Celebrate Heart Health Month with a Nutritious Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl

February is Heart Health Month, a time to focus on the importance of eating healthy and making mindful choices for our well-being. One simple and delicious way to nourish your heart is with wholesome, nutrient-packed meals. This Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl with Hummus is the perfect example of a heart-healthy dish that’s both satisfying and easy to prepare. Packed with colorful vegetables, fiber-rich quinoa, and heart-healthy fats, this bowl meal is a great addition to any diet. It's a quick, flavorful, and nourishing option to support your heart health all year long!

Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl with Hummus

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 large eggplant

2 Cups Crispy chickpeas

1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

4 cups arugula

1 cup classic hummus

½ cup kalamata olives

Parsley or mint to garnish

Tahini sauce to drizzle

Instructions:

Quinoa

Rinse quinoa and add water or vegetable broth. Prepare in a rice cooker or covered 2-quart pot. If prepared in pot, bring liquid to a boil, add quinoa, stir, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 18-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Eggplant

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut eggplant into ½ inch pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on sheet pan cook for 20-25 minutes flipping once halfway through.

Crispy Chickpeas

Preheat oven to 425°. Place dry chickpeas on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Bake for 20 minutes, checking for crispiness (may take longer). Cool before serving.

Tahini Sauce

Add 4 cloves garlic, ¼ cup lemon juice, ½ cup tahini, ½ tsp. salt, pinch of cumin, and water, to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add water for preferred consistency.

Ingredient nutritional facts

Try these six heart-healthy foods in a Blue Zone-Style Mediterranean Bowl or get creative in the kitchen. Each food shines with special star qualities.

Quinoa

• Solid source of B vitamins and fiber, both of which can reduce heart disease risk and obesity.
• Rich in soluble fiber that can lower “bad cholesterol” (LDL) and support healthy blood flow.
• Low in sodium and cholesterol, a double bonus for heart health.

Eggplant

• Nightshade vegetable (technically a fruit) that provides many vitamins and minerals that boost not only heart health, but the rest of the body as well.
• Contains fiber and other features that can help lower “bad cholesterol” and limit other fats in the blood.
• Rich in antioxidants which help protect cells against daily damage and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Tomatoes

• These fleshy fruits contain lots of potassium and an antioxidant, called lycopene. Both nutrients may help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure and has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease.

Chickpeas

• Rich in magnesium and potassium, that can help reduce high blood pressure.
• Naturally cholesterol free, high in fiber and low in sodium. These properties can all help maintain blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Tahini

• A sesame seed butter and plant-based protein that contains heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that help lower bad cholesterol and help reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Delivers anti-inflammatory agents like certain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which helps reduce stress and cell damage in the body and protect the heart.

Hummus

• Contains chickpeas, tahini and olive oil. Olive Oil has been shown to contain anti-inflammatory traits that may reduce the risk of chronic diseases.