20 Simple & Healthy Lunch Ideas
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Simple + Healthy Lunch Ideas
It seems like so many people are searching for easy to make, healthy and delicious meal ideas. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, finding inspiration to eat clean can sometimes feel hard. Simple to make, healthy dishes are always a request from our fitness retreat guests. We’ve compiled a list of 20 ideas for lunch that are healthy yet still taste great. After all, clean eating should still be satisfying and delicious.
We tried to keep these as simple as possible so that there wouldn’t be a ton of prep time or a ton of cook time. Plus, we wanted most of these to be able to be pre-made or assembled in advance so if you need to meal prep, it’s not a complicated task. Scroll down to check out all of the recipe ideas. At the end of the post we’ve provided a bit more information about ingredients, quantities and more.
The majority of our lunch ideas are gluten free and grain free. Some will need a small tweak to make them dairy free or vegetarian (swap out the protein source).
Sandwiches & Wraps
We prefer sprouted grain bread and wraps or a gluten free bread or wrap but use your favorite/preferred brand. Amounts will vary per person and energy needs.
Turkey, Arugula & Feta
Turkey, arugula, red onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese, greek dressing
Ultimate Veggie
Alfalfa sprouts, avocado, tomato, onion and hummus
Fresh Mozzarella
Fresh mozzarella, tomato, onion, spinach and a balsamic glaze
Grilled Chicken, Arugula & Roasted Red Peppers
Grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, arugula, provolone cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt
Mediterranean
Alfalfa sprouts, avocado, kalamata olives, onion, tomato, banana peppers, feta, Greek dressing
Asian Slaw
Red cabbage, carrot, cilantro, cashews, chicken or shrimp, ginger dressing
Egg, Tuna & Chicken Salads
*These types of salads are great for meal prep - make a bigger batch and enjoy for additional lunches or dinners.
Egg salad
Classic hard boiled egg salad with olive oil mayo or organic mayo and your preferred seasoning (we like simple Himalayan sea salt and cracked black pepper).
Caprese Egg Salad
Egg salad with fresh mozzarella chunks, grape tomatoes and basil in olive oil and lemon
Avocado Egg Salad
Hard boiled eggs mixed with ripe avocado instead of mayo or oil. Season with sea salt and pepper.
Chicken salad
Baked chicken diced into large chunks. Add grapes or pineapple and walnuts or almonds. Mix in olive oil or healthy mayo (olive oil may or organic mayo) and sea salt and pepper.
Veggie Chicken Salad With Roasted Vegetables
Baked or grilled chicken cut into large chunks. Mix with roasted mushrooms, zucchini, onion, broccoli and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and parmesan cheese. Sea salt and pepper to taste.
Mexican Chicken Salad
Baked or grilled chicken mixed with roasted corn, large diced tomatoes, red onion and black beans. Top with salsa, guacamole and
Tuna Salad With Olive Oil And Lemon Juice
Wild caught canned tuna with diced celery, diced onion and mixed with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with sea salt, garlic and pepper to taste.
Leafy Salads
Arugula, Beets, Feta Cheese & Grilled Chicken
Fresh arugula, sliced beets, grilled chicken slices, feta cheese, onion. Topped with balsamic and olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper if needed.
Kale Chop
Small chop every ingredient - kale, onion, tomato, sunflower seeds, chicken, cranberries parmesan cheese. Use light ceasar dressing or creamy dressing of your choice.
Mexi Chicken Chop
Rough chop every ingredient - romain, chicken, black beans, tomato, onion, red bell peppers, jalapeños, avocado, pumpkin seeds. Top with spicy ranch.
Asian Mix
Romain, red cabbage, carrots, yellow bell pepper, celery, green onion, cashews, sesame seeds. Dressing: Ginger or Peanut Vinaigrette
Italian Spring Mix
Spring mix tomato onion and mushroom Pepper Cheney’s Parmesan salami ham prosciutto balsamic and olive oil
Spinach & Pomegranate
Spinach, pomegranate, red onion (chopped super fine) and grilled chicken. Lemon vinaigrette.
Fresh Cucumber & Grilled Shrimp
Large chunk: Cucumber, onion, tomato, avocado. Add grilled shrimp or chicken, olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt.
Meal Guide
We’ve left the amounts off of the lunch ideas above. You can choose how much of one item or another that you’d like to incorporate. We do have a few guidelines below that you can follow.
How Much:
Protein should be about the size and thickness of the palm of your hand.
Vegetables like cucumber, broccoli, green beans and lettuce are freebies. You can have as much as you want.
Starchier veggies like squash, carrots and potatoes should be about the size of a clenched fist.
Starchier carbs should be about the size of a clenched fist.
Fat should be about 1 thumb size.
You can add in extra fat when starchy carbs are absent.
Get Creative
Switch out the greens
Choose a different dressing
Swap the fruit (blueberries or strawberries for pomegranate)
Add a grain like brown rice or quinoa to your salad (they give it a whole new flavor)
Mix up the protein - use organic tofu, chicken, steak, shrimp or fish as you see fit
As stated above, clean eating should be fun. Make sure your food is colorful and delicious so you can get the most out of your meals and enjoy them too. We hope you enjoy these lunch ideas. Please feel free to comment below with any questions.
SAY HELLO TO HEALTHFUL EATING: THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET MEAL PLAN AND LIFESTYLE GUIDE
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Recipe Bundle w/ 70 total Recipes: 30 recipes are directly correlated to the 4 week meal plan for ease. Beyond that, enjoy a variety of additional recipes, including 10 additional breakfasts, 15 lunches, and 15 dinners, alongside the meal plan recipes.
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Snack Ideas - 36 Snack Ideas
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Energy Balance Guide - Learn how to manage your energy
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