Healthy and delicious Mexican Pasta Salad! This is the perfect cold lunch for kids to take to school, enjoy at home, or even take to potlucks! Whole wheat pasta with vegetables and fresh avocado dressing. This post is sponsored by Produce for Kids for the Power your Lunchbox Campaign to benefit Feeding America.

As we gear up for another school year we find ourselves looking for healthy and nutritious meals to pack for littles and ourselves. As we’ve adopted a more plant-based vegan lifestyle we are still loving massive amounts of produce and healthy plant-based proteins, legumes are our favorite!

WHAT’S IN MEXICAN PASTA SALAD?

whole wheat pasta – this is a heart-healthy addition due to the whole grains, you could also use gluten-free pasta to make it gluten-free.
avocado – this adds creaminess and healthy fats.
black beans – beans add the protein to keep us fuller longer.
corn – not only does it add texture but also a sweetness.
tomatoes – rich in lycopene which is a powerful antioxidant that is found in pink and red fruits.
peppers – peppers are loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants.
onions – we use sweet onions to give it a little more crunch, you could also use red for more color.
cilantro – one of our favorite herbs, especially for Mexican recipes. Not a fan? Swap it out for parsley or leave it out altogether.
avocado dressing – what’s in avocado dressing – guacamole, chili powder, cumin, avocado oil, lime juice

WHAT KIND OF PASTA DO I USE?

For this recipe, we suggest whole wheat pasta or your favorite gluten-free pasta. As far as shape we prefer rotini or bowties for pasta salad.

HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN PASTA SALAD

Start off by making the dressing for the pasta salad.
We mix one WHOLLY® GUACAMOLE portioned container with lime juice, avocado oil, chili powder, and cumin. You could also add your favorite sweetener to sweeten it up. We like it tangy.
Mix cooked pasta with chopped peppers, onions, cilantro, corn, and black beans.
Pour the dressing over the top and mix to combine.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

HOW LONG WILL THIS LAST IN THE REFRIGERATOR?

This pasta salad recipe should keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

POWER YOUR LUNCHBOX

We’re excited to partner with Produce for Kids again for their Power your Lunchbox Campaign to benefit Feeding America. It encourages healthy lunches while helping to raise funds for children and families that are in need. The following sponsors will be donating 180,000 meals! Use #poweryourlunchbox on social.

Bee Sweet Citrus – Mandarins
Crispy Green®- Crispy Fruit
Litehouse® – Ranch & Blue Cheese cups and Family Sized Ranch Dressing
GROW – GROW Bananas
NatureFresh^TMFarms – Greenhouse Tomatoes (in this recipe!)
Pero Family Farms® – Snipped Green Beans, Mini Sweet Peppers, Veggie Spirals (in this recipe!)
RealSweet® – Peruvian Sweet Onions (in this recipe!)
WHOLLY® GUACAMOLE (all caps) – Minis & Snack Cups (with chips) (in this recipe!)
Zespri® – SunGoldTM Kiwifruit

more cold lunch recipes: