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Chicken‑Quinoa Quesadilla Plate

  • Writer: Devon Tonneson
    Devon Tonneson
  • Jul 21
  • 2 min read

Updated: Aug 20

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Why I reach for it

The combo of berries, bell pepper, and quinoa loads this meal with antioxidants and magnesium—nutrients that help calm the low‑level inflammation that shadows many lupus days. It isn’t especially high in sodium, so I don’t rely on it for POTS support unless I add a salted electrolyte drink. Migraine‑prone readers should note that Monterey Jack is a young cheese and generally lower in tyramine than aged cheddar, but if dairy is a trigger for you, leave it out or swap in a dairy‑free melt.


Ingredients & where I bought them  — 1 large quesadilla + fruit

Item

Amount

Source

Notes

Whole‑wheat 8‑inch tortillas

2

Harris Teeter bakery section

~260 mg sodium each

Cooked chicken breast, shredded

½ cup

Trader Joe’s plain roasted breast

Low‑fat, pre‑cooked

Cooked quinoa, cooled

½ cup

Whole Foods bulk quinoa, batch‑cooked

Magnesium + protein

Red bell pepper, diced

¼ cup

Durham Farmers’ Market

Vitamin C and carotenoids

Romaine or spinach, shredded

¼ cup

Farmers’ market

Adds crunch and folate

Monterey Jack cheese, grated

¼ cup

Harris Teeter dairy

Mild flavor; lower tyramine

Olive oil

1 tsp

Pantry

For pan toasting

Strawberries, halved

½ cup

Farmers’ market

Polyphenol burst

Blueberries

¼ cup

Harris Teeter

Anthocyanin‑rich

Quick method (12 minutes)

  1. Heat a non‑stick skillet over medium; brush with olive oil.

  2. Lay one tortilla in the pan. Evenly layer chicken, quinoa, bell pepper, lettuce, and cheese; top with second tortilla.

  3. Cook 2‑3 minutes per side until cheese melts and the tortilla turns golden.

  4. Slide onto a board, rest 1 minute, then cut into six wedges.

  5. Plate alongside strawberries and blueberries. Serve warm.

Migraine tweak: skip the cheese or use sliced avocado for creaminess (avocado is low histamine for many but not all).POTS tweak: sprinkle a light pinch of sea salt over the filling before folding, or pair with a salted electrolyte drink.


Nutrition snapshot (entire plate, with cheese)

  • Protein: ~34 g

  • Sodium: ~650 mg

  • Potassium: ~720 mg

  • Fiber: ~9 g

  • Added sugar: 0 g

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