Simple Healthy Light Lunches

Eating healthy for lunch can feel tricky, but with just a little bit of planning and prep, you can easily make lunch the highlight of your day. These crazy delicious meals are proof that healthy lunch ideas go way beyond a boring bed of greens. And while some of these are a little more labor-intensive, most of them are 30 minute meals or less. A handful are also make-ahead dishes, meaning you can throw them together the night before and assemble when you’re ready to eat.

Many of our favorite lunches feature nutrient-dense foods like proteins and veggies, which can help you feel satisfied all the way up until dinner. Think healthy chicken dishes and salmon, tasty dairy sources like cottage cheese and yogurt, and add-ons like sunflower seeds and nutritional yeast. And don't be surprised if you see lots of fiber-filled ingredients like avocado and chickpeas, which both keep you full and give you tons of long-lasting energy. Whether you're looking for some filling and delicious low-calorie meals, healthy sandwiches, salad dishes or a crispy homemade flatbread pizza, we have your back because eating healthy should never make you feel limited.

Healthy

These lunches aren’t just tasty: many of them are also seriously affordable, which means you won’t have to splash out on big-ticket “health foods.” Of course, healthy eating doesn't start and end with lunch, so you’ll also be wanting some healthy dinner recipes and maybe even a healthy dessert or two.

Healthy Recipes For Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Sometimes you just need a homemade pizza for lunch. On those days, this tangy, eggplant-topped favorite made with store-bought dough should be your go-to.

Charring sweet potatoes on the grill turns one of our favorite starches into something extraordinary. A piquant relish and creamy yogurt base turn it into a meal.

With such a short ingredient list, this Mediterranean classic shines especially bright with quality produce. That doesn’t mean you have to wait around for summer, though: just make sure you use the ripest, juiciest tomatoes and crispest cucumbers you can find.

Easy Cold Lunch Ideas

Hearty roasted squash and tangy tahini dressing make this simple salad into something crave-worthy. Plus, the contrasting bright colors make it a feast for the eyes as well.

This roasted chicken-and-salad pairing is the ultimate power lunch, with plenty of protein and a double dose of complex carbohydrates. Pro tip: make extra dressing and drizzle it on leftovers.

Pureeing vegetables is a genius way to add rich, creamy body to your favorite plant-based soup recipe, making this red pepper- and tomato-based gem an ideal lunch with crusty bread or one of our favorite healthy salads.

Healthy School Lunch Ideas For Kids

Whether you're packing a midday meal for the office or have plans to enjoy a picnic lunch at the park, the last thing you want is a soggy salad. No stress! This make-ahead recipe stays crunchy all day, right up until you drench it in a ginger vinaigrette, toss and enjoy.

These chickpea-studded wraps are here to save the day. (Pro tip: If you're keeping close tabs on your fat and sodium numbers, dial down the amount of feta you use. A small amount still adds a ton of flavor.)

The beauty of a grain bowl is that you can effortlessly mix-and-match your way to healthy (and delicious) combos — and the majority of the elements can be made ahead. Instead of your go-to grain, opt for riced veggies or chickpea-based rice as your base.

Best Healthy Lunch Ideas For Weight Loss

You wouldn't believe this hearty, filling lunch bowl requires just 15 minutes of prep time — and you'll do a double take when you hear it requires just five ingredients total.

With olives, hard-boiled egg, potatoes and green beans, we figured out a formula for the classic salad that you can make ahead to pack on the go.

A power lunch mainstay, this all-time American favorite combines the best of our fresh pantry with a creamy mustard-based dressing. It's ready from scratch in under 20 minutes and is designed for easy meal prep at the start of the work week.

Healthy Egg Salad {perfect For Lunch!}

, where he covers health and nutrition news, decodes diet and fitness trends and reviews the best products in the wellness aisle. Prior to joining GH in 2019, Zee fostered a nutrition background as an editor at

And is continually developing his grasp of holistic health through collaboration with leading academic experts and clinical care providers. He has written about food and dining for

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Best Light Dinner Ideas

60 Creative, Easy and Healthy Chicken Recipes 50 Flavorful and Filling Low-Calorie Meals 35 Must-Try Healthy Smoothie Recipes 30+ Healthy Fish and Seafood RecipesIf you're looking for new healthy lunch ideas, you're in the right place. These easy lunch recipes are fun, filling, and good for you, too!

Good healthy lunch ideas are like gold. In the middle of a busy work day, lunch is the longest break I take. It’s a time to reset, relax, and re-energize to tackle the tasks that lie ahead. Great healthy lunch recipes are ones that I can make ahead of time and that will keep me full and focused throughout the afternoon. But the

Healthy lunch ideas taste delicious, too! They add something fun and flavorful to the middle of the work day, making my midday break extra-refreshing and worth looking forward to.

Healthy Packed Lunch Ideas

Below, you’ll find my top healthy lunch ideas, tricks, and tips, plus a slew of tasty healthy lunch recipes. Whether it’s your first time packing lunch or you’re a seasoned pro looking for new easy lunch ideas, I hope you find something you love!

When it comes to quick and easy lunch ideas, you can never go wrong with a good sandwich! The recipes below include fun twists on classics like egg salad and PB&J as well as out-of-the-box sandwiches you may not have tried before. Tip: no one likes a soggy sandwich, so it’s best to assemble these lunch recipes on the day you plan to eat them.

I could eat these lunch wraps every day of the week! A Dijon mustard vinaigrette adds bold, tangy flavor to the chickpea, kale, and avocado filling.

Healthy Light Lunch Recipes {gluten Free}

I’m not kidding when I say that this is THE BEST egg salad recipe! It’s briny and bright, packed with fresh herbs, capers, and lemon juice. For an equally tasty vegan version, sub crumbled tofu for the hard boiled eggs.

Tired of the same old PB&J? Try this elevated spin! It features homemade hazelnut-pecan butter and tart strawberry chia jam. To enjoy this recipe year-round, make the jam with frozen berries instead of fresh.

This vegan spin on a French pan bagnat is one of my favorite healthy lunch ideas. A creamy, briny chickpea salad steps in for the traditional tuna, while fresh veggies like cucumbers, radishes, and green beans add delicious crunch.

Quick And Healthy Recipes

I love to prep the components of these wraps on the weekend so that I can easily assemble them throughout the week. They’re such a flavorful, satisfying healthy lunch. Creamy hummus, shawarma-spiced chickpeas, spicy zhoug, and fresh veggies fill soft pita bread.

If our readers had to choose their favorite lunch recipes on Love & Lemons, these noodles would be #1. A tangy, nutty sesame dressing coats soba noodles, edamame, and lots of crunchy veggies. Feel free to vary the veggies with the season – julienned carrots, cucumbers, steamed broccoli, asparagus, kale, and more are fantastic here too.

Gooey peanut noodles, sautéed mushrooms, avocado, and red bell pepper create an irresistible filling for these savory, nutty spring rolls. To take them over the top, serve them with extra peanut sauce for dipping.

Cheap

Cheap Healthy Lunch Ideas For Work

These colorful salads don’t just look adorable layered up in Mason jars – they keep well that way, too! Prep a bunch on the weekend, and they’ll last all week in the fridge.

Equal parts filling, flavorful, and fresh, grain bowls are my go-to healthy lunch ideas. Feel free to use these recipes as a guide. Make them your own by swapping in a different grain, alternative veg, or your favorite sauce.

There’s a lot to love about these vegan rice bowls – the crispy sriracha tofu, the savory air fryer broccoli… But the best thing about them is hands down the dressing. It’s a zingy, refreshing carrot ginger number that we just can’t get enough of!

Weeks Of Healthy School Lunch Ideas • One Lovely Life

So much better than Chipotle! To make these bowls quick and easy to prep, use store-bought pineapple salsa instead of making your own.

Have you tried forbidden rice? If not, make this power lunch bowl ASAP! Irresistibly chewy and nutty, the rice shines against fresh veggies, sesame ginger dressing, and a rich, jammy soft-boiled egg.

This healthy bowl features steamed veggies instead of raw or roasted ones. They fill it with clean, fresh flavors, and they make it super easy to prep!

Quick Lunch Ideas

I love a good sweet and savory flavor combo. Filled with diced mango, pickled ginger, fresh veggies, and a tangy tamari sauce, this refreshing rice bowl delivers just that.