18 Heart-Healthy Lunch Recipes for the Mediterranean Diet

Salmon Couscous Salad

These lunches are both delicious and good for the heart. Whether you’re in the mood for a salad, wrap, grain bowl or other delicious meal, each of these recipes is low in saturated fats and sodium to align with a heart-healthy eating pattern. Plus, these dishes are packed with nutritious ingredients like leafy greens, fruit, legumes, olive oil and seafood to fit the Mediterranean diet, which has been voted the best diet in the world six years in a row. Try flavorful recipes like our flavorful Salmon Couscous Salad and tasty Veggie & Hummus Sandwich for a nourishing and satisfying lunch for any day of the week.

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Salmon Couscous Salad

Salmon Couscous Salad

This healthy and easy salad is designed to be made with precooked or leftover salmon. To quickly cook salmon, lightly brush with olive oil, then roast in a 450 degrees F oven until the fish is opaque and firm, 8 to 12 minutes.

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Green Goddess Wrap

a recipe photo of the 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.

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The Best Tuna Salad Recipe for Sandwiches

a recipe photo of the Best Tuna Salad Recipe
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

The tuna salad in this easy recipe has crunch from the celery and apple, which also delivers a hint of sweetness. We use Greek-style yogurt in place of mayonnaise to bind everything together and to add a tangy, creamy finish. You could take this up a notch and make it a "Waldorf tuna salad" by adding 2 tablespoons toasted chopped walnuts, 3 tablespoons quartered small grapes and 1 tablespoon additional Greek yogurt. Serve over a bed of greens or between two slices of whole-grain bread.

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Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

This mile-high vegetable and hummus sandwich makes the perfect heart-healthy vegetarian lunch to go. Mix it up with different flavors of hummus and different types of vegetables, depending on your mood.

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Vegan Superfood Grain Bowls

Vegan Superfood Buddha Bowls

This nutrient-packed grain bowl recipe comes together in 15 minutes with the help of a few convenience-food shortcuts like prewashed baby kale, microwavable quinoa and precooked beets. Pack these ahead to keep on hand for easy meal-prep lunches or dinners on busy nights.

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Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna

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This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don't need to massage or cook it to make it tender.

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Strawberry-Blueberry-Banana Smoothie

Strawberry-Blueberry-Banana Smoothie

A smoothie with strawberries, blueberries and banana is delicately sweet and entirely kid-friendly, even with a boost of protein from hemp seeds. Freeze the fruits ahead of time for an extra frosty texture once blended.

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Get Your Greens Wrap

recipe photo of the 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.

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Orange-Mint Freekeh Salad with Lima Beans

Orange-Mint Freekeh Salad with Lima Beans
Jacob Fox

This salad is loaded with colorful produce: fresh mint, snap peas, radishes and oranges. For pretty snap pea slices, cut them into long, thin strips.

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High-Fiber Matcha Green Smoothie Bowl

a recipe photo of Almond-Matcha Green Smoothie Bowl

EatingWell

Matcha powder and spinach give this healthy smoothie bowl a beautiful green hue. If you don't have spinach on hand, try swapping in another dark leafy green like kale.

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Spicy Tuna Salad English Muffin Sandwich

recipe photo of Spicy Tuna Salad English Muffin Sandwich
Sara Haas

This quick lunch idea has a delicious balance of flavors. A slightly spicy Sriracha-mayonnaise mixture adds heat to the tuna salad, while the quick-pickled cucumbers provide brightness. Be sure to toast the English muffin so the sandwich doesn't get soggy.

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Fish Tacos with Preserved Grapefruit Salsa

Fish Tacos with Preserved Grapefruit Salsa
Leigh Beisch

Tart preserved grapefruit and fresh grapefruit segments combine with avocado to make a complex salsa that pairs nicely with fish.

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Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one!

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Roasted Vegetable & Black Bean Tacos

Roasted Vegetable & Black Bean Tacos

These hearty vegan tacos are quick and easy to make, perfect for busy weeknights. They are so tasty no one will miss the meat or dairy.

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Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens

Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens

Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty and healthy salad recipe.

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Chickpea & Quinoa Grain Bowl

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It seems grain bowls have as many variations as there are stars in the sky, and there is no wrong way to build one! But we prefer to keep things classic and simple with hummus, quinoa, avocado and loads of veggies!

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Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.

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Lemon Shrimp & Orzo Salad

Lemon Shrimp & Orzo Salad

Consider making a double batch of this easy pasta salad--it's delicious the next day. The orzo will absorb the dressing as it sits, so add a little more olive oil and lemon juice if you'd like.

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