19 Mediterranean Diet Lunches to Help Lower Cholesterol

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Published on May 18, 2024

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Veggie & hummus sandwich — Photo:
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

Take steps towards lower cholesterol levels with this collection of nutritious lunches. These delicious meals align with the Mediterranean diet, which is packed with foods like omega-3-rich fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and healthy oils. By increasing your intake of monounsaturated fats, you can help decrease LDL (also called “bad”) cholesterol and increase HDL (or “good) cholesterol.

Plus, each serving is low in saturated fat and offers at least 6 grams of fiber, which also can help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels, regular digestion and a healthy heart. Pack a jar of our hearty and flavorful Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup in your lunchbag for later. Or, stack our very popular Veggie & Hummus Sandwich together during break time.

01 of 19

Salmon-Stuffed Avocados

Salmon-Stuffed Avocados on a blue surface — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell

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.

02 of 19

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

Veggie & hummus sandwich — Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

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.

03 of 19

High-Protein Tuna & Chickpea Salad Sandwich

a recipe photo of the High-Protein Tuna & Chickpea Salad Sandwich — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

This zesty tuna sandwich gets an extra boost of protein from chickpeas. Smashing some of the chickpeas into the tuna enhances the texture and helps hold the filling together. The combo of garlic and Sriracha adds a delightful kick, but feel free to opt for an alternative hot sauce of your preference or skip it altogether for a milder flavor.

04 of 19

Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup

Side view photo of 3 jars of Anti-Inflammatory Eat-the-Rainbow soup after broth is added with lid on top. — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

This vibrant and wholesome soup recipe helps support your well-being. It’s packed with a variety of colorful vegetables, like tomatoes, which contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help reduce inflammation. The base of the soup is prepped ahead of time and stored in separate containers. Simply add the broth and heat it in the microwave when you’re ready to eat. If you don’t wish to travel with vegetable broth or don’t have access to a microwave, you can use reduced-sodium bouillon instead and just add hot water.

05 of 19

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!

06 of 19

Green Goddess Wrap

Green goddess wrap cut in half on a pink plate — 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.

07 of 19

Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato & Cucumber Sandwich

a recipe photo of the Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato & Cucumber Sandwich — Photographer: Stacy k. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Lauren Odum

This protein-packed hummus sandwich features a topping of crisp veggies, feta cheese and sweet, tangy sun-dried tomatoes. Sun-dried tomatoes in oil have a soft texture perfect for sandwiches. You can use dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes in their place, but you may have to rehydrate them in water to soften them before using.

08 of 19

Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl

Overhead view of a white bowl of Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl recipe on a reddish brown tile tabletop — Photography: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco

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.

09 of 19

Lemony Lentil Salad with Feta

Lemony Lentil Salad with Feta

This delicious and healthy lentil salad comes together in just 30 minutes and makes a wonderful hot-weather meal. Serve with whole-wheat pitas, if desired.

10 of 19

Vegan Superfood Grain Bowls

overhead shot of vegan grain bowl filled with beets, edamame and avocado — Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

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.

11 of 19

Green Goddess Salad

Green Goddess Salad in a serving bowl overhead. — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell

This gorgeous green goddess salad combines fresh shrimp, cucumber, artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes with homemade dressing.

12 of 19

Strawberry-Chocolate Smoothie

Strawberry-Chocolate Smoothie

This creamy, rich strawberry-chocolate smoothie will satisfy any chocolate cravings. It's so decadent you might want it as a dessert, too.

13 of 19

Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut Dressing

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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.

14 of 19

Chickpea, Artichoke & Avocado Salad with Apple-Cider Dressing

This delicious 400-calorie salad is a helpful tool for weight loss because it provides a good balance of fiber, protein and healthy fats from loads of veggies and beans, all tossed in a tangy apple-cider vinaigrette. To meal-prep these for lunch throughout the week, pack the dressing and the salad separately and make sure your veggies are thoroughly dried before packing them together.

15 of 19

Caprese Pasta Salad

Caprese Pasta Salad — Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely

This light and fresh caprese pasta salad is brought together with a bright and tangy dressing, with fresh mozzarella pearls adding creaminess to every bite.

16 of 19

Kale & Chickpea Grain Bowls

a recipe photo of the Kale and Chickpea Grain Bowl w Avocado Dressing — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

This veggie-heavy bowl is loaded with crunch and color, thanks to crispy carrots and chickpeas, fresh kale and a vibrant avocado dressing. It also delivers more than 50% of your daily dose of fiber, key for weight loss, energy and healthy digestion. Bulgur, also called cracked wheat, is a quick-cooking whole grain. These bowls would be excellent make-ahead lunches. Pack the avocado mixture separately, adding a little water to thin it as needed.

17 of 19

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.

18 of 19

Piled-High Vegetable Pitas

Piled-High Greek Vegetable Pitas

Fresh, bright flavors come alive in these easy vegetarian pitas. Give yourself enough time to make the roasted vegetables called for in the recipe—or make them a day or two in advance for a healthy meal that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. These pitas would also work well with whatever leftover cooked veggies you have on hand. No need to warm the roasted veggies up; this recipe tastes great chilled or at room temperature.

19 of 19

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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