Dr. Ahmed
Heart-healthy Lunch Ideas with easy recipes that can be easily prepared are enlisted. These dishes are heart-healthy and provide a variety of tastes to choose from.
Diet plays a major role in preventing and managing cardiovascular diseases. For a healthy diet, you must focus on your daily meals such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Here we will discuss some easy and fulfilling recipes that are healthy and nutritious. These lunch options are low in saturated fat and salt. And are good to go with a heart-healthy diet.
1. Grilled Mackerel with quinoa salad
A flavorful, extra-nutritious meal served with quinoa and vegetable salad. The omega-3-rich mackerel is a quick and simple heart-healthy lunch.
- First of all, to prepare the salad, combine the quinoa with vegetable stock in a saucepan.
- Bring a boil, then reduce to low heat for 10 minutes.
- Then, in a food processor, combine the garlic, chili, and 100ml of the vegetable stock and blend until a smooth mixture is formed.
- Bring the remaining stock to a boil, then add the peas and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- In a frying pan, heat the olive oil for the mackerel. Fry the mackerel for 2 minutes on each side before removing it from the pan.
- Add the cooked peas to the quinoa, diced red onion, and roasted red peppers.
2. Tuna Sandwich – a Heart-Healthy Lunch on the Go
This lighter version of the original ‘tuna mayo’ will be a favorite for quick lunches.
- Combine tuna flakes, diced cucumber, onions, and mint leaves. Season it with salt, black pepper, and red pepper
- Spread low-fat mayo on two slices of whole wheat bread
- Evenly spread the tuna mixture on each slice of the bread. Then combine both the slices.
- Serve with salad leaves and tomato ketchup.
3. Grilled chicken with boiled rice:
This flavorful and juicy grilled chicken will make you forget the unhealthy fried chicken recipes.
- First of all, with the help of a mallet, pound the chicken breasts to an even size.
- Now, prepare the marinade by mixing lemon, yogurt, grounded garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Now add the chicken to the marinade and set aside for at least 30 minutes
- Preheat your grill to high heat and grease it with oil.
- Grill the chicken for 3-4 minutes until each side is soft.
- Serve with boiled rice and sauce.
4. Whole wheat salmon pasta
A healthy and tasty pasta that is an amazing choice for lunch.
- Add water to a pan, and add 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp salt. Add pasta and bring it to boil until the pasta is properly cooked
- Prepare the sauce by heating butter in a pan, then add garlic, onions, and tomatoes into the pan. sauté until a paste is formed
- Add salt, parsley, and lemon juice to the mixture
- In a separate pan, boil some broccoli until it is soft.
- Now assemble all the ingredients by adding canned salmon, broccoli, sauce, and boiled pasta.
- Add sauces to enhance the taste.
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5. Mix Vegetable Curry
This South Asian recipe is a delicious assemble of all the healthy vegetables. You can never go wrong with this one!
- In a pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. After that, add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and allow them to crackle.
- Add 1-2 cups chopped onions and cook until they turn golden brown
- Then 1 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste. And cook it for 2 minutes
- Now add tomatoes and cook until a puree is formed.
- Now, add 2 cups of mixed chopped veggies (carrots, peas, potatoes, beans, broccoli, or cauliflower).
- Cook until all the vegetables are soft.
- Add salt to taste
- Serve with chapatti or pita bread.
6. Chinese Chicken Curry with Rice:
This is the most favorite recipe of all time and who doesn’t love to eat Chinese every now and then!
- First of all, season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and place them aside for 30 minutes.
- Then, in a pan add some olive oil and cook chopped onions until they are softened.
- Now add garlic and cook until it turns golden
- Now add stock, soy sauce, and lemon juice.
- In a separate pan, cook the chicken until it is properly cooked.
- Fry mushrooms and add to the chicken.
- Now add the sauce to the chicken and cook for 5 minutes
- Serve with vegetable rice.
7. Grilled Chicken Burger
It is almost unbelievable to spot a burger in heart-healthy recipes. But this grilled burger is perfectly healthy and flavorsome.
- To prepare the chicken mixture, boil the chicken for 30 minutes. Then add ginger garlic paste, salt, black pepper, green chilies, coriander, and mint leaves in a food processor and blend all the ingredients.
- Now make medium-sized patties from the mixture.
- Preheat the grill to low to medium heat.
- Grill it for 4-5 minutes until each side is soft.
- Now place the patty on a whole wheat bun
- Place lettuce leaves, onions, and tomato sauce on top.
- Serve with fresh juice.
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8. Lentils and Spinach Curry:
A quick and easy everyday recipe that is delicious and super healthy.
- Wash the lentils many times in cold water.
- In a skillet, heat the oil and sauté the ginger, green chilies, and cumin for 1 minute.
- Cook for another 1-2 minutes after adding the lentils and spinach.
- Pour in the turmeric and 1-2 liter of water.
- Cook on low heat while stirring occasionally, until it is soft. You might need to add more water.
- Serve alongside pita bread or rice.
