50 Healthy Lunch Ideas for Seriously Delicious Midday Fuel
These meals are oh-so easy to pack for school and work!
On a dreary or busy workday, a healthy, delicious lunch can be the best pick-me-up. We've gathered our favorite healthy lunch recipes, from high-protein salads to healthy sandwiches to creative spins on your go-to takeout dishes. After all, "healthy" doesn't have to mean a sad desk salad. It can be a creamy pasta dish, a baked potato piled high with toppings, or even a cozy bowl of ramen with plenty of veggies. If you're watching your calorie intake, we've highlighted plenty of simple low-calorie meals that still help you meet your intake of important nutrients like protein, fiber, and vitamins.
Pro tip: Make these lunches ahead of time for a smoother morning. There are plenty of kid-friendly lunch ideas here that your children can take to school (and that you can take to work!). Bookmark your favorites now so you always have inspiration for days when you're stumped on what to make.
Cottage Cheese Wrap Pinwheels
For a protein-packed lunch, try these wraps made with low-fat cottage cheese, chicken breast, and hummus. Pesto, chives, and baby arugula add a fresh, herb-forward flavor.
Get the Cottage Cheese Wrap Pinwheels recipe.
Herby Lentil and Burrata Salad
There's a lot to love about this salad: It has plenty of protein but comes in at less than 300 calories per serving. It can easily be made ahead of time. It's made with lentils, which are a generally affordable ingredient. And it tastes great! Need we say more?
Gobi Biryani
This dish, which is popular in Indian and Pakistani cultures, is made with cauliflower, basmati rice, fresh ginger, plum tomatoes, and plenty of spices. Make a big batch on Sunday to enjoy for low-calorie lunches all week long.
Get the Gobi Biryani recipe.
Mason Jar Instant Noodle Soup
This creative lunch is endlessly customizable. Use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge — we opted for kimchi, edamame, spinach, and mushrooms — bouillon, and rice vermicelli noodles for a dish that's cozy and healthy.
Get the Mason Jar Instant Noodle Soup recipe.
Fully-Loaded Veggie Sandwiches
Trust us, you won't even miss the meat in these sandwiches. Hummus, mashed avocado, cucumber, sprouts, and eggplants or mushrooms are piled high on toasty bread for a satisfying bite, every time.
Salmon Salad Tartines
Think beyond tuna — canned salmon is a tasty toast topper and comes with a hit of omega-3 fatty acids.
Get the Salmon Salad Tartines recipe.
RELATED: The Best Canned Foods To Keep In Your Pantry, According to a Nutritionist
Snap Pea and Chicken Salad
This one-step recipe combines snap peas, shredded rotisserie chicken and onion with a lemony dressing.
Get the Snap Pea and Chicken Salad recipe.
Sweet Potato Breakfast Burritos
Brunch for lunch? We wouldn't say no, especially when you can make these ahead of time and freeze up to two months.
Vegetarian Antipasto Salad
This bright, crowd-pleasing salad is loaded with everything good — tomatoes, chickpeas, cukes and yes, those extra-small, extra-fun mozzarella balls — and as a bonus, can easily be made ahead.
Get the Vegetarian Antipasto Salad recipe.
Creamy Kale Pasta
Who knew a creamy pasta could be this healthy? The secret is protein-packed cottage cheese, blended with plenty of kale and scallions to create a decadent but nutritious sauce.
Get the Creamy Kale Pasta recipe.
Green Goddess Sandwiches
Eggs aren't just for breakfast. The tasty orbs are the perfect way to pack protein into a vegetarian sandwich.
Get the Green Goddess Sandwiches recipe.
Poblano and Black Bean Loaded Baked Potato
Microwaving spuds before roasting cuts the cooking time in half so these can be ready by lunchtime.
Air Fryer Salmon Flatbreads
Cut into bite-size pieces, one pound of salmon takes just six minutes to cook in the air fryer. Lunch is ready!
Get the Air Fryer Salmon Flatbreads recipe.
Roasted Eggplant Veggie Burgers
To have homemade veggie burgers ready for lunch, prep them ahead of time, let cool, then wrap individually and freeze. When you're ready to eat, just roast 'em until warm.
Greek Salad
We love this classic salad recipe. Briny capers, crumbly feta, fresh tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers come together in a crunchy, flavorful salad that never disappoints.
Get the Greek Salad recipe.
Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp and Ginger Vinaigrette
No one wants a soggy salad. This make-ahead recipe stays crunchy all day, right up until you drench it in a ginger vinaigrette, toss and enjoy.
Get the Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp and Ginger Vinaigrette recipe.
Avocado and Tuna Salad Wrap
Avocado subs in for creamy mayo in this lightened-up take on a tuna salad sandwich. Throw some extra mixed greens into the equation and everyone will be happy.
Get the Avocado and Tuna Salad Wrap recipe.
Waldorf Chicken Salad
A power lunch mainstay, this all-time American favorite combines fresh produce with a creamy mustard-based dressing. It's ready from scratch in under 20 minutes.
Get the Waldorf Chicken Salad recipe.
Chickpea Pasta Salad in a Jar
Just flip it over, watch the dressing run down and dig into this veggie-packed mason jar salad.
Get the Chickpea Pasta Salad in a Jar recipe.
Salmon Niçoise Salad
With olives, hard-boiled egg, potatoes and green beans, we figured out a formula for the classic salad that you can pack on the go.
Get the Salmon Niçoise Salad recipe.
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