‘I’m a Functional Medicine Doctor, and This What I Make for Lunch in 5 Minutes or Less’

Photo: Stocksy / Nadine Greeff
While lunch serves as a much-needed pause button in the middle of your busy day, it doesn't need to take up too much time at all to be completely satisfying. When functional medicine doctor Mark Hyman, MD, is in a hurry, he turns to a nutrient-dense easy salad for lunch.

"It’s called a fat salad," says Dr. Hyman in an Instagram post. "And why do I call it a fat salad? It’s full of powerful plant-based compounds that help you stay healthy and fats that help you stay full and speed up your metabolism. The beauty of this meal is, you don’t need a whole fancy kitchen. You just need a knife and a couple of spoons."

 

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The salad is full of arugula, olives, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, avocadoes, artichokes, and canned wild salmon. Arugala has the most calcium out of all the salad greens, is also packed with antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and K and manganese. Olives, avocadoes, and salmon are great sources of healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C, which can help with iron absorption, beefs up your immune system, and can protect against issues like cataracts. Artichokes have tons of polyphenols that can help your body fight against harmful agents like ultraviolet rays, radiation, and some pathogens. And pumpkin seeds have a lot of magnesium, a mineral that aids in energy creation, muscle relaxation, and nervous system regulation.

Dr. Hyman mixes his own salad dressing. "I never buy store-bought salad dressing because it has a lot of gums, fillers, sugar, and soybean oil," he says. "I usually throw some olive oil on top with a little bit of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. You can add in mustard, tahini, or lemon for different flavors."

Learn about the benefits of olive oil:

"The key is to have all the staple ingredients in your kitchen that stay good for a long time at all times such as olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, pumpkin seeds, mustard, and canned artichokes," he says. "But you also want to go get fresh ingredients like tomatoes or avocados. I like to use arugula because I don’t have to chop it—I can just throw it right in. If I want extra protein, I like to add canned wild salmon because it’s fast and easy."

Pro tip: Pair this with a cup of artichoke tea, and you've got yourself the perfect meal.

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