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Pink Protein Quinoa, Tuna, And Beet Salad (Gluten Free)

Name: Pink Protein Quinoa, Tuna, And Beet Salad (Gluten Free)
Yield: 8+
Ingredients: 1 cup dried quinoa; 1 can kidney beans, (15.5 oz); 1 can of corn, (15.25 oz); 3 beets; 3 cans (5oz) Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna; 3-4 Tbsp Paleo Mayo; 2 Tbsp horseradish mustard; 4-6 Tbsp apple cider vinegar; salt to taste; ground black pepper to taste; 1/2 tsp ground garlic powder; 1 tsp dried basil; 1 tsp dried parsley

Eating paleo definitely has its health benefits, but many often struggle to find a variety of fun, creative, paleo-friendly recipes to enjoy. Today’s recipe is chock-full of both fun and protein! Join us, as Dominique F. from Perchance to Cook shares her Pink Protein Quinoa, Tuna and Beet Salad recipe — because what’s more fun than pink food? We don’t know about you, but our team here at Wild Planet Foods will definitely be adding this Pink Protein Quinoa, Tuna and Beet Salad as a regular in our rotation of paleo-friendly foods.

This Pink Protein Quinoa, Tuna, and Beet Salad has been one of my favorite clean-eating, gluten-free salads lately. Not only because it’s bright pink (from the beets) and fun to look at, but also because it’s filling, super tasty and full of vitamins and protein.

Speaking of protein, thanks to the quinoa, tuna, beets, beans, and corn, this salad packs a heavy punch of protein — 154 grams to be exact!

In the new year, I’ve resolved to eat more protein from fish and vegetable sources, which is why I have been loving this Pink Protein Quinoa, Tuna, and Beet Salad. As I explained earlier, this entire salad contains 154 grams of protein. The recipe I’ve provided below yields a total of 8 servings, with 19 grams of protein per serving.

Obtaining a healthy amount of protein helps you feel full for longer and provides essential fuel for your muscles. I don’t know about you, but this is exactly what I need to help me eat healthier and work out more consistently.

To get started, slice 3 whole beets and put them into a pot. Make sure that each beet slice is touching the bottom of the pot. Next, cover the beets in water, and boil them for 25 minutes, until they are soft.

As the beets are cooking, prepare the quinoa and add the tuna to a bowl, separating it with a fork.

Then, add Paleo-friendly mayo, mustard and apple cider vinegar to the tuna and mix everything together. I used 1 tablespoon of mustard, 2 tablespoons of mayo, and 3 tablespoons of apple cider. In my experience, I’ve found that some prefer to add more, or less apple cider vinegar depending on their taste preference. My sister and I liked more, but my brother preferred to add less so that he could taste the ingredients better.

Next, season your quinoa with garlic powder, parsley, and basil. Combine the quinoa with the tuna mixture and mix thoroughly. As you’re stirring, add in your beans and corn.

Once the beets are fully cooked, dice them into small squares and combine them with your quinoa, tuna, corn and beans.

I just love the rich, pink color of this salad. You’ll quickly notice that the more you mix, the pinker the salad will become. You can also add other things like shredded carrots, bell peppers or other vegetables to the salad. For instance, my sister enjoyed adding yellow bell peppers and found that it added a nice crunch, and unique flavor. This has personally become my favorite way to enjoy this recipe.

Another cute idea is to use mini-bell peppers to serve the salad to kids! Yep, this recipe is 100% kid-tested and approved. I fed it to my 18-month-old nephew and he loved it! In fact, he danced the entire time he was eating it (though, you can’t see it from the photo).

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