast food, desserts galore, vending machines, etc. at our fingertips. We complain about the breakroom and how there’s always goodies in there but we do NOTHING about it.

Maybe you don’t have the power to change it per se but you do have the power to say no and to bring your own lunch. Sure, at first it may seem lame and uninspiring but I can guarantee you will feel better and be able to work more efficiently if you stick to your pre-planned meal.

The moral of the story is to pack your lunch and while you’re at it write a note on a napkin like the good ol days 😉

meditteranean quinoa salad

The Meditteranean Diet

I can’t call this a Meditteranean Quinoa Salad and then not mention anything about the Meditteranean Diet, am I right?!

The Meditteranean Diet is probably one of my favorite fad diets. Why? Because it’s not really a fad, it’s not super restrictive, and it encourages people to eat real food (and even drink wine!)

This salad would definitely fit the bill as it is rich in vegetables, healthy fats (hello avocado oil dressing), and if you’re not going back to work, pairs nicely with a glass of wine as well. It also doubles as a nice side dish for dinner or for a party. Heck, my friends and I ate this dish at trivia the other night and it was delicious.

I digress, the Meditteranean Diet is constantly being studied and there is plenty of research out there to show it may reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. You don’t have to count macros, you don’t have to post a before/after photo, you just have to eat real food in reasonable quantities. If you’re like yeah whatever, eat this salad anyway, at least your taste buds will thank you.

meditteranean quinoa salad

Meditteranean Quinoa Salad

Alright, now onto the star of the post, the salad. I love the flavor profile here, it is really light and fresh. Feel free to leave the salad dressing off and add it at the time of consumption. I love to make a big batch at the beginning of the week and then eat it as I go.

Here’s the dressing I used in this salad: Lemon Turmeric Vinaigrette & Marinade

This makes a delicious salad on top of some greens and topped with hard boiled eggs for lunch. It also goes well heated up and topped with a piece of salmon or chicken for dinner, the options are endless.

Pro Tip: roast whatever veggies you have on hand in place of the ones below instead of running to the store for the 10th time this week and experience a similar result 🙂

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meditteranean quinoa salad

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

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  • Yield: 6 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups cooked quinoa (from 1 cup uncooked)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large eggplant, chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 large bell pepper, chopped
  • 5–6 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 oz. feta crumbles
  • 1/4 cup oil based dressing of choice (I used this one
  • 1 cup olives of choice, sliced thin
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking pan with parchment paper
  2. Toss eggplant, onion, bell pepper, and garlic with olive oil and season with salt & pepper
  3. Lay vegetables out on baking pan and place in oven for 20 minutes or until eggplant begins to turn golden brown
  4. Toss roasted vegetables with quinoa, add in dressing and top with feta, cherry tomatoes, & olives, season with salt & pepper as needed
  5. Optional: Pair with meat/seafood of choice

Notes

per serving: 5g protein, 25g carbohydrate, 10 g fat

Have you dabbled in the Meditteranean Diet?! What do you think about it?

xoxo,

Sassy

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meditteranean quinoa salad

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