In a lunch rut? Here’s some inspiration for you! We have assembled a sample lunch from every member of the Diet ID team, and how and why each would fit into a healthy eating plan.
Alison Hankins, HEad of Growth
Alison told us, “Lunch is the one meal that I eat the same every day and try to load with nutrients - and my kids eat it and request it a few times per week. We call it a Kale Tortilla!” Start with a corn tortilla, top with cheddar cheese, a very large handful of fresh diced kale and a small handful of spinach. Microwave 1 minute to soften the greens, then add tomatoes, diced cauliflower, and a fresh sliced beet (Alison roasts a bunch every weekend) and top with your favorite hot sauce or salsa. This lunch is so colorful and contains a great mix of textures and flavors. The green leafy vegetables are a great source of iron and calcium; these and the other veggies are superb sources of vitamin C, antioxidants and fiber. Beets are an exceptional source of folate, an essential B vitamin.
This lunch is perfect for most plant-forward plans as well as Low Carb, Mediterranean, DASH, American Heart Association Diet (AHA), MIND, and Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) plans, and good for paleo and vegan if you omit the cheese.
Blake Fischer, Lead Engineer
This homemade chicken soup contains chicken bone broth, chicken breast cooked sous vide, carrots, celery, turmeric, black pepper, low-sodium salt substitute, and mushrooms. It’s a good source of vitamin B12 and the mineral selenium, as well as fiber and antioxidants from the veggies.
This soup is perfect for paleo and low carb eating plans, and would also fit into the Mediterranean, AHA, and DASH patterns (chicken in moderation).
Keiran Anderson, Intern
This is a winter salad with green lettuce, butternut squash, sunflower seeds, and cranberries (in lieu of pomegranate seeds), topped with a yogurt-based spicy dressing. This salad is easy to make with any cooked winter squash or other starchy vegetable, but butternut squash is especially high in vitamin A and potassium and is really delicious! The greens are a great source of phytonutrients, and the dried cranberries contain powerful antioxidants. The seeds are a good source of omega 6 fats, vitamins, and minerals.
This salad fits into most plant forward diet patterns; a vegan dressing would make it appropriate for all. It’s perfect for Mediterranean, DASH, AHA, MIND, and TLC plans, and good for paleo if you swap the dressing for one based on avocado, oil, or lemon juice.
Lauren Rhee, director of nutrition science
As pretty as it is delicious as it is nutritious, this spinach fettuccine with bella mushrooms is served in a light marinara sauce, topped with crispy shallots & garlic. Lauren’s recipe: Slice 1 shallot and 3 cloves of garlic; sauté in extra-virgin olive oil until crispy. Season lightly with sea salt and red pepper flakes. Set aside. Next, saute about 1/2 container of sliced petite bella mushrooms and mix with cooked spinach fettuccine (plus some pasta water and olive oil) and toss with no-added-sugar marinara sauce. Top with the crispy shallots/garlic and shredded parmesan cheese. This is an athlete’s dream meal, filled with lots of complex carbs for fuel, plus plenty of vitamins and minerals from the veggies.
This dish would fit into most plant forward diet patterns; leave off the cheese to make it vegan friendly. It’s a great dish for Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, and TLC.
Rachna Govani, Co-Founder and COO
Even with a newborn at home, Rachna finds the time to cook healthy foods for herself and her family! Part of her secret is cooking more than needed for meals, and re-purposing leftovers at other meals, as she did here. This lunch is a medley of leftover falafels (she follows this recipe, just adds a lot more spices) with a green salad, brown rice, and yogurt tahini sauce. The healthy fats from the olive oil (used to pan-fry the falafel) and from the sesame seeds (used to make the sauce) are essential for optimal health, even if you’re not breastfeeding! The lunch altogether represents an excellent balance of all nutrients.
This is a classic Mediterranean meal, but would fit just as well in all plant forward diet patterns (swap the sauce for a no-yogurt tahini variety), DASH, MIND, and TLC.
Adam Bernstein, Senior Medical Advisor
Dr. Bernstein’s soup is composed of bean mix (kidney, navy, split peas) plus whichever vegetables are in his refrigerator—in this case, he used chard, carrots, and mushrooms, along with Indian spices - all cooked together. It’s high in protein from all the beans, and great for weight loss (if that’s your goal) with its high water and fiber content. The Indian spices have anti-inflammatory properties.
This lunch fits the bill for most diets — all plant-forward plans, Mediterranean, and all therapeutic diets (DASH, AHA, TLC, MIND). It’s the perfect Paleo soup if you leave out the beans, and it fits into most Low Carb plans as well, depending on the rest of the day’s foods.
Dina aronson, Director of nutrition programming
This is a quick sauté with 1 chopped red onion, 2-3 chopped roma tomatoes (or 1/2 pint of halved cherry tomatoes), 1 can of rinsed chickpeas, 1 8-oz bag of baby spinach, and 2 tsp turmeric, cooked in a hot pan brushed with olive oil for about 5 minutes. Then it is garnished with Za'tar (a seasoning blend with sesame seeds and Middle Eastern spices). Makes 2 servings. This dish contains 2 of the most nutrient dense foods — leafy greens and beans. The turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, and the vitamin C from the tomatoes helps the body absorb the iron in the spinach.
This lunch is perfect for all plant-forward plans, Mediterranean, and all therapeutic diets (DASH, AHA, TLC, MIND).
David Katz, Founder and CEO
Who says cereal and fruit are just for breakfast? This colorful bowl is a go-to for Dr. Katz, as it’s quick, simple yet versatile, and has a lot of awesome textures going on. This one contains 2 types of wholegrain cereal--Nature's path heritage flakes and Nature's path Multigrain cereal, with fresh fruit (which varies but berries are always a fixture), raisins, and cinnamon. It’s got a plethora of protective antioxidants from the berries, and is a fabulous source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.
This lunch is perfect for all plant-forward plans, Mediterranean, and all therapeutic diets (DASH, AHA, TLC, MIND).
Last but not least, here is Catherine Katz, Director of Culinary Cartography, sharing her video and recipe for this shake, which she makes for lunch at least once a week. Check out Catherine’s other amazing videos and recipe collection at her web site Cuisinicity.com. Catherine uses almond milk in this shake, making it perfect for all plant-forward eating plans, paleo, Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, and TLC. It’s a great source of soluble fiber from the lentils and oats, and full of antioxidants from the fruits.
