Our Go-To Lunches, Heart-Healthy Foods + Recipes

And a seasonal food rundown to carry you through February.

Happy February!

Today’s issue is designed to make healthy eating feel easy, realistic, and accessible, especially in the middle of a busy day. Lunch can often be overlooked, but choosing meals that are satisfying and nourishing can make a big difference in energy, focus, and blood sugar stability.

February is also Heart Health Month, so we’re highlighting heart-healthy foods and simple ways to use them - no complicated cooking required. And to round things out, we’re sharing a quick seasonal food rundown so you can shop and cook with what’s freshest right now.

Enjoy, and be on the lookout for more heart-healthy ideas and recipes throughout the month.

Quick note: Nourished Mama is now published on Tuesdays, and is free for all readers. Tomorrow’s topic: Why you may not lose weight while breastfeeding, despite what you’ve been told.

(Your answers help us shape future content, so thank you!)

Our Favorite Lunches

Dr. Weil:

I enjoy lunch, but I like to keep it simple and light. Since I get up around 4:00 a.m., I usually eat lunch early, around 11:00. I don’t like heavy midday meals, so you’ll notice most of my lunches are on the lighter side.

One of my go-to lunches is a wrap. Sometimes I’ll melt cheese and add lettuce, tomato, onion, and avocado. Othertimes I’ll use olives and pickles, with a veggie deli meat like Tofurkey (which doesn’t contain soy protein isolate), plus mustard or mayo. I’ve been using Lavash wraps lately. I also frequently eat leftovers for lunch.

Salads are another go-to for me. Recently, I’ve been loving a simple veggie salad topped with grilled or pan-browned halloumi. I also like sardines for lunch. I’ll mash them with lemon, onion, and mustard, and eat them with lettuce leaves or on a Wasa cracker.

Some other lunches I recommend include:

• Barley salad. Barley is a satisfying, nutty, low-glycemic-load grain. Start with cooked barley and add whatever you prefer - grilled vegetables, tofu, beans - can be eaten warm or cold.

• Salmon salad and whole-grain crackers. Canned salmon is a cost-effective way to get omega-3 fatty acids into your diet. Mix it with balsamic vinegar, pepper, and fresh herbs, then eat it with whole-grain crackers or lettuce leaves.

• Miso soup and edamame. Miso is rich in antioxidants and protective fatty acids, and edamame contains isoflavones with antioxidant activity that may help lower cancer risk.

• Hummus and vegetables. Hummus is easy to eat on the go, and the chickpeas in the hummus provide both protein and fiber. Use a variety of organic, colorful vegetables.

Diana:

I love lunch, mostly because it’s my easiest meal. About 90% of the time, I’m eating leftovers. I really try to make enough dinner the night before so that both my husband and I have lunch ready the next day.

I’m lucky to work from home, so on days I don’t have leftovers, I can cook something. Although I still try to keep it simple.

Lately, I’ve been loving caprese sandwiches, even though it’s not really the season for them. Just add fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato, basil, olive oil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze on some sourdough bread.

Another go-to is a miso soup cup from Trader Joe’s. I like to add a handful of chopped greens (arugula, spinach, or kale) when I add boiling water to the noodles so they soften, plus some chopped baked tofu for protein. It takes maybe two minutes and is actually quite filling.

If I’m craving more of a sandwich, I’ll do a wrap with sliced apple, tofurkey, mayo, sliced tomato, and green goddess dressing. It might sound odd, but it’s so good!

I also love hummus on toast topped with chopped cherry tomatoes and cucumber, finished with feta, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

And if I need something when I’m out, my go-to is Chipotle. Always reliable with pretty fresh ingredients!

For quick lunches you can take to work, I’m a big fan of bento boxes. They’re essentially snack plates for adults. Mix flavors and textures, and try include some protein and fiber.

Some other easy lunches you can take to work:

• Baked tofu or salmon over lettuce with brown rice, cucumber, olive oil, and red wine vinaigrette (add dressing right before eating).

• A whole grain with roasted sweet potatoes, roasted veggies (bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, whatever you have), and tofu or another protein. I do this all the time with Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce.

• Tofu salad, eaten with lettuce, crackers, or bread.

• Sushi bowls: rice, sprinkled with rice vinegar, chopped veggies, baked tofu or canned salmon, and seaweed snack sheets. I’ll usually make a quick sauce with Greek yogurt, sriracha, salt, and pepper. Add the sauce right before eating. Takes five minutes and is insanely good.

Heart Healthy Foods + Recipes

Your diet plays a meaningful role in heart health: consistently adding a few key foods can help reduce inflammation, support healthy cholesterol levels, and protect long-term cardiovascular function. Small changes truly do add up.

If this issue helped you rethink lunch even a little, the paid experience is designed to help you apply it consistently without feeling overwhelmed. This is where we go deeper: in the rest of this issue, we break down exactly how to apply heart-healthy eating in real life, including foods to prioritize, simple recipes, and tools you can reuse all month long.

Paid subscribers unlock:

• Food-as-Medicine breakdowns for beans, salmon, whole grains, and olive oil

• Bonus recipes including Salmon Cakes, Lemon-Herb Farro and more - including access to our entire recipe database

• Our downloadable Guide to Olive Oil, a cornerstone of the Anti-Inflammatory Diet

• Access to all our content covering heart health

Upgrade to continue reading and get full access to this issue and our entire archive.

Beans and Legumes (Lentils, Chickpeas, or Black Beans)

WEIL Nutrition Corner™ Food As Medicine:
Beans are high in soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, improve blood sugar control, and support a healthy gut microbiome, all key factors in cardiovascular health. They also provide potassium and plant-based protein.

Our Lentil Soup recipe is cozy and warming - give it a try: