49 Healthy Lunch Recipes That'll Power You Through The Day

This vegetarian recipe is bursting with flavor and makes for a satisfying and healthy lunch option. The creamy mashed chickpea filling is combined with crunchy celery and red onion, then piled high on whole grain bread to create a delicious and easy-to-make sandwich. Plus, you can easily swap the kale with any leafy green you have on hand. 

Recipe: Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Turn rotisserie chicken leftovers into lunch with this delicious wrap. It's packed with cheese, veggies, and everyone's favorite, ranch dressing.

Recipe: Chicken Ranch Wrap

This stew is packed with hearty, filling vegetables like sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and spinach. Make a big batch on Sunday and pack it up for easy lunches all week long. 

Recipe: Chickpea Sweet Potato Stew

Chicken grilled in a sweet and spicy marinade, tomato, red onion, avocado, and a tangy honey-lime dressing? We say yes please to this fresh and filling lunch.

Recipe: Honey-Lime Chicken and Avocado Salad

Crisp cucumber, satisfying tomato, and creamy avocado are all you need to make the perfect weekday salad that's as delicious as it is easy. 

Recipe: Cucumber, Tomato, And Avocado Salad

This gourmet salad is layered with tons of crunch and flavor, thanks to seasoned pumpkin seeds and an amazing dressing made with tahini, maple syrup, and lemon juice. It's also a great dish to make in bulk and enjoy throughout the week. With each passing day, the kale will only get softer and more flavorful. 

Recipe: Kale & Sweet Potato Salad

For a slightly more indulgent take on this salad, add some shredded cheese on top and broil the dish for a few minutes.

Recipe: Southwestern-style Quinoa Salad

These fillets come together in just eight minutes. Pair them with a crunchy, five-ingredient slaw, and you're in business. 

Recipe: Easy Fish Tacos

If you have some chicken, a few vegetables, and basic Asian seasonings, then you're ready to cook this stir-fry. If you're making enough of this recipe for leftovers, leave out the cashews and simply add in a handful every time you reheat the dish. You'll get to enjoy crunchy, non-rubbery cashew nuts every time. 

Recipe: Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

I love a meal-prepped lunch that tastes as good on Friday as it does on Monday — and that looks as exciting and appetizing as this one every time I open up my Tupperware. 

Recipe: Weekday Meal-Prep Chicken Burrito Bowls

Asparagus and salmon is a classic pairing, but it's easy to swap with whatever you've got in your pantry — whether that's rice, quinoa, or green beans. 

Recipe: One-Pan Honey Garlic Salmon & Asparagus

For a bit more depth of flavor, try adding in a cup of cubed tomatoes, tomato paste, or even a can of diced tomatoes. The result will be irresistible!

Recipe: Vegetable Dumpling Soup

Customize this meal as you see fit, but try to work in one starchy vegetable and one tough green vegetable so that everything roasts at the same speed. Potatoes, squash, or asparagus would all work well here. 

Recipe: One-pan Roasted Chicken And Sweet Potatoes

Why get the canned stuff when you can whip up a fresh and even more indulgent version of a cream of mushroom soup at home?

Recipe: Cream Of Mushroom Soup

Stroganoff ranks as one of the most-searched recipes, year after year. So we did the work for you and found our favorite meat-free version. For a bigger serving of greens, add half a bag of spinach during the final step. 

Recipe: Mushroom Stroganoff

Whether it's fall or spring, when am I not craving a crunchy chicken Caesar pasta salad? It's the perfect dish when I can't choose between a salad or a simple pasta, or just want a quick and healthy lunch.

Recipe: Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

This salad is for all the people who don't think a lettuce-based meal can be satiating. The salad dressing packs a ton of flavor, so feel free to go easy on the salt or dilute with a little water.

Recipe: Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

You can cook this recipe in four hours if you leave it on high, so it's the perfect meal to start in the morning and have ready by lunchtime. 

Recipe: Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken

The secret is in the teriyaki sauce, which comes together with just honey, soy sauce, garlic, and cornstarch. Go ahead and make double the sauce to ensure every mouthful is perfectly flavored. 

Recipe: One-Pan Teriyaki Chicken Meal Prep

For an even more robust sauce that clings to spiralized squash, try adding some cream or cream cheese. 

Recipe: Summer Squash Pasta With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Have a whisk on hand when you're ready to stir the cornstarch slurry into your sauce, or you might get some lumps in your orange mixture. 

Recipe: Orange Cauliflower “Chicken”

Sometimes, I'll plan an entire day around going to my local coffee shop just so I can get a slice of their quiche. With this recipe, I can save five dollars and get an entire quiche to munch on for the rest of the week. 

Recipe: Potato-Crusted Quiche

Nothing makes me feel like I'm a high-powered magazine editor more than when I'm eating this steak and avocado salad. It's chock-full of protein, quick and easy to make, and won't leave me in a food coma when I'm done. 

Recipe: Steak and Avocado Salad

Don't have a tortilla to fashion into a bowl? Make the salad and eat it with a side of tortilla chips! 

Recipe: Tortilla Bowl Southwestern Salad

If you're short on time (and on a budget), this is the perfect meal-prepped lunch. All you need are a few kitchen staples, including beans, rice, and chicken, and your lunches for the rest of the week are good to go. 

Recipe: Cilantro Lime Chicken & Veggie Rice Meal Prep

Cook the noodles separately, right before you're ready to eat. (If you cook them in the broth, you'll risk having the noodles swell up and absorb all the flavor!)

Recipe: Curry Noodle Soup

Any dish that starts with rotisserie chicken is guaranteed to be good — and this chicken tortilla soup is no exception. Top with your favorite shredded cheese for gooey goodness in every spoonful.

Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Uncooked eggplants are a pretty accurate representation of every good-for-you vegetable out there: they're bland, rubbery, and unexciting. But stick them in an oven for 15 minutes, and they instantly transform into flavorful, seductive vehicles for cheese and marinara sauce. 

Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan Boats

To ensure your chicken cooks evenly, make sure to pound until it's quite thin. Then, use toothpicks or skewers to secure the roll-ups before placing in the oven. 

Recipe: Caprese Chicken Roll-ups

Packed with vegetable protein, vitamins, and color, this soup is great for those weeks when you need to be on your A-game. 

Recipe: Summer Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Who said quesadillas can't be part of a healthy lunch regimen? Especially when they're filled with spinach, mushrooms, and filling cheese.

Recipe: Spinach & Mushroom Quesadilla

If it's good in a taco, there's a good chance it'll be great in this chicken fajita bowl. That goes for everything from sliced mushrooms to black beans and corn. 

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Bowls

Want to get more vegetables into your diet but are sick of salads? Well, that's what zucchini boats are for! Load 'em up with chicken, and if you have room to spare, try adding some roasted sliced bell peppers or chopped jalapeños, too.

Recipe: Chicken Enchilada-Stuffed Zucchini Boats

If the idea of preparing shrimp for lunch seems a bit intimidating, consider using pre-cooked, frozen shrimp. Paired with avocado and a sweet dressing, this recipe comes together to create a salad you'll want to make over and over. 

Recipe: Shrimp and Avocado Salad

If you're having trouble forming patties, try adding an egg and half a cup of breadcrumbs to the mixture and freezing the patties. They'll be firm enough to cook in about an hour. 

Recipe: Easy Zesty Salmon Burgers | Shop This Recipe

If you're looking for an accessible dish that still manages to wow, try out this penne recipe. Apart from the unexpected topping, it's also made with a rich sauce that's ultra-savory, lightly sweet, and perfectly cheesy. 

Recipe: Sweet Potato Mushroom Penne

The easiest (and tastiest) use of canned beans and any leftover herbs. Bonus: These get even better as they sit, so it's a lunch that'll last through the week.

Recipe: Marinated White Beans

Who said a quick lunch couldn't also be colorful and delicious?

Recipe: 10-Minute Blender Gazpacho

If you don't own a spiralizer, you can find pre-cut zoodles in many stores or try making your own using these methods.

Recipe: No-Cook Zucchini Noodles With Pesto

Toss the bacon on a foil-lined sheet pan for the easiest cleanup — and let it bake while you cook the ramen and chop a few onions.

Recipe: Bacon and Egg Ramen

Mostly just assembly, with a few minutes of chopping.

Recipe: Black Bean Tostadas with Avocado

This might look like a lot of work, but because the meat is chopped so small, it cooks incredibly quickly.

Recipe: Easy Beef and Broccoli

Life hack: top anything with mozzarella and pepperoni to make it better. (For an even faster version, ditch the portobellos for English muffins.)

Recipe: Portobello Pizzas

Got some leftover rice, or even rice cakes? Top them with canned tuna, mashed avocado, and mango salsa.

Recipe: Tuna "Sushi" Stacks

The recipe calls for frozen corn and peas, but you could customize it with any veggies you have at home.

Recipe: Veggie Fried Rice