I’m really into bean salads right now. Once I realized how truly simple – yet satisfying – they could be…let’s just say I’m sorry it took me so long.

I like to keep it really basic: no fancy home-made dressings, no crazy chopping of vegetables, just beans + herbs + olive oil + spices and maybe some cheese if it works. I love the complex bean salads, with more flavor, lots of tiny vegetables and delicious dressings, but simple bean salads deserve their place in the world too! This salad has been a lunch staple lately and in my effort to keep lunch-cooking/prep to a minimum, it’s been perfect.

Other Simple Bean Salad ideas:

• garbanzos + parsley + feta
• black beans + cilantro + queso fresco
• garbanzos + mint + feta
• white beans + chopped arugula + parmesan
• lentils + red pepper + goat cheese
• garbanzos + sun-dried tomatoes + parmesan
• black beans + avocado + cilantro (a splash of oj would be great in this one!)

Am I missing any bean salad staples? Share your favorites below! 

These are the products that didn’t necessarily make the first list, but they certainly deserve a mention! Some I genuinely think are great products and some are just too interesting not to share!

1. bison bar by epic bar / This is NOT jerky…we were sternly corrected. Think dried meat and dried fruit. I’m still not sure how I feel about it…

2. nuscoop by straus family creamery / It’s a frozen dairy dessert made with organic nonfat milk and cream, agave, whey protein, coconut oil, oat fiber, ghee and a whole lot more – essentially a healthy treat that tastes almost like ice cream. (They can’t call it ice cream because it is so low in fat!) A good way to sneak in some nutrition if necessary.

3. kimchi tortilla chips by food should taste good / Since becoming obsessed with Korean BBQ in the last year, I’ve subsequently also become obsessed with kimchi. I think even if you are wary of kimchi like I used to be, you would still like these chips. I’m trying to think of an amazing korean-style dip to eat alongside them…anyone?

4. savory tea by numi organics / I still don’t know how I feel about these…I have yet to try it and the sample I grabbed is fennel spice, which sounds infinitely better than carrot curry tea.

5. kids mac butternut squash puree / Mac & Cheese gets an upgrade in this convenient frozen meal. Tastes yummy too!

6. organic chia cereal by chia rezza / I have never made chia “pudding” before, but I think I tried it at the show. (Although, I would hesitate to call this pudding…cereal makes more sense) These cereals are made with chia, hemp, dried fruits and buckwheat. The nutrition stats are great, I hope to see them in stores soon!

7. powerful yogurt / Because apparently men need their own yogurt! “Greek yogurt in a man-sized package”

8. almond water by victoria’s kitchen / Sweetened water with almond (and other) flavors, this isn’t something I would drink on its own, but I love their ideas for using it as a cocktail mixer or fun ice cubes or popsicles.

9. egg white chips by ips (intelligent protein snacks) / This concept is pretty interesting, they combined popped corn chips with egg whites. Think pop chips + protein. Each serving has 130 calories, 4 or 5 grams of fat 15 grams of carbohydrates and 7 grams of protein per serving – pretty good stats for chips!

10. chobani soho creations / The Chobani booth had lots of great products (though they had just ran out of the key lime flips which I really wanted to try) but they were also serving up some of their creations from their yogurt bar in New York. I was ecstatic because I’m constantly drooling over their instagram pictures – the cucumber + olive oil did not disappoint! Come to the sunnier coast! Chobani Weho Creations has a nice ring to it…

And there you have it. Six hours of eating and drinking – just for you!