Are TikTok's 'dense bean salads' the answer to easy protein meal prep?

Louella Berryman
·5-min read
dense bean salad
Dense bean salads are trending - are they healthy?PGoodie76

The word 'dense' might not bring up positive connotations when it comes to food, but a new breed of social media star salads is making, um, 'dense' cool.

TikTok creator Violet Witchel's (@violet.cooks) dense bean salad recipes have millions of views on the platform, and a whole host of fans, too.

Her most popular video, a sun-dried tomato-dense bean salad, now has a whopping 8.5 million views on TikTok.

The self-styled 'bean salad girl' creates high-protein salad recipes using one or more types of beans and legumes, fresh vegetables and a dressing that marinates with the ingredients over the course of a week in the fridge.

Furthermore, as we would with any TikTok food trend, we're doing our due diligence to investigate it thoroughly and consult the experts on its health credentials...

What is dense bean salad?

A dense bean salad (crucially) contains two different types of beans, like butter beans and chickpeas, or black beans and kidney beans. It also includes veggies or salad fruits like corn, peaches, tomatoes or edamame, as well as meat like grilled chicken or steak. Witchel also creates vegetarian salads using cheeses like feta or mozzarella pearls.

Another key element is the dressing. Witchel makes a variety of salad dressings to go over each version of the dense bean salad, keeping the salad moist and delicious over the course of a week in the fridge. She even says the salad gets better the more days it's left to marinate.

How to make a dense bean salad

While each recipe varies slightly, the bare bones of making a dense bean salad are as follows...

  1. Chop the ingredients and add to a bowl with your chosen beans.

  2. Mix together a dressing a pour over the ingredients.

  3. Toss together, decant into lidded containers and store in the fridge for meal prep lunches.

dense bean salad
The Picture Pantry

Is dense bean salad good for you?

We asked BANT registered nutritionist and founder of Gutfulness Nutrition, Marilia Chamon, to delve into the health specifics of the dense bean salad – who says that the fibre, plant protein and heart-healthy ingredients are nutritional green flags.

'Beans such as chickpeas and black beans are high in both soluble and insoluble fibre. This is crucial for promoting gut health by nourishing beneficial gut bacteria and aiding regular bowel movements,' she says.

The plant protein content is also great for people choosing a meat-free diet, says Chamon. 'Beans are a great source of plant-based protein, which supports muscle repair, metabolic health, and satiety.'

Eating dense bean salads more regularly may also benefit heart health, she says. 'Beans, when eaten as part of a balanced diet, have been shown to improve cholesterol profiles and reduce blood pressure. The fibre, magnesium, and potassium content in beans also contribute to improved cardiovascular health,' says Chamon.

Beans are also a great addition to your diet if you're looking to stabilise your blood sugar levels. 'The combination of fibre, protein, and slow-releasing carbohydrates in beans helps stabilise blood glucose levels,' says Chamon.

Is there anyone who shouldn't be eating dense bean salads?

While beans might seem like the superfood you never knew you needed, there are some potential drawbacks to diving into dense bean salad life.

'Beans are high in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs), which can cause bloating, gas, and discomfort in individuals with IBS or other gut sensitivities,' says Chamon.

'For people with such conditions, introducing beans gradually or opting for low FODMAP varieties like canned lentils or canned chickpeas can help manage these symptoms.'

There are also downsides to prepping the same lunch to eat every day, says Chamon. While there are benefits like convenience and consistency, eating the same lunch every day can lead to taste fatigue and a lack of microbiome diversity.

'Eating the same meal every day can reduce enjoyment of the meal and decrease motivation to stick to healthy eating habits long term,' says Chamon.

'Another downside to eating the same food every day is the lack of variety. A diverse diet is essential for providing a broad spectrum of nutrients. Although beans and vegetables offer many nutrients, consuming different foods helps ensure a more complete nutritional profile. Rotating your beans (for example, swapping black beans for kidney beans or lentils) and veggies can mitigate this issue,' she says.

Dense bean salad recipe

Of course, we went ahead and created our very own dense bean salad recipe. Inspired by the classic green goddess salad, this green, mean protein and fibre machine is the perfect meal prep lunch idea.

dense bean salad
Louella Berryman

Ingredients

  • 1/2 a small white cabbage, finely chopped

  • 1 cucumber, finely chopped

  • 1 bunch of spring onions, finely chopped

  • 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans

  • 1 x 400g tin chickpeas

For the dressing

  • 1 shallot

  • 1 garlic clove

  • 1 avocado

  • 50g pistachios

  • 10g chives

  • 20g basil

  • 100g spinach

  • 1 lemon

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

  • 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt

  • Sea salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Put the cabbage, cucumber, spring onions, beans and chickpeas in a large bowl. Set aside.

  2. Put the dressing ingredients into a blender with a generous splash of water and blitz until completely smooth and bright green. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients in the bowl and mix together until thoroughly coated.

  3. Serve right away, or decant into containers and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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