Special Diets Mediterranean Diet 18 Heart-Healthy Lunch Recipes for the Mediterranean Diet 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 December 4, 2023 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 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. 01 of 18 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. View Recipe 02 of 18 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 18 The Best Tuna Salad Recipe for Sandwiches 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. View Recipe 04 of 18 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. View Recipe 05 of 18 Vegan Superfood Grain 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. View Recipe 06 of 18 Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna 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. View Recipe 07 of 18 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. View Recipe 08 of 18 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 09 of 18 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. View Recipe 10 of 18 High-Fiber 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. View Recipe 11 of 18 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. View Recipe 12 of 18 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. View Recipe 13 of 18 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! View Recipe 14 of 18 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. View Recipe 15 of 18 Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty and healthy salad recipe. View Recipe 16 of 18 Chickpea & Quinoa Grain Bowl 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! View Recipe 17 of 18 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. View Recipe 18 of 18 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. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! 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