10+ Healthy, Anti-Inflammatory Lunch Recipes
Your body will thank you once you start preparing fresh and delicious lunches. By highlighting anti-inflammatory and gut-healthy ingredients like onions, yogurt, asparagus, and legumes, these recipes can help relieve troublesome symptoms of inflammation like joint stiffness, mental fog, and mood swings while supporting healthy digestion. Recipes like Vegetarian Reubens with Russian Sauce and Gochujang Glazed Tempeh Bowls and Brown Rice are nutritious and delicious lunch options you’ll want to make again and again.
Pear, Gorgonzola and Walnut Salad
This pear and gorgonzola salad celebrates fall with its beautiful colors. The light, refreshing vinaigrette offsets the tangy flavor of Gorgonzola and the sweetness of the raisins and pears.
Vegetarian Reubens with Russian Dressing
The spinach, mushroom, and onion filling is so satisfying, you won’t even miss the corned beef in this vegetarian take on a Reuben sandwich. This exceptional sandwich was inspired by a dish at the now-closed Penny Cluse Café in Burlington, Vermont.
Gochujang-glazed tempeh and brown rice bowls
If you’re a tempeh skeptic, you’ve probably never had solid soy bars based on sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. We’re bringing you this easy BBQ tempeh kit that packs a punch of umami with tamari and adds a little heat from gochujang. It’s easy to add your own twist to this recipe; See the variations (below) for some of the music clips.
White bean and vegetable salad
This meatless main course salad combines white beans with creamy and satisfying avocado. Try mixing it with different seasonal vegetables.
Hummus salad sandwich
This vegetarian chickpea salad sandwich is lemony, bright, and surprisingly delicious. It has all the flavors of a classic tuna salad sandwich — dill, lemon, and a little garlic — but with chickpeas instead to add a plant-based source of protein and a healthy boost of fiber. Celery brings a nice crunch.
Cucumber, tomato and arugula salad with hummus
Tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and arugula feta in this quick Greek-inspired salad. It is served with whole wheat bread and prepared hummus, making it a healthy and filling lunch.
Peach, raspberry, and arugula salad with five-spice bacon
Sweet peaches and raspberries garnish arugula with pepper to make a wonderfully delicious fruit salad recipe. But what makes it so delicious is the crispy bacon topped with a delicious, gooey maple wine glaze.
Sesame, honey and quinoa bowl
Here we blend tomatoes with a honey-sesame dressing and serve them over quinoa and shredded carrots for a satisfying vegetarian meal. Served with sesame breadsticks.
Black bean rolls with vegetables and cilantro sauce
A simple salad tossed with a tangy vinaigrette infuses these uncooked rolls with plenty of bright cilantro flavor. The mixture pairs well with the mashed beans and avocado, which bring everything together.
White bean and avocado sandwich
White beans are smoothly mashed into a protein-rich cream for a satisfying, healthy sandwich that makes lunch or dinner easy. Mix it up by trying it with canned chickpeas or black beans. This vegetarian sandwich recipe is also a fiber superstar: Avocado, beans, greens, and whole-wheat bread combine to give her 15 grams of fiber, more than half of what most women should aim for for the day.
Spinach and avocado smoothie
This healthy green smoothie gets super creamy from frozen bananas and avocados. Make ahead (up to 1 day) and store in the refrigerator until you need a vegetable boost.
Feta, kale and pear salad
The crunchy seed topping is the perfect combination of creamy sauce, soft pears, and tangy coleslaw. Mixing it with mint, feta, and red onion gives it a Middle Eastern flavor.
Watermelon, orange and cucumber salad with Castelvetrano olive dressing
This quick and easy salad is incredibly refreshing, thanks to the watermelon and orange juice! Castelvetrano olives add a salty taste, while the herbs add lots of flavorful depth to the salad. Pair this colorful salad with grilled shrimp or chicken.
A plate of roasted vegetables, tofu and brown rice
A healthy and satisfying vegetarian lunch for one, featuring roasted butternut squash, cauliflower, peppers, and onions with simple brown rice, lemon-marinated tofu, and a creamy cashew tahini sauce.
Potato, leek and asparagus soup
Instead of throwing away potato peels, asparagus stems, and shallot tops, cook them in this soup instead. Once soft, it will blend completely. Plus, they contain prebiotic fiber to help feed the good bacteria in your gut. We reserve the asparagus tips for sautéing with peas for a bright green garnish.
