fitnessblog

Lunchtime doesn’t always allow much time for cooking. You just want something simple and easy that will power you through the afternoon. This sandwich is quick and easy while still being wholesome and tasty. 

MyFitnessPal teamed up with Dr. Danielle Belardo, one of our scientific advisors, to bring you this high-fiber and vegan chickpea “tuna” salad sandwich. 

Fiber is great for slowing digestion and helping you feel fuller longer, and this recipe really packs it in (1). Chickpeas are a great source of fiber, as well as protein, which has a plethora of benefits ranging from muscle and immune health to providing energy (2). 

Though this recipe uses chickpeas instead of seafood, it still satisfies a classic tuna sandwich craving. “The chickpeas offer a hearty, tuna-like texture, while the celery and red onions add a nice crunch,” says Belardo. 

Tuna salad sandwiches are just as satisfying as they are nostalgic, and this recipe offers a fresh vegan twist on an old classic.

Active time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:

• ½ cup canned low sodium chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3 tbsp vegan mayo
• ½ cup celery, finely diced
• ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 2 slices whole grain seeded bread, lightly toasted

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork until mostly broken down but still slightly chunky. Add the vegan mayo, celery, red onion, and Dijon mustard, and stir until well combined. Season with black pepper to taste.

Spread the chickpea salad evenly over one slice of bread, then top with the second slice to make a sandwich.

Serves: 1 | Serving Size: 1 sandwich

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 626, Total fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 22g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 923mg; Carbohydrates: 66g; Fiber: 15g; Sugar: 14g; Protein: 19g

Nutrition Bonus: Calcium: 14%; Iron: 21%; Potassium: 598mg; Vitamin A: 1%; Vitamin C: 8%

Originally published July 2024; Updated March 2026

The post Chickpea Salad Sandwich appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

St. Patrick’s Day may mean reaching for green beer and dyed bagels. But what if this year, you leaned into foods that are naturally green and genuinely better for you?

Here’s the thing: green foods have a reputation problem. People assume “green” automatically means “salad” or “boring.” But some of the most satisfying foods happen to be green. And no, we’re not just talking about vegetables you tolerate.

Let’s fix that.

Green Foods Beyond Salad

1. Avocado Toast

Yes, how to make avocado toast has been explained approximately 47 million times online. But here’s why it persists: it works.

Mash ripe avocado with a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes. Toast your favorite whole-grain bread. Spread the mashed avocado mixture on toast. Optional but recommended: sprinkle everything bagel seasoning on top, or drizzle some hot honey.

Avocado contains some protein—about 3 grams per whole fruit —but abundant in fiber, a whopping 10g per fruit. (1) Add an egg for extra protein, and suddenly you’ve got a balanced meal.

The healthy fats in avocado work well with whole-grain toast and turn breakfast into something that actually keeps you full. (1)

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2. Edamame

Edamame nutrition is legitimately impressive: one cup of shelled, cooked edamame contains 18 grams of protein, making it one of the best plant-based protein sources available. (2)  It’s also a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids your body needs and contains an abundance of fiber at 8g per cup. (2,13)

How to eat edamame beyond the restaurant appetizer:

• Blend it into hummus (edamame hummus is a thing, and it’s excellent)
• Roast it with sea salt for a crunchy snack
• Add it to stir-fries in the last few minutes of cooking

If you buy it frozen—which most people do—it’s already cooked. Just thaw, season, and eat.

3. Green Smoothie

What is in the green smoothie that people rave about? Usually spinach, banana, and some combination of mango, pineapple, or berries.

So, to make it, simply toss a big handful of spinach into a blender with frozen mango, banana, Greek yogurt, and a splash of orange juice or almond milk. Blend until smooth.

Or, if you’d rather follow a ready-made formula, give this Cacao Nib Almond Green Smoothie Bowl a try. It’s naturally green, festive, and satisfying enough to pass as a meal.

Either way, the fruit completely masks the spinach flavor, but you still get nutrients like iron, folate, and vitamin C. (3) The yogurt adds protein, the fruit adds natural sweetness, and the whole thing tastes tropical—not like something you’re forcing yourself to eat for health reasons. (4)

The secret is using frozen fruit, which makes it thick and cold without watering it down with ice.

4. Kiwi

A medium kiwi has just 42–46 calories. (5) But that’s not what makes it interesting.

One medium kiwi delivers 92mg of vitamin C in 100 grams, plus vitamin K, copper, and fiber. (5) The fuzzy skin is edible (yes, really), and eating it doubles the fiber content. (5,6)

Slice kiwi into yogurt, blend it into smoothies, or just eat it with a spoon straight from the peel. It’s tart, sweet, and the kind of fruit that wakes up your taste buds mid-afternoon when everything else tastes boring.

5. Pesto

If you’ve ever wondered what pesto is made of, the classic version combines basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. However, modern variations often swap in spinach, arugula, broccoli, or kale, along with walnuts or almonds. 

At the end, they’re all green and delicious, and the result is a sauce that’s rich, garlicky, and herbaceous. It also happens to pack healthy fats from nuts and olive oil. (7,8)

Pesto works on pasta, obviously. But it also works:

• Stirred into scrambled eggs
• Spread on sandwiches instead of mayo
• Tossed with roasted vegetables
• Dolloped on grilled chicken or fish

One batch lasts about a week in the fridge, or you can freeze it in ice cube trays for single-serving portions.

6. Zucchini Noodles

Forget everything you think you know about zucchini noodles. When done right, they’re not sad pasta replacements—they’re their own thing entirely.

The trick? Don’t overdo it. Use a spiralizer (or just a vegetable peeler for wide ribbons), salt them lightly, let them sit for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the excess water. This can prevent the dreaded soggy zoodle situation.

From a nutrition angle, raw zucchini contains vitamin C and potassium (9), which support immune function and help regulate blood pressure. (14,15) 

But more importantly, zucchini noodles soak up sauces like a dream. Think creamy garlic, lemon butter, or pesto—anything bold enough to make you forget you’re eating a vegetable.

If you want a flavorful, balanced way to try them, make this Chicken and Avocado Zucchini Noodle Bowl. It pairs zucchini noodles with lean protein and healthy fats, turning them into a satisfying, well-rounded meal. And, when you log it in MyFitnessPal, you can see how those simple ingredient choices add up.

7. Spinach Wraps

These soft, pliable wraps trick your brain into thinking you’re eating a tortilla. Except they’re made with spinach, which means you’re quietly consuming a bit more folate and vitamin K. (3)

But let’s be honest: you’re not eating spinach wraps for the vitamins. You’re eating them because they taste good and hold fillings without falling apart.

Fill them with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and cucumber. Or hummus, roasted vegetables, and feta. Or scrambled eggs and avocado.

Pro tip: Warm them slightly before filling. Cold spinach wraps may crack. Warm ones fold like they were designed for this exact purpose.

8. Avocado Chocolate Pudding

This one will trick your taste buds. You won’t even register it as a vegetable.

Blend ripe avocado with cocoa powder, a touch of maple syrup or honey, and vanilla extract. What you get is thick, creamy, almost mousse-like pudding that happens to contain monounsaturated fats, potassium, and vitamin E. (1)

The test: Ask someone who claims to “hate avocado” to try it out. I’ll bet they will change their mind with this one!

9. Brussels Sprouts

When roasted, Brussels sprouts caramelize and turn slightly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, bringing out their natural sweetness. Their vibrant green color holds up beautifully in the oven, especially when tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Nutritionally, Brussels sprouts are low in calories but high in fiber and vitamin C. One cup of cooked Brussels sprouts contains about 6 grams of fiber along with notable amounts of vitamin K. (10)

Frequently Asked Questions

• Which green foods are highest in protein? Edamame wins with 18g per cup, followed by pesto (from the pine nuts and cheese) are a few of the highest on this list. (2,7,11)
• Are frozen green vegetables as nutritious as fresh? Often, yes. Frozen vegetables are typically frozen at peak ripeness, which preserves their nutrient content. (12)
• What’s the easiest green food to start with? Edamame or kiwi—both require minimal prep and taste good without any cooking skills required.

Bottom Line

Green foods don’t have to be boring. When you stop thinking of them as “healthy vegetables you should eat” and start thinking of all the creative ways you can incorporate them, your perspective just might change.

And if you’re trying to be more intentional, logging meals in MyFitnessPal can help you see how these green foods actually stack up. You might notice that edamame adds more protein than expected, or that avocado contributes satisfying fats that round out your meal.  

This St. Patrick’s Day, skip the food dye. The real green foods are already here—and they taste better than you might think.

The post Green Foods That Aren’t Just Salad (St. Patrick’s Day Edition) appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

This vegetarian chili calls for hearty butternut squash and black beans, which means it’s high in fiber. One serving provides more than half of your fiber quota for the day and has 18 grams of plant-based protein (1).

Active time: 10 minutes Total time: 45 minutes

Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 15-oz. can no salt added diced tomatoes
• 1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 2 15-oz. cans reduced sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups (280g) butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 4–5 minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika and cook, stirring constantly, for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Stir in the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, black beans, and butternut squash. Season with salt.

Bring the chili to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the butternut squash is tender, about 25–35 minutes. Add water, if needed, to loosen the chili. 

Serve immediately.

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1/4 recipe

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 338; Total Fat: 5g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 765mg; Carbohydrate: 59g; Dietary Fiber: 15g; Sugar: 11g; Protein: 18g

Nutrition Bonus: Calcium: 12%; Iron: 29%; Potassium: 1814mg; Vitamin A: 43%; Vitamin C: 14%

Originally published November 2017; updated March 2026

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