Lunch can be super convenient when it’s ready in three steps or less. These meals are simple and easy to throw together for a healthy and flavorful midday bite. Plus, each dish aligns with one of the healthiest and most flexible diets around, the Mediterranean diet. You’ll notice that these lunches are packed with lots of nutritious ingredients like leafy greens, seafood, legumes, whole grains and healthy oil to keep you on track with a balanced eating pattern. Recipes like our Salmon Rice Bowl and High-Protein Tuna & Chickpea Salad Sandwich are mouthwatering options for lunchtime this week.
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Salmon Rice Bowl
Inspired by the viral TikTok trend, this salmon rice bowl makes for a tasty lunch or dinner. With healthy ingredients like instant brown rice, salmon and veggies, you'll have a flavorful meal in just 25 minutes.
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Green Goddess Wrap
A soft and silky green goddess dressing blends with crunchy fresh cucumber and tender greens in this easy wrap. If you prefer, you can ditch the wrap and enjoy the filling as a salad instead.
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Open-Face Goat Cheese Sandwich with Tomato & Avocado Salad
This simple lunch comes together in just 10 minutes, making it a great option for busy days.
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Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
This no-cook bean salad is a delicious way to use summer's best cherry or grape tomatoes and juicy cucumbers for a light dinner or lunch. Fresh basil elevates an easy vinaigrette recipe that dresses up this simple salad into something extraordinary.
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High-Protein Tuna & Chickpea Salad Sandwich
This zesty tuna sandwich gets an extra boost of protein from chickpeas. Smashing some of the chickpeas into the tuna enhances the texture and helps hold the filling together. The combo of garlic and Sriracha adds a delightful kick, but feel free to opt for an alternative hot sauce of your preference or skip it altogether for a milder flavor.
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Salmon-Stuffed Avocados
Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy, omega-3-rich fish in your diet. Here, we combine it with avocados in an easy no-cook meal.
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Strawberry-Pineapple Smoothie
Blend almond milk, strawberry and pineapple for a smoothie that's so easy you can make it on busy mornings. A bit of almond butter adds richness and filling protein. Freeze some of the almond milk for an extra-icy texture.
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Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes
This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar.
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Egg Salad English-Muffin Sandwich
When you boil eggs ahead of time, it's easy to create a lickety-split and delightful lunchtime egg salad. And using the flavorful leafy carrot tops in it is like getting herbs for free.
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Farro Salad with Arugula, Artichokes & Pistachios
Precooked farro makes this dish come together in no time. And you can make it in the same bowl you serve it in, minimizing cleanup!
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Curried Chicken Apple Wraps
Shredded chicken and chopped green apples are a delightful combination in this quick and easy curried sandwich wrap.
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Grilled Vegetable Salads with Goat Cheese
Prepare a week's worth of lunches in about 10 minutes using a handful of ingredients from your local specialty grocery store. To save time, we're using a bag of frozen grilled and marinated vegetables, then adding big flavor with marinated goat cheese. If you want to bump up the protein, leftover chicken breast or salmon pair perfectly with this hearty salad.
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Rainbow Grain Bowl with Cashew Sauce
This vibrant bowl is packed with nutrients to keep you full for hours. Look for precooked lentils in the refrigerated section of the produce department.
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Salmon Pita Sandwich
This quick lunch recipe is loaded with heart-healthy omega-3s thanks to the canned sockeye salmon. If you're bringing this sandwich for lunch, keep the salmon salad separate and stuff the pita just before eating.
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Tuna Salad Crackers
A fun twist on a tuna salad sandwich. This Tuna Salad & Crackers recipe uses wheat crackers instead of bread!
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Lentil Burgers
Walnuts and fresh marjoram accent these vegan lentil burgers. Substitute oregano for marjoram if you like. Serve with a smear of whole-grain mustard and roasted sweet potato wedges.
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Salmon Salad with Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Incorporating salmon into salads adds a good source of protein and heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. This quick-and-easy salad is perfect for a lunch or dinner and is sure to leave you feeling full and satisfied.
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Shrimp Salad with Peanut Dressing
Using applesauce in the peanut dressing lends a sweet, tart flavor that pairs wonderfully with shrimp.
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Get Your Greens Wrap
This healthy, quick wrap is packed with plenty of green vegetables—cucumber, sprouts and lettuce add crunch, avocado lends creaminess and edamame provides some plant-based protein.
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Chopped Chicken & Sweet Potato Salad
This easy salad recipe allows for a wonderful use of leftover cooked chicken. Look for escarole in the produce section near the leafy greens; if you can't find it, you can use romaine instead.
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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have personal experiences or preferences like a human, but I have been trained on a wide range of topics and have knowledge of various subjects. Let me provide you with information related to the concepts used in this article.
This article discusses a collection of lunch recipes that are simple, healthy, and align with the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is known for its emphasis on whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seafood, and healthy fats. It has been associated with numerous health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and improved overall well-being.
The recipes mentioned in the article include:
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Salmon Rice Bowl: This recipe features instant brown rice, salmon, and vegetables. It can be prepared in just 25 minutes.
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Green Goddess Wrap: This wrap includes a green goddess dressing, fresh cucumber, and tender greens. It can also be enjoyed as a salad.
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Open-Face Goat Cheese Sandwich with Tomato & Avocado Salad: This quick lunch option takes only 10 minutes to prepare and consists of a goat cheese sandwich topped with a tomato and avocado salad.
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Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette: This no-cook bean salad combines cherry or grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and a basil vinaigrette dressing.
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High-Protein Tuna & Chickpea Salad Sandwich: This tuna sandwich is enhanced with chickpeas for added protein. It includes garlic, Sriracha, and can be customized with hot sauce preferences.
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Salmon-Stuffed Avocados: Canned salmon is combined with avocados for a no-cook meal option.
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Strawberry-Pineapple Smoothie: This smoothie recipe includes almond milk, strawberry, pineapple, and almond butter for added richness and protein.
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Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes: This healthier version of the classic Sloppy Joes recipe replaces some of the meat with beans to increase fiber content.
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Egg Salad English-Muffin Sandwich: Boiled eggs are used to create a quick and delightful egg salad, with the addition of flavorful carrot tops.
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Farro Salad with Arugula, Artichokes & Pistachios: Precooked farro is the base for this salad, which includes arugula, artichokes, and pistachios.
These are just a few of the lunch recipes mentioned in the article. Each recipe focuses on using nutritious ingredients and can contribute to a balanced eating pattern. The Mediterranean diet is known for its emphasis on whole, unprocessed foods, and these recipes align with that approach.