Special Diets Mediterranean Diet Center 37 Mediterranean Diet Lunches That Can Help Reduce Inflammation By Leah Goggins Leah Goggins Instagram Website Leah Goggins is a digital fellow for EatingWell. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, she is a devotee of old movies, farmers' markets and Ina Garten's tomato sandwich with basil mayo recipe. Leah has a degree in news media and English from The University of Alabama. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on June 13, 2022 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. 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 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Fred Hardy Chronic inflammation can end up causing you all kinds of pesky problems, from stiff joints to poor digestion. That's why eating more nutrient-dense anti-inflammatory foods, like cauliflower, avocado and fish, can be a healthy way to shake up your routine. These delicious Mediterranean diet-friendly lunches incorporate lots of those tasty ingredients and include the pillars of the Mediterranean diet, like whole grains, fish, fruits and veggies. Recipes like our Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta and Vegetarian Protein Bowl are tasty ways to add some flavor to your next midday meal. 01 of 37 Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta View Recipe Kelsey Hansen This quick and easy chopped salad is inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean, including chickpeas, cucumber and feta. A garlicky oil and vinegar dressing brings everything together. 02 of 37 Cauliflower Rice Bowls with Grilled Chicken View Recipe These healthy Greek-inspired cauliflower rice bowls topped with feta, olives, veggies and grilled chicken are impressive yet take just 30 minutes to make. 03 of 37 Baked Falafel Sandwiches View Recipe This street-style falafel sandwich is herbaceous, tangy and rich. The falafel gets nice and crispy in the oven while the veggies inside keep it simple and fresh. Make the tahini sauce (see Associated Recipes) ahead of time for easy prep. Wrapping the sandwich in foil makes it a perfect bring-along lunch and helps hold it together for eating on the go. 04 of 37 Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad View Recipe Greg DuPree Avocado adds creaminess while sunflower seeds provide texture and crunch in this easy tuna-spinach salad. 05 of 37 Lentil Salad with Feta, Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Olives View Recipe Jennifer Causey This Mediterranean lentil salad, with chopped veggies, feta cheese and a light dressing, is perfect to have on hand for a quick lunch. 06 of 37 Mediterranean Quinoa Salad View Recipe This Mediterranean quinoa salad is chock-full of fresh veggies that marinate in a bright, fresh dressing. It's an easy vegetarian dinner recipe that can also be made ahead as a healthy lunch option. 07 of 37 Chickpea Tuna Salad View Recipe Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn This chickpea tuna salad with capers, feta and cucumber makes for the perfect lunch to pack for work or school. You can prep the salad the night before (just be sure to keep the spinach separate and dress the salad right before serving). 08 of 37 Vegetarian Protein Bowl View Recipe Fred Hardy This vegetarian protein bowl has everything you need for a complete meal in one bowl. Beans not only boost protein, but also add creaminess to the farro mixture. Chimichurri sauce brightens the dish. 09 of 37 Salmon Rice Bowl View Recipe Ali Redmond Inspired by the viral TikTok trend, this tasty bowl makes for a satisfying lunch or dinner. With a handful of healthy ingredients, like instant brown rice, heart-healthy salmon and lots of crunchy veggies, you'll have a filling and flavorful meal in just 25 minutes. Looking to cut down on carbs? Try swapping in riced cauliflower in place of the brown rice. 10 of 37 Avocado Chicken Salad View Recipe Caitlin Bensel This avocado chicken salad is herbaceous, bright and creamy. The blend of cilantro, dill and chives pairs nicely with fresh avocado. Enjoy this easy chicken salad over lettuce, on crackers or in a wrap. 11 of 37 Vegetarian Chopped Power Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing View Recipe Brie Passano Cilantro adds color and flavor when blended to make a creamy dressing. Serve this healthy salad for lunch or dinner. 12 of 37 Winter Greens Bowl View Recipe Ali Redmond This one-pan meal packs in lots of plant-based protein and flavor thanks to beans and quinoa, while a creamy lemon-garlic dressing completes the dish. 13 of 37 Avocado Tuna Salad View Recipe Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ruth BlackBurn / Julia Bayless Jazz up a can of tuna with this easy avocado tuna salad recipe. Silky avocado adds creaminess that's cut with a hit of acidity from lemon and a briny punch from feta cheese. Romaine hearts and cucumber offer refreshing crunch. 14 of 37 Quinoa-Black Bean Salad View Recipe Enjoy this quinoa and black bean salad as a delicious and quick vegetarian main dish or as a side for grilled chicken or steak. And don't forget the leftovers! They make an easy lunch on the go. 15 of 37 White Bean & Veggie Salad View Recipe This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables. 16 of 37 Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Bowl View Recipe Quinoa and chickpeas pack this vegetarian grain bowl with plenty of plant-based protein. Whip up a batch of these Mediterranean meals and pack in containers with lids to stash in the fridge for easy, healthy grab & go lunches all week long. 17 of 37 Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette View Recipe 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. 18 of 37 Vegan Grain Bowl View Recipe This easy grain bowl has so much to love--sweet potatoes, protein-packed chickpeas, creamy avocado and homemade tahini dressing. Make the full recipe on the weekend and pack into individual serving containers for ready-to-go lunches for work all week. 19 of 37 Couscous & Chickpea Salad View Recipe Cooked couscous and canned chickpeas come together in this quick lunch salad. The basil vinaigrette makes it taste anything but basic! When in season, we recommend adding fresh chopped tomatoes for a spin on tabbouleh. 20 of 37 Tomato-&-Avocado Cheese Sandwich View Recipe Parmesan cheese is such a bold flavor, you only need 1/4 cup to add a big punch to this vegetarian toaster-oven sandwich. Get a serving of fruit too, when you enjoy the sandwich with a fresh pear. 21 of 37 Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dressing View Recipe This hearty vegan salad is loaded with plant-based power ingredients: chickpeas, quinoa and hummus. We love the crunch of the sunflower seeds and the unexpected flavor of roasted peppers. 22 of 37 Meal-Prep Falafel Bowls with Tahini Sauce View Recipe These quick Mediterranean-inspired couscous bowls come together in 20 minutes thanks to healthy convenience items like frozen falafel and steam-in-bag fresh green beans. Whisk together the simple tahini sauce while the other ingredients cook. 23 of 37 Chicken & Apple Kale Wraps View Recipe Using kale leaves instead of bread to wrap your filling makes this healthy chicken lunch recipe low-calorie (and lower in carbs!). If you can't find lacinato (aka Tuscan) kale, try cabbage for your wrap. 24 of 37 Orzo Salad with Chickpeas & Artichoke Hearts View Recipe Photography / Fred Hardy, Styling / Kady Wohlfarth / Kay Clarke This hearty orzo salad features feta, lemon and dill, three ingredients often found in Greek cuisine. Enjoy for lunch or dinner. 25 of 37 Veggie & Hummus Sandwich View Recipe 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. 26 of 37 Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl View Recipe This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top. 27 of 37 Salmon-Stuffed Avocados View Recipe 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. 28 of 37 Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowls View Recipe This pesto chicken quinoa bowl is packed with herbs from the basil pesto and the Italian spice mix and gets a slight kick of heat from the red pepper. If you enjoy the flavor profile, this dish can also be made with orzo in place of quinoa. 29 of 37 Kale & Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing View Recipe Photography / Antonis Achilleos, Styling / Christine Keely, Ali Ramee This kale-quinoa salad pops with different flavors and textures. Massaging the kale helps break down its fibrous nature, while add-ins like toasted almonds, feta and cucumber add crunch and saltiness. 30 of 37 Kale & Avocado Salad with Blueberries & Edamame View Recipe Bursting with nutrient-rich produce, this California-inspired salad is a delicious and satisfying way to get your vitamins. We love the unique combination of blueberries, edamame, and goat cheese. 31 of 37 Tuna Salad with Egg View Recipe Photography / Jennifer Causey, Styling / Ali Ramee / Audrey Davis This simple tuna salad with egg has a clean and balanced flavor. The capers and lemon bring acidity to help everything come together and chopped arugula adds a peppery kick. Enjoy it with greens or on a slice of your favorite whole-grain bread. 32 of 37 Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens View Recipe Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty and healthy salad recipe. 33 of 37 Chopped Veggie Grain Bowls with Turmeric Dressing View Recipe In about 10 minutes, you can prep a week's worth of lunches using 4 simple ingredients from your local specialty grocery store. To minimize prep, we're taking advantage of prechopped fresh veggie mix and frozen quinoa (which heats in the microwave in under 5 minutes). These crunchy chopped salad bowls are high in fiber but lower in calories, making them perfect for those following a reduced-calorie diet. 34 of 37 Thai-Style Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu View Recipe Prep four days' worth of high-protein vegan lunches using just four easy ingredients from your local specialty grocery store, including a veggie-heavy salad mix as a base. Because this salad mix is hearty, you can dress these bowls up to 24 hours before serving to allow the flavors in this healthy chopped salad to marry. If you can't find a hearty mix, go with broccoli slaw or shredded Brussels sprouts. 35 of 37 Mediterranean Tuna-Spinach Salad View Recipe This tuna salad recipe gets an upgrade with olives, feta and a tahini dressing. Served over baby spinach, this is the perfect easy and light lunch or dinner salad. 36 of 37 Mediterranean Wrap View Recipe This wrap is stuffed with chicken tenders and couscous with a hit of lemon and a healthy dose of fresh herbs. Save any leftovers to wrap up for an easy lunch. Serve with: Mixed green salad and a glass of crisp white wine. 37 of 37 Tuna & White Bean Salad View Recipe The time-honored Italian pairing of canned tuna and cannellini beans makes a super-simple, satisfying lunch. Serve over salad greens, on grilled whole-wheat country bread or tucked in a whole-wheat pita pocket. Was this page helpful? 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