Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is essential for maintaining a healthy diet. Not only do they add color, flavor, and texture to your plate, but they also provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. In fact, experts recommend making half your plate fruits and vegetables to ensure you’re getting the necessary nutrients.
To meet this goal, aim for 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables each day. Don’t limit yourself to just one type of produce – experiment with different varieties, including fresh, frozen, and canned options. This allows you to enjoy a diverse range of flavors and textures while still reaping the nutritional benefits.
Here’s a delicious recipe that incorporates both fruits and vegetables: Mango and Black Bean Quinoa Salad. For this recipe, you will need:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 ripe mango, diced
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Diced avocado for garnish
Instructions:
- Cook Quinoa: In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa and water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let it cool.
- Prepare Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
- Assemble Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, diced mango, black beans, diced bell pepper, chopped red onion, and chopped cilantro.
- Add Dressing: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients in the bowl.
- Toss: Gently toss all the ingredients together until well combined and evenly coated with the dressing.
- Chill (optional): If time allows, you can chill the salad in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Serve: Serve the mango and black bean quinoa salad at room temperature or chilled. Garnish with diced avocado before serving.
This salad is refreshing, nutritious, and packed with flavors from the sweet mango, hearty black beans, and zesty lime dressing. Enjoy it as a side dish or a light meal on its own! Additionally, shrimp makes a perfect addition to this recipe for a delicious meal! Simply sauté the shrimp in olive oil and add to the salad before serving.
By making half your plate fruits and vegetables, you not only enhance the visual appeal of your meals but also support your overall health. So, next time you sit down to eat, remember the importance of incorporating these nutritious ingredients into your daily diet.