25 Healthy Lunches for When You Need Something Light
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Whether you're coming off a week of vacation or are just looking for something lighter, having a variety of healthy, light lunch recipes on hand is helpful. Fiber- and protein-rich choices like Caprese Avocado Toast and No-Cook Black Bean Salad will help keep you full and energized throughout the afternoon.
From sandwiches to soups and salads, here are some of our favorite light lunches—all with less than 500 calories—that will leave you feeling satisfied without weighing you down.
Veggie & Hummus Sandwich
This mile-high vegetables and hummus sandwich makes the perfect heart-healthy vegetarian lunch to go. Mix it up with different flavors of hummus and different types of vegetables depending on your mood.
Caprese Avocado Toast
Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil—the building blocks of caprese salad—lend a creative twist to a standard avocado toast recipe.
Lentil & Roasted Vegetable Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
Goddess dressing typically gets its umami-ness from anchovies, but we use miso in this super green salad recipe to keep it vegetarian. Substitute two chopped anchovies for the miso if you like. Or add baked tofu, poached salmon or grilled chicken for a boost of protein.
3-Ingredient Chickpeas with Kale & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes pull double duty in this recipe. Use the oil from the jar to cook the kale, then stir in the sun-dried tomatoes to add flavor and texture to the dish.
Weight-Loss Cabbage Soup
Loaded with cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, tomato and plenty of seasoning, this healthy cabbage soup recipe packs in lots of flavor and is ultra-satisfying. This easy recipe makes a big batch for lunches or veggie-packed snacks all week. If you want to bump up the satisfaction factor even more, top with a little cheese or avocado.
Citrus Lime Tofu Salad
This veggie-packed salad has plenty of protein and fiber, so you'll feel full and satisfied. Prep the ingredients ahead of time for an easy vegan lunch idea to pack for work.
Rainbow Veggie Wraps
There's definitely a sushi vibe to these kid-friendly wraps, which are stuffed with vegetables, cheese and hummus and then rolled and sliced. Serve them with store-bought green goddess, a creamy herb-filled dressing, to take it up a notch with ease. They look impressive, but they're easy enough for kids to assemble themselves for an easy lunch or dinner.
Chickpea, Artichoke & Avocado Salad with Apple-Cider Dressing
This delicious 400-calorie salad is a helpful tool for weight loss because it provides a good balance of fiber, protein and healthy fats from loads of veggies and beans, all tossed in a tangy apple-cider vinaigrette. To meal-prep these for lunch throughout the week, pack the dressing and the salad separately and make sure your veggies are thoroughly dried before packing them together.
Edamame & Chicken Greek Salad
This healthy salad recipe with cucumber, feta, basil and olives has edamame added for extra protein. Serve with toasted pita brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano.
Avocado Toast with Sprouts
Hummus, sprouts and avocado top sprouted whole-wheat bread in this healthy vegan lunch idea. Look for sprouted bread in the freezer section of your grocery store.
Chicken, Barley & Mushroom Soup
This healthy chicken soup recipe is chock-full of sturdy root vegetables and whole-grain barley. You can use any combination of dried and fresh mushrooms here. The soup will thicken as it sits on the stove—thin it as needed with more broth or water.
No-Cook Black Bean Salad
This vegan black bean salad version gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick.
Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup
Make this low-calorie vegetable soup recipe with ease in this load-and-go crock pot recipe. After simmering away in the slow cooker, portion it into individual serving containers and store in the fridge or freezer for fast, healthy lunches or an easy, satisfying snack. This weight-loss vegetable soup fills you up without a lot of calories, plus it's an easy way to eat more vegetables.
Tomato, Cucumber & White Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
This no-cook bean salad is a delicious way to use summer's best cherry or grape tomatoes and juicy cucumbers for a light dinner or lunch. Fresh basil elevates an easy vinaigrette recipe that dresses up this simple salad into something extraordinary.
BLATs (Bacon-Lettuce-Avocado Sandwiches)
In this healthy BLT recipe, we use a creamy avocado spread flavored with garlic and basil and then add sprouts. Look for sprouted-wheat bread in the frozen section or with other specialty breads at your grocery store.
Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas
This healthy high-fiber salad comes together in just 10 minutes. Serve it right away or pack it in individual servings for four super-satisfying, high-fiber lunches for the week ahead. To cut down on prep time, we're using preshredded Brussels sprouts from the produce department and store-bought roasted chickpeas. Look for roasted chickpea snacks with the healthy snacks or nuts at your grocery store.
Greek Salad Wraps
Zesty Greek salad packed with tomatoes, cucumber and olives—plus chickpeas for a protein punch—gets tucked into a whole-wheat wrap for a healthy vegan lunch that's easy to pack for work. It's so flavorful and satisfying, you won't miss the feta (but feel free to add a sprinkling of the briney cheese if you do!).
Zucchini Noodle "Pasta" Salad
This healthy zucchini noodle salad has all the flavors you love in a classic pasta salad, but we've swapped in zoodles for wheat pasta, which makes the salad lighter, lower in carbs and gluten-free. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish for a light, healthy summer dinner or lunch that will offer more staying power.
Roasted Veggie Mason Jar Salad
This vegan Mason jar salad is easy to pack up and take for lunch. Layering the creamy cashew sauce into the bottom of the jar ensures that your big, bold power salad won't become wilted by the time you're ready to eat.
Chickpea "Chicken" Salad
This chickpea salad is a vegetarian version of a classic chicken salad—and, thus, can be eaten in the exact same way. Let's be clear, though: It doesn't taste like chicken, but it is a delicious (and fiber-packed) vegetarian alternative!
Tuscan White Bean Soup
A pound of dried beans is the inexpensive foundation for this simple, hearty meal. Serve it with slices of whole-wheat bread or a side salad for a complete and satisfying lunch or dinner.
Kale Turkey Wraps
Using kale leaves instead of bread to wrap your filling makes this healthy turkey lunch recipe low calorie. If you can't find lacinato, also known as Tuscan kale, try cabbage for your wrap.
Chicken Avocado BLT Wrap
Who doesn't love a BLT? In this Mexican-inspired version, we've added chicken and avocado and wrapped it in a tortilla, making it easy to eat.
Green Goddess Salad with Chicken
In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss and chicken salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. Any extra dressing is delicious served over grilled chicken or flaky white fish, such as cod or flounder.
Tuna Salad Sandwich with Sweet Relish
This sweet twist on a classic tuna salad sandwich is a healthy high-protein lunch that even your kids will love.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
