Black Bean Salad With Quinoa, Squash and Lime 

Perfect for lunch or a side dish, this filling bean and squash salad is packed with fiber, protein, calcium, potassium, and antioxidants. Black beans are one of nature’s healthiest ingredients – and lucky for you they’re easy to keep on hand. Look for low-sodium cans of beans and season your food yourself. A low-sodium diet is better for heart health and people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may feel salt’s effects even more. Corticosteroids, commonly used to treat RA, cause the body to hold more sodium. 

To make this recipe you will need a knife for chopping, a stirring spoon and a large saucepan.

Nutrition information (per serving)*: Total Fat (10.6g); Carbohydrates (155g); Sodium (266mg); Sugar (7g); Fiber (36g); Cholesterol (17mg); Protein (52g

1/4 cup dried quinoa  

1 cup chopped butternut squash 

1/2 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. water  

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained 

1/4 cup feta, crumbled  

2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped 

Salt, to taste 

Pepper, to taste  

1 tsp. lime juice  

1 tsp. olive oil   

• If cutting up a whole butternut squash is intimidating or too hard on your joints, simply buy pre-cubed squash. Fresh or frozen is fine.  

• Don’t skip the rinsing part when preparing beans. Rinsing can help remove indigestible sugars from the beans that can cause gas. If cooking dried beans, it’s important to rinse the beans to clean them and then soak in cool water overnight.  

• Beans are an excellent source of fiber and protein, which can help lower c-reactive protein (CRP), a measure of inflammation levels in the blood. They’re also rich in folic acid, magnesium, iron, zinc and potassium, which is good for heart health and immunity. 

*Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided is approximate and based on USDA measurements. Actual amounts may vary based on exact ingredients used, how they are prepared and serving size.