A Nutritious 5-Minute Salad To Make For Lunch, From A Functional MD

That said, just because lunch has to be thrown together more quickly doesn't mean it can't be as nutritious, filling, or enjoyable. When he has only five minutes to spare, functional medicine doctor and mbg Collective member Mark Hyman, M.D., makes what he calls a fat salad.

The go-to ingredients in Hyman's lunch salad include arugula, olives, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, avocado, artichokes, and canned wild salmon. 

For the dressing, he mixes olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. "You can add in mustard, tahini, or lemon for different flavors," Hyman suggests. 

This simple salad is perfect for even the busiest of days. Keeping shelf-stable ingredients handy (think oil, vinegar, spices, seeds, tinned fish), takes the brain work and prep time out of making a delicious and nourishing lunch. "But you also want to go get fresh ingredients like tomatoes or avocados," he adds. 

The ease of preparing this salad is reason enough to make it, and the health benefits are an added bonus. The majority of the ingredients are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which support both the brain1 and the heart2, and the tinned fish provides a sustainable source of protein.