By utilizing ingredients known for their heart benefits, you can make some quick and easy lunches in under 30 minutes! All of these healthy lunch recipes can be prepped ahead of time and are delicious for a midday meal, keeping you on track with your health goals.
Planning your meals ahead of time is not always easy. People are surprised to find that it is time-consuming to plan out your healthy meals before shopping and preparing. If you have a health condition that restricts your diet, planning meals can be even harder.
Instead of stressing, here are 3 heart-healthy lunch ideas to make today. Each recipe is healthy with whole ingredients and can be made ahead of time. Plus, they are all filling enough for any appetite with lasting energy and gut-healthy fiber.
Beet and Arugula Salad with Baked Salmon
You either love the taste of beets or don’t. If you enjoy the earthy flavor of beets, you will love this salad with beets, arugula, and salmon. This recipe was curated specifically for people who need to watch their heart health.
As one of the most fiber-rich foods, beets bring a lot to the table. They are dense with nitrates, which help to fight free radicals in the body. Free radicals lead to inflammation, which leads to a host of health problems, including heart disease and stroke. Low-inflammatory foods are great for heart health, and beets are one of them.
Another food to incorporate into your diet is leafy greens. The darker and more flavorful, the better. This is why arugula is perfect in this salad; it offers tons of flavor, crunch, and freshness while also providing nitrates and antioxidants. The arugula stays raw in the salad, so it provides maximum vitamins and minerals.
Lastly, salmon is one of the healthiest foods in the world. It contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which are a compound that also fights inflammation. Some other benefits of fatty fish are to prevent blood clots, lower blood pressure, decrease triglycerides and lower your risk of stroke.
The Recipe
Beet and Arugula Salad with Baked Salmon
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 2 large beets, cooked, peeled, and sliced (feel free to use canned or packaged beets)
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup arugula, washed and dried
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 4-6oz. Salmon filet, skin removed
- 6-8 whole walnuts, chopped
Instructions:
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F.
- Cook, peel, and slice your beets. Chop your celery and bell pepper. Place all of the veggies into a bowl with the arugula.
- In a small bowl. Add the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and salt or pepper if using. Whisk and set aside.
- Dress your salmon filet with ¼ to ½ of the oil mixture. Place in the air fryer for 15-20 minutes until cooked all the way through. Pour the rest of the dressing over the vegetables and toss.
- Serve the salmon on a bed of salad and top with the chopped walnuts.
Kale, Quinoa, and Orange Salad
Another heart-healthy salad that can be made ahead, this Kale, Quinoa, and Orange Salad is a sweet and savory delight that is filling and fast. All of the ingredients in this salad are recommended by health professionals for people watching their heart health. This is a feel-good recipe!
Similar to arugula, kale is a leafy green superfood that offers a myriad of amazing health benefits. It supports immunity, digestive health, and has skin and brain benefits. Not only that, but kale also helps to fight blood clots due to its high amounts of vitamin K.
Whole, healthy grains are great for your heart. Quinoa is one of those grains! It is a gluten-free grain, so it can be enjoyed by many different diet preferences. Studies have suggested a 20-30% decrease in the risk of developing heart disease when incorporating unprocessed whole grains into their diets.
Lastly, orange segments and juice flavor this salad for a fruity, sweet kick. There is no added sugar in this salad, although there is a little sweetness from raw honey. Raw honey contains tons of antioxidants to further fight inflammation in the body.
The Recipe
Kale, Quinoa, and Orange Salad
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- ½ bunch of kale, washed and stems removed
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 navel orange, peeled, segmented, and juiced
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Wash and stem your kale. Once cleaned, slice into thin strips.
- Add your cooked quinoa to a bowl. Segment your orange and squeeze the excess juice into the quinoa. Toss the kale, quinoa, and orange segments to combine.
- Top the salad with olive oil, parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss once more and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Black Bean Soup with Fresh Avocado
Not everyone is a fan of salads for lunch, and that’s okay! Instead, a nice filling soup is the answer. This Black Bean Soup with Fresh Avocado is a filling, fibrous, and fresh lunch that can easily be made ahead of time. If you are eating this soup on the go, bring your whole avocado with you and dress the soup once heated.
Beans and other legumes are surprisingly healthy proteins. They contain tons of fiber and nutrients, which fill you up between meals. Studies have suggested that eating just ½ cup of beans per day can lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol significantly. Plus, canned beans are so easy to keep in the pantry for a quick meal!
The avocado on top is another superfood that is imperative for a healthy heart. Just like salmon, avocado contains lots of omega-3 fatty acids, which our bodies do not produce on their own. The creamy fresh avocado can also aid in lowering LDL cholesterol, making it and black beans an unbeatable duo.
Serve this soup with a squeeze of lime juice for acidity. If you like, you can also top with some low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt to add creaminess to the soup. With canned beans and other pantry staples, you likely have all the ingredients in your cupboard for this soup right now!
The Recipe
Black Bean Soup with Fresh Avocado
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced small
- 1 small carrot, peeled and diced small
- 1 celery rib, diced small
- 2 15-oz. cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 6 cups no-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 avocado, sliced, for topping
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, for topping
Instructions:
- To a soup pot over medium-low heat, add the oil to heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Next, add the beans and garlic. Cook with the veggies until heated, then pour in the chicken or vegetable stock.
- Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer. Add the cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook for 20-30 minutes until everything is soft and combined well.
- Serve the soup in bowls and top with avocado slices. Top with a squeeze of lime juice and serve.
Conclusion
Meal prepping for a heart-healthy diet can be tricky, especially if you are just beginning your journey. With just a few heart-healthy ingredients in mind, you can create spectacular lunch recipes that are quick, easy, and filling. Diets don’t have to be boring, so make these 3 heart-healthy Dash Diet Recipes today and eat them throughout the week to save time and energy!
