Green Bean Salad

By: Julia Huston

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

If you’ve been eating your green beans pan fried or oven baked with nothing but salt and pepper all your life, then boy do I have exciting news that’s going to rock your veggie world: this tasty green bean salad recipe. Served warm or cold, this blend of green beans and olive-oil based dressing makes for a delicious dish on a hot summer day. With bright tangs of citrus from the lemon zest and a little spicy kick from the hot honey, this green bean salad is bursting with flavor – it’s anything but bland. I love to use it as a side dish and pair it with a protein like salmon or chicken, then the next day I will use the leftovers to make a nourish bowl by piling on extra vegetables and ingredients. Green beans are rich in antioxidants, which are natural molecules that help neutralize harmful free radicals in our bodies. They also are high in flavonoids, which have beneficial anti-inflammatory effects, working to protect our cells from disease (Abu-Reidah). Green beans are not only rich in vitamins and minerals, but they are also considered to be a “low-FODMAP'' food. For those who have never heard of low-FODMAP, it essentially determines whether or not a certain food is less likely to cause stomach irritation or digestive problems. According to Dr. Jacqueline Barrett, a Doctor of the department of Gastroenterology at Monash University, FODMAPs are undigested carbohydrates that are processed by bacteria in your stomach, causing stomach discomfort and other unfavorable symptoms. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and acid reflux can both be made worse by eating foods high in FODMAPs (Barrett). Green beans are a low-FODMAP meal that many people with chronic digestive problems can happily enjoy!