On the Go Protein Quesadilla

This protein quesadilla combines gut healthy almond bean dip with grilled chicken (optional) and a 100% whole wheat tortilla shell. It’s an easy lunch to take on the go or eat at home.

Make today all about saving time and money! Repurposing your left overs to make delicious protein quesadilla lunches that you can eat now or store for later in your freezer.

Gut Healthy Micro Superstars Featured in This Recipe

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Almonds are High in Fiber, Healthy Fats and Antioxidants

Almonds are incredibly healthy for you and your gut! Almonds are high in fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats.

Almonds are a Natural Antioxidant

Antioxidants keep our bodies from damage related to aging and stress. This includes reducing inflammation and the potential for cancer (Ames et al., 1993). One of the primary antioxidants in almonds is phytic acid. Phytic acid binds certain compounds to prevent them from being absorbed.

Almonds are Good for Your Cholesterol

Maybe it’s something about particular acids that prevent uptake of harmful compounds being absorbed into our bodies. Another gut healthy food I’ve posted about, kale, contains antioxidants which prevent compounds from being absorbed into our bloodstream. Kale, containing bile acid, has been shown to support maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.

Perhaps it is unsurprising then, that almonds have also been found to both reduce cholesterol levels and potentially reduce risk for heart disease. In fact, a clinical randomized, controlled study examined 65 adults who were pre-diabetic (Wien, 2010). They split them into two groups, and asked one group to eat just 2 oz of almonds per day for 4 months (Wien, 2010). The results showed significantly decreased insulin levels as compared to the nut free control group (Wien et al., 2010). In another randomized controlled study, individuals who ate almonds instead of a muffin with identical calories, showed significant reductions in cholesterol levels, particularly the “bad cholesterol” we all have to watch (Berryman et al., 2015).

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Northern Beans are Full of Fiber and Antioxidants

Northern beans are an excellent source of protein and fiber. They also contain polyphenol antioxidants, similar to pinto beans which I have posted about here. Polyphenol antioxidants have been found to reduce risk of certain cancers (Ombra et al., 2016). They can eradicate oxidative stress in your body by killing damaging free radicals (Ombra et al., 2016). In fact, doctors studying the benefits of bean antioxidants found they were protective against breast cancer cells and more (Ombra et al., 2016).

Northern Beans are Packed with Vitamins

Northern beans are high in vitamins including copper, folate, iron and Magnesium. Copper helps you maintain your energy while folate reduces your risk of many cancers.

Folate deficiency has been implicated in the etiology of lung, cervical, breast and brain cancer. Convincing evidence links folate deficiency with colorectal cancer incidence. Colorectal cancer incidence is inversely associated with both dietary folate intake and blood cell folate concentrations. Moreover, the use of folate supplements has been reported to reduce cancer risk.

Duthie et al., 2002

As an excellent source of fiber, Northern beans are a great addition to your dinner menu. Fiber is important for so many reasons, not least among them your digestive health (Messina, 2014). Beans can also contribute to producing short chain fatty acids which are important for your energy production, metabolism, and heart health (Chambers et al., 2018; Besten et al., 2013).

Beans and Grains Supercharge Each Other

Eating Northern beans and grains together can actually amp up their nutritional benefit. Beans and grains are considered complementary proteins (Mariotti & Gardner, 2019). This recipe for On the Go Almond Bean Quesadillas combines whole wheat tortilla shells and Northern beans increasing the nutritional benefit for your gut!

Eat a Gut Healthy Lunch in a Quesadilla

The kids love these quesadillas and so do I, and that’s saying a lot because I’m not a huge lunch person. You can make these quesadillas as an after thought the day after cooking Almond Bean Dip with Roasted Veggies. Or, you can make the bean dip and make a large batch of quesadillas to store for later.