Raw Beet Noodle and Rainbow Chard Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

Raw Beet Noodle and Rainbow Chard Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

I’ll be the first to admit: sometimes, it’s tough to be healthy. Sometimes, you just...

Raw Beet Noodle and Rainbow Chard Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

I’ll be the first to admit: sometimes, it’s tough to be healthy.

Sometimes, you just “can’t find the time” to put together a healthy meal or snack.

Sometimes, reaching for a block of cheese and crackers is easier than laboring over a salad.

I’ve been there, often. However, I have a little trick that I’m sharing with you today that involves Nourish Snacks.

Raw Beet Noodle and Rainbow Chard Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

We’ve all been there – you get home late at night after an unexpectedly long day and even if you’ve prepared all of the ingredients on a Sunday for your week-day dinner, you just can’t take the time to whip it up.

You look in the pantry, grab a bag of chips, then pull the hummus out of the fridge and plop down on the couch. Voila… dinner.

I get in those kind of moods more often than I’d like to admit.

Raw Beet Noodle and Rainbow Chard Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

But here’s my little trick: healthy snack packs can be easily turned into meals. I’ve poured a bag of almonds and dried raisins on top of a few handfuls of lettuce, along with some lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and olive oil for an “insta-dinner.”

I’ve done this a lot – getting creative with your pantry and fridge for those 10 minute dinners.

One of my go-to “salad toppings in a bag” are Nourish Snacks. Usually, I keep a packet or two of these low-calorie, healthy snacks in my purse for those times when I’m out and ravenous – they keep me from stopping at a Duane Reade or a similar convenience store and bingeing on a bag of chocolate covered pretzels.

Raw Beet Noodle and Rainbow Chard Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

But sometimes, I love to empty a packet over a bowl of spiralized veggies, with a dressing for a flavorful, filling meal. Specifically, Nourish Snacks’s “Menage-a-Mix” is perfect for these types of occasions.

This “Menage-a-Mix” is comprised of BBQ flavored chickpeas, roasted corn and edamame, making it an easy, flavorful protein-packed meal topper.

Raw Beet Noodle and Rainbow Chard Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

The other day, I was blogging and looked up and it was almost 4pm. I didn’t want to “spoil” my dinner, so I tossed some chopped chard and beet noodles together, drizzled over a homemade avocado-ranch dressing and topped it all with my Menage-a-Mix packet.

This avocado-ranch dressing complements the smoky flavors of the roasted, crispy beans in the snack pack. BBQ and avocado go together like peanut butter and jelly, let me tell you.

Raw Beet Noodle and Rainbow Chard Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

To replicate the Nourish Snacks’ Menage-a-Mix, roast together corn, edamame and chickpeas with BBQ spices (like with this recipe.)

This avocado-ranch dressing should be another staple dressing in your arsenal, like with yesterday’s cauliflower sauce. It’s so versatile, so easy to make and so healthfully flavorful!

The crunchy beet noodles soften with the dressing and the chard offers more filling, dietary fiber to this easy spiralized salad.

Raw Beet Noodle and Rainbow Chard Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

The point is this: healthy eating doesn’t have to mean only shopping in the produce aisles. Eat smartly and eat creatively!

Note: Although Nourish Snacks sponsored this post, all opinions are my own.

Nutritional Information & Recipe

Inspiralized

Raw Beet Noodle and Rainbow Chard Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 30 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • For the salad:
  • 3 large beets peeled, Blade C, noodles trimmed
  • 5-6 cups chopped Rainbow Swiss Chard
  • 6 packets of Nourish Snacks Ménage-a-Mix or 1.5 cup mix of chickpeas, edamame and corn
  • For the dressing:
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 cup plain almond milk or full-fat coconut milk
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1.5 teaspoons freshly minced dill
  • 2 teaspoons freshly minced parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • salt to taste about ¼ teaspoon
  • pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing into a high speed blender or food processor and pulse until creamy. Taste and adjust to your preferences. Set aside.
  • Toss the chard and beet noodles together in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle over with avocado-ranch dressing and let sit for 10 minutes to soften the beet and chard.
  • When ready to serve, divide into plates and top each with 1 packet of Nourish Snacks’s Menage-a-Mix. If serving family-style, add the packets to a serving bowl with the beet and chard and toss together to combine.
with love, Ali

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Recipe Rating




comments

  • Yum! BBQ chickpeas has my name written all over it!
  • Love it! Looks delicious! What a fabulous idea for a quick meal!
  • Looks great! Whenever I cook healthy food, I always freeze a small portion or two and keep it in my freezer. That way, when I'm too lazy/tired to cook, I can just pop one in the microwave!
  • perfect to keep in my desk at work!
  • I love everything about this recipe! I find it helps to keep my "snacks" portioned out and ready to go. Usually by the time i need a snack I'm hungry, so if the whole bag is available, I might possibly eat the whole bag. Even if it's healthy. Yikes!
  • That ranch dressing sounds great! My quick healthy tip: BANANAS....I find a banana takes the edge off the hunger so I can make an appropriate meal (but, yes, sometimes those chips just can't be passed up!)
  • Yum! Finding ACTUALLY healthy, prepackaged snacks is my number 1 time saving trick to healthy eating! If I do have the time for it, cooking a big pot of something warm to last me a couple lunches and dinners (especially during a midwest winter) is a huge help.
  • Ohh yum! My favorite way to save time eating healthy is to prep ahead! It's so much easier to eat well if I don't have to prepare it in a busy moment.
  • I love beet and carrot noodles for my salads. I do a bunch to begin each week to save time
  • I haven't spiralized beets yet. Do you have to rub a little oil on your appliance to prevent staining?
    • Nope, just rinse immediately after with soap and winter!
  • What a beautiful salad!
  • I love to meal prep ahead of time and then when I'm too tired on the weeknights I have something quick to grab!
  • I love the idea of beet noodles on a salad and I've never tried bbq chickpeas - they sound great and would love to try them!
  • I work 2 jobs M-F so I try to do my prep work and some cooking on weekends. During cold months, I almost always make a big pot of soup in addition to other recipes. That way, there is always something to eat that's healthy.
  • Ali, last year you posted a beet noodle and carmelized onion recipe. Help! I cannot find it on your site. It was so good. I have a lot of beets right now and would love to make it again.
    • Are you talking about this one? http://www.inspiralized.com/2013/11/21/sparkling-cider-glazed-beet-noodles-with-crispy-shallots/
  • Sounds yummy I would love to try the menage-a-mix and make this salad!
  • To save time, I cook batches of ground beef or turkey and then freeze in 1 lb containers. I also make large batches of beans in a crockpot and place 1 cup in containers to freeze. Then to make a quick chili, I thaw both overnight in the fridge and combine with other ingredients for dinner!
  • I always make a double batch of recipes and portion the leftovers out so that if I come home one night and can't bring myself to cook, there's still healthy dinner options in the fridge
  • I roasted up large batches of veggies to stay ahead!
  • I pack my lunch the night before-no excuses about not having time to eat healthy the next day.
  • Looks delicious. If you freeze beet noodles and microwave them will they come out mushy?
  • What a great idea. I am already a fan of Nourish snacks, but I would have never thought to use them in a recipe.
  • Looks yummy! When I cook a spiralized meal, I always spiralize more than I need so I have left-overs for salads (or my favorite, carrot rice)
  • I do prep work on Weekends and double recipes for leftovers.
  • To save time (and money): 1) Make big batches...eat leftovers for lunch, dinner next day 2) I don't make recipes that require me to buy MORE food; I make them based on what I have so that I don't waste money. 3) I freeze a lot of stuff
  • prep food ahead of time...chop veggies for lunches on Sunday for the entire week! I have more time for a great workout in the A.M. when lunch is easier to put together.
  • I love making meals in my slow cooker so then I have enough leftovers to freeze for a quick weeknight meal - Definitely saves time and feels healthy!
  • Looks delicious!!! I love Nourish Snacks so I can only imagine that they would be awesome on the beets. Yum!!
  • Appetizing, it's such a nice colors and favors combo! I have a bad habit when I'm very busy and hungry: Sandwich with bread and crisps... Every one says "I'm strange" but it feeds me and I like this strange sandwich! I should be more reasonable regarding my weight and my health. This salad seems perfect!
  • I made this tonight and it was awesome! We had it as the main meal. I am prepping for a diet and don't want to eat meat right now. I used canned chick peas instead of the dry bagged ingredient in the recipe. I think I will add nuts for crunch next time. The dressing is fabulous, and I will use it as a chip dip, fruit dip, as well as a salad dressing. Really loved that healthy avocado and almond milk base. I think I will try adding a bit of fruit to it for a sweet version--maybe as a dip for fruit. Thanks so much for the recipe!