Easy Healthy Meals to Cook for Lunch
If you're looking for new healthy lunch ideas, you're in the right place. These 50+ 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, to relax, and to 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 besthealthy lunch ideas taste great, too! They add something fun and flavorful to the middle of the work day, making my mid-day break extra-refreshing and worth looking forward to.
Below, you'll find my top healthy lunch ideas, tricks, and tips, plus a slew of delicious healthy lunch recipes. Whether you're new to packing lunch or are a seasoned pro looking for new easy lunch ideas, I hope you find something you love!
Sandwich, Wrap & Roll Healthy Lunch Ideas
If you want to go beyond your usual PB&J or chicken salad sandwich, try one of the sandwiches or wraps below! To make these healthy lunch recipes ahead of time, meal prep the filling over the weekend. Then, assemble and pack your sandwich each morning before you head out the door.
Homemade Falafel
Say hello to the ULTIMATE desk lunch! This crispy baked falafel keeps well for up to 4 days in the fridge, so it's perfect for prepping ahead of time. Stuff it into pita with pickled onions, hummus, fresh veggies, and herbs, and it'll be the envy of the office at lunchtime.
Best Egg Salad Sandwiches (with vegan version!)
This extra-fresh egg salad is briny, bright, and loaded with herbs. For a delicious vegan variation, use diced tofu in place of the egg!
Fresh Spring Rolls
I love to make these spring rolls when I'm craving something fresh and light, but totally fun! I stuff them with gooey peanut noodles, avocado, and sautéed mushrooms. Pack extra peanut sauce on the side for dipping!
Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
These chickpea salad sandwiches are my vegan riff on a pan bagnat! A briny chickpea salad steps in for the tuna. Then, I finish them off with green beans, radishes, cucumbers, olives, and fresh basil.
- Avocado Summer Rolls
- Seared Tofu Banh Mi
- Maki Sushi
- Chickpea Shawarma Wraps
- Best Veggie Burgers
- Chickpea Salad Lettuce Wraps with Avocado Dill Sauce
- Tempeh Vegan Club Sandwiches
Salad & Bowl Healthy Lunch Recipes
If there's one category of healthy lunch ideas that I turn to most often, it's salads and bowls. These flexible recipes are easy ways to pack in a serving of veggies in the middle of the day, and mix-ins like dried fruit, herbs, nuts, and cheese make them flavorful and fun to eat!
Even if you're someone who's concerned about getting enough protein at lunchtime, salads can be great healthy lunch ideas for you. Bulk up any salad with black beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, or tempeh!
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
There's more to this chickpea salad than meets the eye! Medjool dates and a cumin-spiced dressing give it a surprising sweet, aromatic flavor.
Sesame Soba Noodles
One of my go-to healthy lunch ideas! This recipe calls for radishes and steamed snap peas, but the tangy sesame-ginger dressing will make any seasonal veggies pop.
Best Broccoli Salad
Smoky roasted nuts take the place of bacon in this lighter version of classic broccoli salad. The flavors improve as it sits, so it's a great recipe for making ahead and taking on the go.
Easy Pasta Salad
Studded with feta cheese, chickpeas, herbs, and veggies, this easy pasta salad is fresh and fun to eat! Its zippy lemon dressing is tangy and delicious – I love it on green salads and roasted veggies, too!
Best Buddha Bowl
Nothing beats a buddha bowl when it comes to combining flavor, nutrition, and simplicity. This one is a punchy combination of steamed veggies, brown rice, beans, sauerkraut, and a vibrant turmeric tahini dressing.
- Greek Salad
- Broccoli Pesto Quinoa Salad
- Roasted Cauliflower Lentil Salad
- Kale Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
- Summer Asian Slaw
- Mango Ginger Rice Bowls
- Turmeric Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Cauliflower Rice Kimchi Bowls
- Brown Rice Adzuki Bean Bowls
Re-heatable Soup Lunch Recipes
When it's cold outside, I want to eat soup all the time, and lunch is no exception. Make a big batch of soup for dinner, and save the leftovers for easy lunch ideas down the road. Most soups keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to a month.
To make lighter soups into a heartier meal, pair them with good crusty bread or avocado toast. To pack avocado and take it on the go, store it in a ziplock bag with a wedge of lemon and an onion slice to keep it from browning.
Many-Veggie Vegetable Soup
Make this versatile vegetable soup with whatever veggies you have in the fridge. Try using butternut squash instead of sweet potato or adding spinach, bell peppers, or broccoli. No matter what, it'll come out great.
Creamy Potato Soup
You'd never guess that this rich potato soup is totally dairy-free. In fact, it's a creamy, nourishing blend of white beans and potatoes that's hearty enough to be a meal on its own!
Best Lentil Soup
If you're looking for healthy lunch ideas that will improve throughout the week, this lentil soup is for you. To make leftovers extra delicious, brighten them up with a big squeeze of lime juice.
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
One of my favorite recipes from our first cookbook, this creamy vegan soup is a blend of roasted red peppers, carrots, fennel, onion, and white beans. It gets a punch of tangy flavor from balsamic vinegar, and it tastes even better on the second or third day!
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Creamy Wild Rice Soup
- Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Creamy Corn Chowder
- Easy Vegetarian Chili
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Creamy Asparagus Soup
- Easy Coconut Curry
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- Ginger Miso Soup
Build Your Own Bowl Healthy Lunch Ideas
All the lunch recipes above are delicious, but some of my favorite work lunches have come from mixing and matching components I've had on hand in the fridge. Try skipping a recipe altogether, and meal prep one (or more) item from each of the categories below. Then, combine them to make delicious DIY grain bowls throughout the week!
Grains
Cook a big batch of grains on the weekend, and add them to salads and bowls all week long! If I'm craving a lighter lunch, I'll meal prep a veggie "grain," like zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice, instead.
- Quinoa
- Farro
- Brown Rice
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Spaghetti Squash
- Cauliflower Rice
- Couscous
A Vegetable!
Choose one roasted, raw, or steamed veggie, or use a mix! Here are a few of my favorites:
- Brussels Sprouts
- Broccoli
- Butternut Squash
- Cauliflower
- Beets
- Zucchini
- Roasted Tomatoes
- Grilled Mixed Vegetables
Proteins
This category is key for making hearty lunches that will keep you full till dinnertime. Meal prep one of the proteins below, or pack hard-boiled eggs or your favorite type of beans.
- Baked Tofu
- Roasted Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Tempeh
Sauces
A good sauce can transform a humble mix of veggies and grains into an A+ desk lunch! I like to store sauce in a separate container and drizzle it over the other components when it's time to eat.
- Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Peanut Sauce
- Tahini Sauce
- Chipotle Sauce
- Tzatziki
- Basil Pesto
- Caesar Dressing
- Baba Ganoush
- Hummus
- Cashew Cream
For more healthy lunch ideas, check out this meal prep guide!
Looking for more healthy recipes?
Check out our healthy breakfast ideas, brunch recipes, easy dinner ideas, salad recipes, or soup recipes next!
Pictured at the top of this post: rectangle glass storage containers, and square ones from this set.
Healthy Lunch Ideas: Box Lunch Buddha Bowls
Serves 4 to 6
Customize a delicious, packable veggie box lunch by following this formula: a grain, a legume, kale, a roasted vegetable, a raw vegetable, and a pickled vegetable. Top with creamy tahini sauce.
- Brown rice, quinoa, or farro
- Massaged kale
- Chickpeas, black beans, or edamame
- Roasted sweet potatoes or carrots*
- Radishes, shredded cabbage, carrot peels
- Sauerkraut, pickled ginger or pickled onions
- Lemon or Turmeric Tahini sauce
- Sesame seeds
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Assemble bowls with a grain, the massaged kale, a legume, roasted vegetable, raw vegetable, and a fermented or pickled vegetable.
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Drizzle generously with tahini sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with more tahini sauce on the side.
*To roast the vegetables, preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast the carrots for 15 to 20 minutes, and the sweet potatoes for 20 to 28 minutes.
Source: https://www.loveandlemons.com/healthy-lunch-ideas/
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