You’ll love this Vegan Quinoa Salad with Miso and Broccoli~so nourishing and delicious! Meal prep a big batch to enjoy for several lunches during the week!
Trust me…
Miso + broccoli + quinoa + awesome should most definitely all be used in the same sentence together 🙂
But first a little bit about Lauren and The Little Book of Thin…
Lauren’s Foodtrainers Blog was one of the first nutrition blogs I started reading when I started The Spicy RD Blog, and three years later, it’s still one of my favorite places to go for an up-to-the minute look at what’s happening in the nutrition world, served up “Lauren Style” aka fresh, fun, direct, and completely conversational! {I love that Lauren takes the time to respond to each and every one of her readers, in a thoughtful and positive tone, even when their opinions might differ from her own.}
While Lauren and I have a slightly different approach to diet and nutrition {more on this later}, at the end of the day, she’s the dietitian I want to be clinking my Ginger Kombucha Martini glass with after a fun day skiing the slopes together!
Although the title of the book might suggest it’s all about looking your best, in truth, The Little Book of Thin is all about looking AND feeling your best by eating a healthy whole foods based diet, and following Lauren’s all-important planning tips {time tested in her Foodtrainer’s nutrition practice} to put the kabosh on all the obstacles {traveling, dining out, holidays, the “witching hour” i.e. later afternoon up until dinner, yada, yada, yada…you know what I mean!} that stand between you and your own personal weight loss and health goals.
Oh, and not only is The Little Book of Thin full of practical nutrition and planning advice, it’s also a fast, fun read, written in Lauren’s conversational tone and peppered with quotes such as this…
Twas midafternoon, when all through the workplace, All energy was gone without a trace; The salads had been eaten at lunchtime with care, In hopes that weight loss soon would be there; Morning motivation now replaced with dread, And visions of sugar danced in everyone’s head. ~Foodtrainers Lament in The Little Book of Thin
Did I also mention that the book is my favorite shade of happy orange too???
As I stated earlier, Lauren and I take a slightly different approach to weight loss, mine being more of an Intuitive Eating style, and hers taking on a more structured approach, but at the end of the day, we can both agree that “diet food” {skim this, fat-free that, artificially sweetened anything} doesn’t belong on a healthy diet, a protein-rich breakfast is a great way to start the day, and any successful weight loss/weight maintenance effort can be fun and enjoyable, but, yes, it’s going to require a little bit of work, along with a lot more exercise than you may already be doing!
I’m almost ready to share the recipe for this yummy Vegan Quinoa Salad with wyou, but before I do, here are 3 of my favorite tips from the book…
3 Simple Tips Weight Management Tips, You Can Do Today!
- Food prep is key to a healthy week of eating, and “success starts Sunday” by prepping a green {or green vegetable}, a grain {or starchy vegetable}, and a main {protein}. A great meal planner I am, but a great food prepper I’m not, so I’m totally digging this tip!
- Sign a “Pre-Snacktual Agreement” by writing down 2 afternoon snacks you will choose from each week to eat at “The Witching Hour”. According to Ms Slayton”A study from Dominican University found written goals more effective than verbal promises. So at Foodtrainers we literally have midafternoon munchers sign on the dotted line.”
- Enjoy your salads, but add only one “accessory” {i.e. avocado, dried fruit, nuts, olives, seeds} to give your salad a little bling! Guilty as charged!!! {Lauren-You would be so proud of me today for only adding one accessory-avocado-to my salad last night :-)}
And, now, here’s a delicious recipe for Vegan Quinoa Salad with Miso & Broccoli that I made to share with you. No additional “bling” required.
Miso Broccoli Vegan Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 3 cups steamed broccoli florets, roughly chopped
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, miso, and rice vinegar. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, broccoli, arugula, and sunflower seeds. Add the dressing and the salt. Toss gently until combined.
Notes
Nutrition
This Miso Broccoli and Quinoa Salad is a delicious and super nutritious dish to make, and perfect for an easy lunchtime meal, especially when made with your “starter greens” and “starter grain”. It’s naturally gluten-free {just make sure your miso is fermented with a gluten-free grain such as rice} and vegan.
Whether you looking to loose weight in a healthy weigh way, or simply want to take your current eating habits up a notch, I highly recommend The Little book of Thin. Not only is it a fabulous resource for those looking for a semi-structured approach to weight loss, but there are also some great Foodtrainers tips for Intuitive Eaters like me!
Buy The Little Book of Thin on Amazon
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of The Little Book of Thin to review. I was not compensated for this post, and, as always, my reviews and opinions are 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links meaning I may make a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you purchase though my link. Thank you!
Let’s Chat!
What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to losing weight or eating healthy and getting enough exercise? What’s your favorite healthy weight loss tip?
After reading your review, I had to make may way to Amazon and buy myself a copy! As a dietetic intern, I really think that “The Little Book of Thin” will help strengthen my nutrition counseling and educating, based on your review, comments, and recipe sharing. What is the one take away point from this book that you use the most with your clients?
Thanks!
YUM i’ve made this recipe a few times but never comes out as pretty! I think my biggest healthy eating challenges are eating out a lot and having very limited kitchen space. Also my kitchen and my living room are one in the same (ah nyc living) so the fridge is always an arms reach away. I am a huge fan (both personally and professionally 🙂 )of the presnacktual agreement. Signing on the dotted line works wonders!
I was totally thinking of you when I made this salad-even the vibrant green color reminds me of something healthy and delicious you would make Kellie 🙂 And thanks so much for your thoughtful comment! I tend to agree with you about the title, but if you read the book, you will see that healthy weight loss is definitely more the focus than “thin.” I have read some other comments {on other blogs that have reviewed LBT} about perhaps naming it The Little Book of Healthy, or something to that effect, but I have read Lauren’s replies to those comments & she stands by her title. Love that we can all have healthy discussions about our differences of opinion 🙂 And I LOVE hearing about the success you’ve been having with your weight management workshop clients. Congrats!!!
Thank you for bringing this book to my attention, EA! Tip #1=no problem! I plan and prep for the whole week every Sunday as I don’t really have much time to spend in the kitchen during the weekdays. I really like Tip #2. I’ve been snacking a bit more than usual lately, and I’m going to start writing down my 2 snacks, being more intentional about what I put into my mouth. Tip #3 is going to be rough…only one?!?! I’ve been a fan of your blog from day 1, and I turn to you for up-to-date nutrition info so keep it coming ;).
My pleasure Min, and thanks so much for your sweet comment 🙂 Good for you for already being a pro at meal prep! In regards to Tip 3, I think if you’re having a salad as you main dish without anything else to eat, then 2 accessories might be ok. Just don’t tell Lauren I told you so 🙂
What a beautiful photo! I loved this book too and have been dying to make this salad. Definitely going to do it this weekend!
Thanks so much Alysa, and the salad is definitely a keeper! I finally put it to rest today, after having it for 3 lunches in a row 🙂
Such a great review!!
That salad looks amazing!! I must make!
I agree that prep is key!! 🙂
Thanks Kristen! And, yes, prep is something I’m really trying to focus on more especially after reading LBT. I just developed a new recipe for The Recipe ReDux, and loved having cooked quinoa al ready to go in my fridge 🙂
Thanks so much Lauren, & of course the feeling is mutual 🙂 Happy to share your fun, fabulous book and to add a little bling to my LBT post too! One day, we will toast together in person 🙂
EA I’ve loved your blog from the get go. So happy we’re virtual friends- AND love how pretty you made LBT, thanks for this.
I love the thing about bling, brilliant. You know I’ve been eating salads this month so far, pretty much every day. I feel so, so much better for it. Xx
I agree-love Lauren’s take on “bling” in salads too 🙂 So glad to hear your new year is off to a healthy & delicious start Deena! xo
Sounds like a fun book EA! I have to say I love the bling on salads and have to keep an eye on how many toppings I put on.
It’s definitely fun Jeanette, and I think “diet books” and healthy eating should be fun 🙂 Healthy salads can definitely be taken to the extreme when too much “bling” is put on! One “accessory” can be just as delicious and a lot less caloric 🙂
Great review, EA! It really is a great book!
And the salad sounds great! I haven’t tried any recipes from the book yet, but I will soon. Maybe I’ll start with this one…
Thanks so much Andrea and loved your review too! I highly recommend the salad. It is really yummy and so simple to make, plus I have leftovers for lunch today. Yay 🙂 Also on my list to try are the Avocado Brownies made with sprouted mung beans, Very curious to try!