Is TikTok’s dense bean salad just another nutrition trend, or actually good for your health? Accredited Dietitian for the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet Nicole Pritchard weighs in.
If you’re on the same side of TikTok as me, you’ve likely seen videos of the ‘dense bean salad girl’ (as she’s been affectionately named) grace your feed.
TikToker Violet Witchel has gained viral popularity this year for her various recipes of what she calls a ‘dense bean salad’ — “a salad packed with veggies, tonnes of protein and a vinegar-based dressing that lasts the entire week”.
The concept for the dish is to combine canned legumes (like chickpeas or lentils) with dense salad ingredients such as cheese or meat, fresh herbs, and a zesty extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) dressing that continues to marinate everything else throughout the week. Basically a Mediterranean-style chopped salad, for those familiar.
Not only do the various iterations on Witchel’s page look incredibly tasty, but the salad is also gluten and dairy-free, and packed with protein. Plus according to the experts, it boasts a laundry list of health benefits.
Speaking to Body+Soul, CSIRO’s Total Wellbeing dietitian Nicole Pritchard says the main advantage of the dense bean salad is the large amounts of veggies it provides, helping you reach those vital five-a-day servings.
According to Pritchard, pairing the vegetables with legumes, which have a raft of health benefits, makes the salads a well-rounded meal prep option.
“Legumes are rich in antioxidants, essential minerals, and nutrients such as folate, iron, and magnesium,” she explains. “They’re also high in protein and fibre, with a low glycemic index (GI), which helps keep you full for longer.”
This also makes the dense bean salad (or DBS as Witchel has coined it in her captions) a solid choice for those with diabetes. A 2006 study even found that consuming dry beans twice a week may cut your risk of colon cancer in half – talk about a superfood.
However, it’s important to introduce legumes gradually to allow your gut to adjust to a higher-fibre diet, lest you become the person passing wind in the office all day. Pritchard says to start with small portions and increase gradually over a few weeks, and ensure you drink plenty of water to help your system adapt.
“[Legumes] can cause bloating, gas and discomfort especially if you suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) or have a sensitive gut,” she notes. “Legumes are known to be a high FODMAP food, which can be triggering for those with IBS, so consider a smaller portion as part of a main meal.”
As seen on TikTok, this could be adding the salad to a wrap for an easy work lunch.
Fellow Accredited Practising Dietitian Kathy Ozakovic says that incorporating carbohydrates like rice, pasta or even toasted sourdough can be beneficial, too, particularly for those with a more active lifestyle. She says pairing beans with other proteins and unsaturated fats will also help to lessen the impact on IBS sufferers.
Ozakovic grew up in Croatia and explains how beans and legumes are a staple of the Mediterranean diet.
“I remember my grandma bringing whole boxes of dried beans with her when she visited,” she reminisces. “I miss those days as dried beans in boxes would have less BFPAs and PDFAs … a build-up of which has shown a correlation to weakened gut lining causing poor digestion and upset tummies.
“So how do we strike a balance with this for our health? Rinse and drain well!”
As long as you mix it up every so often, she says the dense bean salad is a great idea daily. “You can vary the veggies, the beans, the protein source. The possibilities are endless.”
Luckily, Witchel has over 10 recipes on her page at the time of writing to recreate or spin how you see fit. Below, find an adaptation of one of her most popular – which garnered more than 12 million views on TikTok – with a dietitian’s stamp of approval.
Pritchard says it’s better to opt for a dense bean salad that includes lean meat protein, such as chicken breast, turkey or lean red meat, over those that contain processed meats such as salami or other deli meats.
In this case, we’re using a roast chook. Plus, we’ve added Persian feta for an extra tangy, creamy kick. Enjoy!
Tangy Mediterranean dense bean salad
Ingredients
1 rotisserie chicken 1 tub marinated Persian fetta in oil1 bag Persian cucumbers 1 red onion 3 multi-coloured capsicums 1 head parsley 2 ripe avocados 2 cans drained & rinsed chickpeas ½ cup olive oil Juice of two lemons ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp oregano Generous pinch of chilli flakes 1 tbsp cumin 1 tbsp sea salt 2 cloves garlic Dash of paprika
Method
#1. Debone and chop the rotisserie chicken. Dice the cucumbers before mincing the red onion, garlic and parsley. Core and dice the capsicums and avocado
#2. Add the chicken, chickpeas, cucumbers, capsicum, avocado, and parsley to a large bowl. In a separate smaller bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, herbs, spices and crushed garlic.
#3. Add mixture to the salad bowl with the marinated fetta. Toss everything together until well combined.
Looking for another recipe? Our friends at delicious.com.au have you covered with their easy dense bean salad recipe. Find it here.
Dining and Cooking