Quick and Easy Lunch Ideas

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I get it. You want to eat healthy but first of all.. umm how? And secondly, YOU HAVE NO TIME! I rallied together with some of my dietitian gal pals to bring you some of our top healthy, quick and easy lunch ideas!

Healthy Lunch Tips

Personally, I’m a huge fan of leftovers for lunch because the work is already done! But when that just isn’t possible (AKA you ate everything already) having some easy, delicious lunch ideas on hand is super helpful.

Power pack your lunches with a source of protein (like chicken or beans), a complex carbohydrate (e.g. high fiber whole grain or a starchy veggie) and non-starchy veggies (that’s basically any veggie other than potatoes, peas, corn and winter squash) to help keep you satisfied and full until dinner. I like to add in a fruit on the side, too, to keep the sweet tooth away and add extra vitamins and minerals. Having too few calories at lunch can lead to snacking in the mid-afternoon or chowing down on those chips or cookies while you’re trying to get dinner ready just because they’re ready and available. And now, onto those quick and easy lunch ideas!

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Salads

Mason Jar Taco Salad (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free) by Amanda Hernandez, MA, RD of www.nutritionistreviews.com – I love how you can make these ahead of time and pack for an easy weekday work lunch!

Chickpea Feta Salad with Arugula Pesto (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free) by Krista Kolodziejzyk, MPH, RD at A Seasonal Kitchen – This one has its own arugula pesto sauce recipe but if you wanted to shave off some time you could buy a pesto sauce!

Everyday Tuna Salad with Apples (Gluten-Free) by Katie Cavuto, RD

Turmeric Chickpea Salad Avocado Bites (Vegan, Gluten-Free) by Kara Lydon, RD

Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad with Chicken (Gluten-Free) by Toby Amidor, MS, RD from her Wall Street Journal best-selling cookbook The Easy 5-Ingredient Healthy: Simple Recipes to Make Healthy Eating Delicious, Rockridge Press, 2018. Photo courtesy of Hélène Dujardin.

Avocado Tuna Salad (Gluten-Free) by Julia Robarts, MS, MPH, RDN, LDN of Juggling With Julia – I’m always a huge fan of tuna salad because I keep extra on hand in the pantry at all times!

Spinach, Mozzarella, Tomato and Chickpea Salad (Vegetarian) by EA Stewart, RD

Sandwiches & Wraps

All Year Round Turkey Cranberry Sandwich by Jenna Braddock, MSH, RDN, CSSD sports dietitian, blogger at MakeHealthyEasy.com and founder of OffSeasonAthlete.com

Healthy Greek Chicken & Hummus Wraps by Andrea Mathis, MA, RDN, LD, owner of Beautiful Eats & Things

Vegan Hummus Pita Pizza (Vegan) by Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition (amydgorin.com) in the New York City area

Vegan BLT Sandwich (Vegan) by Emily Cooper, RDN at Sinful Nutrition – Doesn’t this look delicious?!

Other Delicious Lunch Ideas

Lemon Garlic Tahini Power Bowl (Vegan) by Kelly Jones

The Easiest Black Bean Tacos by Rebecca Clyde, MS, RDN of Nourish Nutrition Co – Any recipe with “the easiest” in its title has my name on it!

Whole Wheat Chicken Quesadillas by me! – There’s a simple marinade recipe for the chicken here but save time using any leftover grilled chicken or swap for no added salt black beans!