I was listening to the radio and the DJ said he likes to call summer, skin season. After months of being totally covered up, this is when everyone is showing their skin. The tank tops, shorts, skirts, dresses, and bathing suits all make their appearance in order for people to show off their skin. Haha 😀
Nothing like knowing you will be showing off your body to make you fine-tune your diet. Quinoa has become a sample in our house. I love that it is easy to prepare and it is so versatile. With lots of fruits in season, I decided to combine a few of my favorite to make a fruit salad with protein.
Quinoa is an amazing seed that is prepared the same as rice: 2 parts water or broth to 1 part grain. Bring water and grain to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Super easy, right?!
What I love most about Quinoa is it is a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids the body needs. That makes Quinoa a good source of protein for vegetarians, people trying to reduce their meat consumption, and those with gluten allergies.
Quinoa is also a good source of fiber and it also provides iron, magnesium, potassium, folate, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and E.
Couple all that goodness with the wonderful antioxidants in berries and this is one nutrient rich salad!
I love the textures of this salad. It has great mouth-feel and is super flavorful. To bring all the flavors together I squeeze the juice of one lemon over the entire salad and sprinkle it with some fresh basil.
Grab a spoon and dig in. It’s skin season 😀
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- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 mango, diced
- ½ cup fresh blueberries
- ½ cup fresh raspberries
- 2 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Prepare quinoa according to package directions.
- In a large bowl combine cooled quinoa, mango, blueberries, and raspberries.
- Pour fresh lemon juice over mixture.
- Sprinkle with sliced basil and serve.