Special Diets Mediterranean Diet 20 Easy Three-Step Mediterranean Diet Lunch Recipes By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on February 11, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle 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. 01 of 20 Salmon Rice Bowl Ali Redmond 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. View Recipe 02 of 20 Green Goddess Wrap Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf 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. View Recipe 03 of 20 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. View Recipe 04 of 20 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. View Recipe 05 of 20 High-Protein Tuna & Chickpea Salad Sandwich Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle 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. View Recipe 06 of 20 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. View Recipe 07 of 20 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. View Recipe 08 of 20 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. View Recipe 09 of 20 Egg Salad English-Muffin Sandwich Brie Passano 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. View Recipe 10 of 20 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! View Recipe 11 of 20 Curried Chicken Apple Wraps Shredded chicken and chopped green apples are a delightful combination in this quick and easy curried sandwich wrap. View Recipe 12 of 20 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. View Recipe 13 of 20 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. View Recipe 14 of 20 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. View Recipe 15 of 20 Tuna Salad Crackers A fun twist on a tuna salad sandwich. This Tuna Salad & Crackers recipe uses wheat crackers instead of bread! View Recipe 16 of 20 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. View Recipe 17 of 20 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. View Recipe 18 of 20 Shrimp Salad with Peanut Dressing Using applesauce in the peanut dressing lends a sweet, tart flavor that pairs wonderfully with shrimp. View Recipe 19 of 20 Get Your Greens Wrap Sara Haas 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. View Recipe 20 of 20 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. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit