This plant based, filling & easy lunch salad features mixed greens, dried fruit, berries, quinoa and crunchy almonds. Perfect for meal prep
Inspired by a salad we had at a waterslide park of all places, this easy lunch salad packs in all the goodies like leafy greens, fruit, nuts, seeds and veggies to create a Mediterranean diet inspired meal in minutes.
Mediterranean Diet Inspired Lunch Recipe
Adding more plant based foods to meals is always our Number #1 tip for creating a Mediterranean diet in your own home.
This Easy Lunch Salad recipe is a perfect example. We took regular mixed greens and added in the following –
- Quinoa ( a grain that also provides some protein and fiber)
- Pumpkin Seeds – a little extra fiber, protein and heart healthy fats
- Almonds – good for fiber, protein and heart healthy fats
- Blueberries – fiber, antioxidants and brain boosting benefits
- Olive oil based vinaigrette
The beauty is that you can completely customize this meal and also have it ready to easily pull together for weekday lunches.
Different Ways to Customize this Salad Recipe
The original salad we had used arugula and spinach as the base. They also added dried cranberries (I couldn’t find any that didn’t have tons of sugar added to them) and edamame.
Other options include –
- adding hardboiled egg for protein
- shredded carrots
- sliced bell pepper
- diced cucumbers
- switching up the almonds for pistachios, walnuts, or pecans
- sunflower seeds in place of pumpkin seeds
- goat cheese in place of feta
- red onion for flavor
- fresh herbs
Deliciously Easy Lunch Salad Recipe
Let us know if you try a version of this salad. For reference, we used this Simple Vinaigrette that we learned on Tiktok and it worked perfectly.
Deliciously Easy Lunch Salad
This plant based, filling & easy lunch salad features mixed greens, dried fruit, berries, quinoa and crunchy almonds. Perfect for meal prep
- 2 cups mixed greens
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 2 tbsp dried berries, unsweetened
- 1/8 cup sliced almonds
- 1/8 cup pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp crumbled feta
Olive Oil Vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp water
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For the vinaigrette, combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard and water in a jar and shake well to combine.
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For the salad, add the greens, quinoa, berries, dried fruit, nuts, seeds and feta in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and mix to combine.
Looking for more Lunch Ideas
These are some of our favorite Mediterranean diet inspired lunches –
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Last modified: December 5, 2022
About the Author / Brynn McDowell
Welcome! I have found that daily life is a balancing act all on it’s own, add in trying to maintain a healthy (and happy!) home and you have yourself the possibility of pure chaos. I’m here to share experiences and tips on how to create a mediterranean inspired diet and lifestyle in a hectic home.
