These five healthy lunch ideas and plant-based recipes are the perfect midday meals. From fiber-rich vegan burgers and powerhouse salads to wraps, avocado toast, veggie soup.
Healthy lunches are important, and especially when they keep you from overeating at night.
Studies have shown that eating early in the day and scaling back toward the evening boosts health.
I usually take my ‘big’ meal between eleven and six o’clock, and when I do these healthy recipes are on my mind.
All organic, plant-based, gluten-free.
Vegan burgers are a great healthy lunch idea.
They’re high in protein, fiber-rich, and nutrient-dense.
And when it comes to gut-health, think fiber:
“In addition to its well-known effects on bowel health, high fiber intake appears to reduce the risk of cancers of the colon and breast, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and premature death in general. A number of studies now show that high intake may also help ward off stroke. How does it protect the brain? It helps control your cholesterol and blood sugar levels, which can help reduce the amount of artery-clogging plaque in your brain’s blood vessels.”
You can find the recipe card here.
2. Loaded Green Salad
When it comes to healthy lunch ideas, salads are in.
They’re clearly one of the healthiest foods ever.
I personally eat a salad a day, and here’s why:
- Salads are one of the best ways to incorporate a variety of mixed greens. Greens are one of nature’s healthiest foods. I usually go for organic super-greens like spinach, chard, kale, collard greens, arugula, etc.
- Chlorophyll and other phytochemicals are native in green leaves. Saponins in spinach leaves are a powerhouse.
- Salads are a great way to load sprouts and microgreens. They blend well and you can stack them. Broccoli sprouts are one of the most nutritious foods on Earth.
- Salads are typically raw and packed with nutrients destroyed by cooking.
- Salads are loaded with fiber, which is key to good health.
- Salads are a great base for beans, nuts, and seeds — more powerful nutes.
- Salads are filling, which can help you lose weight.
- Salads are highly nourishing to the biome.
- Salads are a great host for homemade, nutrient-dense dressings.
- Raw living salads are one of the best foods for the digestive tract.
- Salads are an ideal way to obtain a variety of important nutrients in a single meal. They’re incredibly nutrient-dense.
- Salads are highly alkalizing, which is key to good health. We should always strive to keep our pH on the alkaline side.
- Phytochemicals in salads can help curb snacking and sugar cravings. homemade croutons.
Salads are clearly the most nutrient-dense when they’re loaded.
Think nuts, seeds, legumes, tofu, sprouts.
Seeds like acai, chia, hemp, flax, and sunflower seeds are packed.
Chia contains 4.7 grams of protein and 5 grams of omegas per ounce.
You can find the recipe card here.
Vegan Wraps
This vegan wraps recipe is another healthy lunch idea.
Wraps are easy to make and filling.
I always layer a homemade sauce on wraps or serve with dips like pesto, hummus, tahini, baba ganoush, vegan Ranch dressing.
And for Mexiwraps, go all in.
Salsa, guacamole, the works.
You can find the recipe card here.
4. Vegetable Soup Recipe
I personally make enough homemade soup to start an outlet, seriously.
A giant warehouse with four big letters out front: S.O.U.P.
Toss in some salads, homemade breads, open-faced sandwiches, and we’re good.
To make a healthy lunch idea really healthy, add greens.
They’re one of nature’s healthiest foods.
Naturally the veggies you use in homemade soups are a matter of taste, though some are universally loved by most and common in many soups.
Such as carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, greens.
And for a burst of nutrients, use twice-baked potatoes.
You can find the recipe card here.
5. Avocado Toast
Avocado toast is like the Queen Bee of open-faced sandwiches and one of the best lunches ever.
A no-brainer for avocado fans.
Try Ezekiel, sprouted, homemade breads.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to stacking avocado toast.
I personally go all in.
Avocados are a powerhouse. They boost nutrients in other foods.
You can find the recipe card here.
