Mediterranean Tuna Salad is the perfect quick and healthy lunch recipe! It’s super easy to prepare with just 6 simple ingredients needed and zero cooking time. This delicious salad recipe is paleo, low-carb, keto and can be made AIP by substituting tomatoes for cucumbers, olives or avocado.
DID YOU KNOW? Tuna fish is right up there with other healthy types of fish, such as salmon, when it comes to nutrition — it packs a good amount of protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Tuna’s high protein content makes it an excellent addition to a weight loss diet since it can help reduce your appetite, prevent cravings and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
In addition, protein makes up the foundation of your hair, skin, nails and muscles; is crucial for the synthesis of certain enzymes and hormones; and is used for the growth and repair of tissues.
So, including more tuna fish in your diet can help provide your body with the protein that you need.
Lastly, tuna is rich in omega-3 fatty acids (a.k.a. fish oil), which may be able to alleviate inflammation and reduce the risk of disease. Fish oil has potent anti-inflammatory properties, and multiple studies have shown that it could be therapeutic for autoimmune conditions like Crohn’s disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.
NOTE: Stick to wild types of tuna that are caught using the Pacific troll or pole and line methods. Also, avoid Atlantic bluefin tuna, which may have a negative impact on both the environment and your health because it is over-fished and often farm-raised.
Mediterranean Tuna Salad is the perfect quick and healthy lunch recipe! It's super easy to prepare with just 6 simple ingredients needed and zero cooking time. This delicious salad recipe is paleo, low-carb, keto and can be made AIP by substituting tomatoes for cucumbers, olives or avocado.
6cherry tomatoes, halved, (replace with olives, cucumbers or avocado for AIP version)
2tbspextra virgin olive oil
1tbspbalsamic vinegar
1/2tspdried oregano
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
In a bowl or container, add greens, tuna, tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper.
If you're eating right away, drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and toss. If you're taking it to go in a container, drizzle with olive oil and vinegar then shake container right before you eat to coat ingredients.
Notes
Replace tomatoes with olives, cucumbers or avocado for AIP version.
Orange & Avocado Salad is fresh, high in fibre and delicious! This salad recipe uses simple ingredients like leafy greens, avocado, orange, lime juice, basil and extra virgin olive oil. It’s the perfect salad to have alongside fish or meat. AIP, paleo, plant-based, low-carb & keto friendly.
Oranges are not only a great source of vitamin C – providing 163% of your daily needs in just one orange – but they’re also a great source of fiber. One large orange provides you with 17% of your daily fiber needs.
Fiber from whole foods is important for both weight loss and gut health, here’s why …
Fiber can help stop cravings and hunger since it moves through the GI tract slowly, creating a sense of fullness. Feeling full and satisfied from whole foods will help keep you on track with good eating habits, making weight loss easier.
Fiber adds bulk to stool which helps to increase stool frequency. Healthy and frequent bowel movements are an important part of gut health.
In addition, whole food fiber also acts as a prebiotic which fuels good gut bacteria. Healthy gut bacteria are not only important for good gut health, but also weight loss and many other areas of health.
DID YOU KNOW? The FDA approves the de-greening (forced ripening) of oranges, making it difficult to select the ripest and most flavourful fruit. If you buy organic oranges, you will know for certain that they have not been de-greened.
Orange & Avocado Salad is fresh, high in fibre and delicious! This salad recipe uses simple ingredients like leafy greens, avocado, orange, lime juice, basil and extra virgin olive oil. It's the perfect salad to have alongside fish or meat. AIP, paleo, plant-based, low-carb & keto friendly.
Raspberry Tuna Salad is the perfect healthy lunch recipe! It’s super quick to prepare and packed with antioxidant-rich ingredients and fresh flavour. This easy and nutritious recipe is AIP, paleo, low-carb & keto friendly.
Are you looking for healthy meal ideas that you can easily pack up and take with you to work?
I happen to be a pro at easy and portable lunches and dinners since I spend a couple of long days at my studio each week. On these days, I pack a breakfast/lunch (which is usually a big @$$ smoothie) and dinner.
My dinners usually consist of either canned wild salmon, sardines or tuna mixed in a salad or I add some good stuff to my canned fish and wrap it in my favourite gluten free coconut wraps or green wraps.
Here’s one of my quick and easy salad recipes that I put together in the morning before work and store in the fridge until it’s time to eat. I just shake everything up and voila – healthy and delicious food is served! If you don’t have a fridge at work, use a small cooler bag with an ice pack.
Raspberry Tuna Salad is the perfect healthy lunch recipe! It’s super quick to prepare and packed with antioxidant-rich ingredients and fresh flavour. This easy and nutritious recipe is AIP, paleo, low-carb & keto friendly.
Creamy Dill Coleslaw is the perfect healthy go-to side dish when you’re short on time or preparing food for multiple people. This plant-based, keto & paleo friendly side is packed with nutrients that are detoxifying and waistline loving.
DID YOU KNOW? Cabbage is packed with many beneficial vitamins, minerals, plus water and fiber, making it a great vegetable for weight loss & gut health.
Cabbage is full of gut-friendly insoluble fiber, a type of carbohydrate that can’t be broken down in the intestines. Insoluble fiber helps support digestive health by adding bulk to stools and promoting regular bowel movements.
In addition, cabbage is rich in soluble fiber, which has been shown to increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut, like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli.
Now, the trick to making a quick coleslaw with cabbage is using a food processor. Simply throw all ingredients in and process until everything is roughly chopped and well combined.
There’s a lot of room for creativity with coleslaw which makes it a fun side dish to prepare. Feel free to use different veggies, herbs and spices. Also, if you don’t have a healthy version of mayo (without vegetable or seed oils), I recommend replacing mayo with 1/2 an avocado or full fat coconut yogurt/kefir.
OR make it into a quick and healthy lunch by mixing in a can of wild tuna, salmon or sardines.
Creamy Dill Coleslaw
Creamy Dill Coleslaw is the perfect healthy go-to side dish when you're short on time or preparing food for multiple people. This plant-based, keto & paleo friendly side is packed with nutrients that are detoxifying and waistline loving.
Chop cabbage, carrots and green onion into large chunks.
Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until vegetables are roughly chopped and ingredients are well combined. Do not over process.
Eat right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within a day.
Notes
If you don't have a healthy version of mayo (without vegetable or seed oils), I recommend replacing mayo with 1/2 an avocado or 2 tbsp. full fat coconut yogurt/kefir.
Pumpkin & Beef Salad is the perfect go to dish during the busy work week! It’s super quick and simple to prepare, and loaded with heart healthy omega 3’s from grass-fed beef, antioxidants from dark leafy greens and fiber from pumpkin. These simple ingredients come together to make this salad absolutely delicious & extremely satisfying.
OK, so I’m only human which means there are many moments where the thought of spending an hour in the kitchen to prepare a healthy meal is just not appealing (especially after a long day of work).
Given that these moments happen quite often and I refuse to settle for low-quality food, I created a handful of go-to recipes that I can whip up in 20-minutes or less.
This Pumpkin & Beef Salad recipe is a heartier version of my Beef Salad and one of my go-to meals when lazy and hungry Jen strikes.
It also makes for a great post-workout meal since 1 cup of cooked pumpkin has 564 mg of the refueling nutrient potassium. Potassium helps to restore the body’s electrolytes after a heavy workout and keeps muscles functioning optimally.
Pumpkin & Beef Salad is the perfect go to dish during the busy work week! It’s super quick and simple to prepare, and loaded with heart healthy omega 3’s from grass-fed beef, antioxidants from dark leafy greens and fiber from pumpkin. These simple ingredients come together to make this salad absolutely delicious & extremely satisfying.
Mediterranean Cobb Salad is a flavourful and delicious salad that serves as a complete meal. It’s packed with tons of nutrients, antioxidants, healthy fats & protein. Enjoy for lunch or dinner! Dairy free, paleo, low-carb, keto + AIP version provided.
DID YOU KNOW? Most restaurant salad dressings contain low-quality industrial seed and/or vegetable oils that are oxidized.
These inflammatory oils can cause a long list of health problems even when consumed in small quantities over a period of time.
When ordering salads at restaurants, I always request no dressing and ask for olive oil and balsamic vinegar (or whatever vinegar they have) instead.
When preparing salad dressings at home, I opt for heart healthy and anti-inflammatory oils like extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil. These high-quality fats allow us to absorb fat-soluble vitamins from food and support all our hard working cells therefore keeping us healthy and youthful.
Consider replacing inflammatory vegetable and seed oils in your diet with healthier oils like extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil and coconut oil.
Mediterranean Cobb Salad is a flavourful and delicious salad that serves as a complete meal. It's packed with tons of nutrients, antioxidants, healthy fats & protein. Enjoy for lunch or dinner! Dairy free, paleo, low-carb, keto + AIP version provided.
2hard boiled eggs, cut in half , (omit for AIP version)
1avocado, skin removed, cut in half
1/2cupcherry tomatoes, cut in half, (replace with olives for AIP version)
1packsliced mushrooms
1smallred onion, sliced
8cupsspring mix salad
1tspbalsamic vinegar
1tspavocado oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Chicken marinade
1garlic clove
1tbsplemon juice
1tbspavocado oil
1/2tspdried basil
1/2tspdried oregano
1/4tspsmoked paprika, omit for AIP version
1/2tspsea salt
1/2tspblack pepper
Salad dressing
4tbsp.extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
2tbspbalsamic vinegar
1tspdried basil
1/2tspdried oregano
Sea salt , to taste
Instructions
Chicken
Preheat oven to 425F.
Add ingredients for chicken marinade to blender or food processor and create a marinade for chicken.
Coat chicken thighs in marinade (Optional: Let marinate overnight or for a few hours if possible) then bake for 30-35 minutes. Prepare other items below while chicken cooks.
Onion & Mushrooms Sauté
Using a stove top pan, heat 1 tsp avocado oil then add onion and mushrooms.
Add 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar and sea salt.
Cook over medium-low heat until all pan juices have cooked off. Cover and keep warm.
Salad
In a large bowl, toss spring mix salad with salad dressing ingredients.
Divide salad onto two plates. Add cherry tomatoes, avocado, eggs, onion/mushroom sauté & chicken thighs. Top with fresh ground black pepper.
How to make perfect hard boiled eggs
Place eggs in a pot and cover with cool water by inch.
Bring water to a boil over high heat.
Once water begins to boil, remove pot from burner and allow eggs to cook in the pot of hot water for 8-10 minutes.
Drain water and immediately run cold water over eggs until cooled.
Peel and enjoy in your favourite recipe or on its own.
My mission is to help women heal their gut, lose weight and feel great through simple and delicious smoothies, whole food nutrition & healthy lifestyle habits.
