Need a portable healthy lunch? Try this Mozzarella, Tomato, and Chickpea Salad.

Today is officially National Healthy Lunch Day, although I agree with someone on Facebook who said we should eat a healthy lunch each and every day. November is American Diabetes Month® and The American Diabetes Association is encouraging everyone to put good food and good health on the table.

Eating a healthy lunch isn’t too difficult for me since I work at home, but I remember how tricky it could be when I was commuting to an office. You really had to plan ahead. It was so much easier to head down to the cafeteria or join co-workers for a quick run to the local burger joint.

Make It Portable

This Mozzarella, Tomato, and Chickpea Salad couldn’t be easier to prepare or more portable. Just take 5 minutes to mix up the cheese, tomatoes, and chickpeas with the olive oil and seasonings. Pack this mixture separately from the spinach and put it all together when you’re ready to eat.

Other Healthy Lunch Ideas

I asked some of my friends from Virtual Potluck to join me in sharing their favorite portable, healthy lunches. Here are a few, but you can find more on our Healthy Lunches Pinterest board. (If you’d like to add your own creation to the board, let me know and I’ll send you an invitation.) You can also find a few ideas in Packable Lunches for Kids and Adults and How to Eat a Healthy Lunch Every Day.

• Salad in a Jar
• Red Lentil and Olive Salad with Feta and Mint Yogurt
• Fajita Chicken Salad
• Smoked Salmon Cucumber Rolls
• Pesto Chicken Salad with Grapes
• Crustless Crab and Asparagus Quiche

Disclosure: The American Diabetes Association provided me with the ingredients to make this salad. All opinions are my own.

Mozzarella, Tomato, and Chickpea Salad

This colorful salad takes just 5 minutes to prepare and is packed with nutrients.

Author: Reprinted with permission from American Diabetes Association

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Course: Salads & Dressings

Keyword: chickpea salad

Servings: 4

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Ingredients

• 2 1/2 ounces fresh mozzarella balls drained
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup no-salt-added canned chickpeas drained
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 12 ounces fresh baby spinach

Instructions

1. Combine mozzarella balls, tomatoes, and chickpeas in a medium bowl. Add olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Wash spinach (if not prewashed), and divide equally among 4 bowls. Top each bed of spinach with 1/2 cup mozzarella-tomato-chickpea mixture. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition facts

Calories: 155kcal

Fat: 7g

Saturated fat: 2.3g

Cholesterol: 5mg

Sodium: 165mg

Carbohydrates: 16g

Fiber: 5g

Sugar: 5g

Protein: 10g

Follow our Healthy Lunches Pinterest board for more inspiration today and every day!