As most of you know, I am gearing up to start the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart after we get settled into our new home next week.  I’ve been a Vegetarian for a while now but am really interested in the health benefits of a Vegan diet.  Before I get started, I’m trying to make sure I have enough recipes on hand that I really enjoy so that I don’t end up going off the reservation after a few days.  This is something I’m famous of doing.   Although I’m eating mostly vegan already, finding lower fat recipes that I like is a bit challenging – especially since I’m really making a commitment to clean eating and trying to stay away from processed and packaged foods.  I’m afraid we have been eating a few too many packaged veggie burgers around my house!

I have to say, today’s quinoa salad recipe really fits the bill.  I LOVE this recipe.  In fact, I must confess that I was a little quiet about it and ended up eating it all myself.  Shhh…..

I am actually really bummed because in an effort not to waste food, I’ve started making half recipes of the quinoa recipes I’m trying out for the site.  As you can imagine, we eat a lot of quinoa around my house.  As a result, anything that is less than stellar tends to get pushed to the back of the refrigerator.  Now I’m craving more!

Honestly, its hard to pinpoint why I liked it so much.  It was exceptionally light, with only a little lemon juice as the dressing.  It’s the kind of dish that is perfect for a snack, which is how I ended up eating it.  It would travel exceptionally well, making it perfect for your next picnic!