Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

These quinoa bowls are the perfect healthy school lunch idea for kids and teens!

Mix some nutritious, protein-packed quinoa with veggies and delicious Mexican spices in this vegetarian Southwest Quinoa Salad.

If you’re a long-time reader, you know how much I love repurposing meals – it’s like a two-for-one! That’s why I love dinner recipes that can be easily packed in the lunch boxes for the kids (and for me at the office). In fact, most of my best, healthy lunch ideas come straight from our dinner table the night before!

Quick Southwest Quinoa Salad Lunch

This quinoa salad is made with taco spices and filled with protein and veggies. Everything is chopped up finely, and kids love the sweetness of the corn, the fresh salsa, and of course, the fact that they can eat this healthy lunch with CHIPS.

And it takes less than 30 minutes to cook- yes, please! It’s a great vegetarian dinner option that’s full of protein and nutrition from quinoa and black beans. Once everyone’s done eating, I can pack the leftovers up in lunch boxes with some fresh fruits, veggies, and tortilla chips as a treat, and we’re good to go!

It’s amazing how many fewer complaints I get from my picky eaters when I let them use corn chips and serve up veggies on top. The same little trick works with my homemade nachos.

Ingredients

This Southwest Quinoa Salad is a nutritious meal that makes a terrific lunch for school and the office. You’ll find the measurements in the recipe card, but first, check out the ingredients you’ll need:

Quinoa: you can use white or red quinoa.
Water: for cooking the quinoa.
Salsa: use your favorite one.
Spices: chipotle chili powder and ground cumin add tons of flavor.
Frozen corn: adds crunchiness and a slightly sweet note.
Canned black beans: or your favorite beans.
Tomatoes: use any type of tomato you have around.
Cilantro: adds a fresh touch to the salad.
Green onions: for extra flavor and texture. Red onion or shallots makes a great swap.
Avocado: optional for added creaminess and nutrition.
Shredded Cheddar cheese: or your favorite to sprinkle over the salad.
Lime dressing: it’s made with plain yogurt, lime juice, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.

How to Pack Southwest Quinoa for Lunch

If you’re prepping this salad ahead of time, it will most likely be cold in the fridge when you go to pack it for lunch. Good thing this recipe can be enjoyed chilled or warmed-up, and below I show you how to pack it both ways in a lunchbox:

Pack it warm
Warm the quinoa salad in the microwave then transfer it to a thermos container and top with cheese and avocado, if desired.

Pack it chilled
Transfer the chilled quinoa salad into a lunch container and top with the cheese and avocado. Place it in an insulated lunch bag and add an ice pack to keep it fresh.

Don’t forget the dressing
Pack the dressing in a mini sauce container and drizzle over the salad prior to eating.

Need a lunch container or thermos to pack more recipes like this for lunch? You’ll find several of my top choices in this post.

Learn how to make this simple recipe in the video below:

If you want to make more fresh and delicious school lunches, then you will love what’s inside my 101 Packed Lunches eBook.

It has over a hundred ideas for kid-friendly epic school lunches likes soups, pasta, wraps, and salads that adults would enjoy too!

101 Packed Lunches eBook

All my best kid-friendly lunches from over a decade of creating meal plans. Add some variety to your child’s lunchbox with these epic lunches, plus receive my Pack Meals Like a Pro ebook, free with purchase!

Grab the Book!

Other Quinoa Recipes for Kids

Quinoa is high in protein, gluten-free, and makes a great replacement for rice or potatoes on your child’s plate. I love getting creative with Quinoa and finding new ways to insert it into family favorite recipes like:

After trying these recipes, you just might hear your kids say “more quinoa please!” for the first time ever!

For this Southwest Quinoa, sometimes I even double the recipe so I’m guaranteed leftovers. Because when I can make mealtime a little easier, I go for it!

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

These quinoa bowls are the perfect healthy school lunch idea for kids and teens!

5 from 18 votes

Print Pin

Watch How It’s Packed:

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups water
¾ cup jarred salsa
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 15- ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
3 green onions, thinly sliced

For the dressing:

½ cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

For serving:

1 avocado, optional
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

Cook the quinoa:

Bring the water to a boil, then stir in the quinoa, lower the heat and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes and turn off heat.
Cover and let sit for 6 minutes – you’ll know the quinoa is ready when you see the little white “tail” of the germ around the outside edge of each seed.

Combine:

Once quinoa is done, add salsa, chili powder, and cumin, fold to combine well. Stir in the corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions. Fold a few times until thoroughly combined.

Make the dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, lime juice, salt, pepper, and garlic. Add the dressing to the salad and toss to combine.

Serve:

Serve with avocado and cheese and garnish with additional cilantro, if desired.

For a packed lunch:

Pack quinoa salad leftovers in a lunchbox container and the dressing into mini sauce containers. If packing avocado, add it to the lunchbox the same morning to keep it from browning.
Refrigerate until it’s time to pack it for school. Add an ice pack inside the lunch bag if needed. This salad is great eaten cold or at room temperature as well.