Nutritious, homemade lunches don’t have to take a lot of effort.
Lunch doesn’t have to be boring or unhealthy for it to be quick and easy.
Add thesehealthy lunchideas to your weekday rotation to kick your noontime nosh.
Photo: Alison Miksch
For a speedier execution, prep the dressing and make croutons the night before (or use store-bought).
This lunch recipe calls for mayo, but swap it out with yogurt for a lighter take.
Once you try it, you’ll be brown-bagging this one regularly.
Alison Miksch
But here, it’s made a little healthier thanks to a bed of romaine lettuce.
Crushed tortilla chips offer crunch while a lime dressing provides a bit of tang.
Softened corn tortillas plump up in the broth to contrast with crispy ones on top.
Alison Miksch
Toasted buckwheat is a fun and nutritious add-on that fits into a gluten-free diet.
Bonus: Unlike other salads, this healthy pick doesn’t wilt by the time the clock hits lunchtime.
Don’t love raisins or parsley (or both)?
Fred Hardy
No problem: Use cilantro and chopped dates instead.
Speedy Salmon Burgers
Bet we had you at “speedy”.
Make the lemony-horseradish mayo ahead for an even quicker prep.
Alison Miksch
Astore-bought pie crustmeans it comes together easily but feels (and looks) so sophisticated.
We love the chopped leeks and zucchini, which play off the salty feta scattered on top.
Southwestern Chicken Soup
How does a 15-minute soup recipe deliver four satisfying, hearty lunches?
Jen Causey
A jar of salsa verde, leftover cooked chicken, and a can of cannellini beans is how.
Serve with diced onions, sour cream, and tortilla chips.
Its eggplant-mushroom meatballs pack plenty of savory flavor and protein.
Alison Miksch
Prep for 25 minutes in the morning, and by noon, this hearty vegetarian lunch is ready.
Blistered Tomatillo Salsa and Roasted Chicken Thighs Tacos
Tacos for lunch are never wrong.
This recipe conjures a curry sauce out of cream, yogurt, canned tomatoes, and curry powder.
Caitlin Bensel
Add white rice, leftover cooked chicken, and naan to round out this Asian-inspired full meal deal.
That prep time includes whipping up a honey-mustard-flavored mayo, which helps this sandwich earn its fancy French title.
While the quinoa cooks in chicken broth, seasoned chicken cutlets saute to a golden brown.
Greg DuPree
Add chopped baby spinach and Gruyere to the cooked quinoa and plate up a dinner-quality lunch.
Coconut Chicken Cutlets With Mango Chutney Slaw
Yes, youcanmake this for lunch!
They’re paired with an arugula and sliced Brussels salad dressed in merely olive oil and lemon juice.
Tracey Kusiewicz/Getty Images
This healthy lunch recipe suggests you grill them, but they fry up just as nicely on the stove.
Find a bag of sweet potato chips for this burger’s perfect side.
Top with Parm and basil leaves for the taste of Italy in springtime in a bowl.
Alexandra Rowley
Use fusilli pasta to trap the sauce’s creamy cheesiness in its spiral grooves.
Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
We often toutsheet-pan dinners, but how about a sheet-pan lunch?
Fill a sheet pan with seasoned shrimp and vegetables, bake, and then broil for a quick char.
Caitlin Bensel
Rice noodles provide a fresh diversion from white rice, while chopped peanuts deliver a crunchy finish.
Add leftover chicken, sausage, or more veggies for something more substantial.
The possibilities are endless!
Marcus Nilsson
Fancy Tomato Sandwiches
What’s so fancy about a no-cook tomato sandwich?
Speedy Pork Banh Mi Sandwiches
“Speedy” is a beautiful thing, especially regarding lunch prep.
This recipe for the classic Vietnamese-style sandwich features pork tenderloin that’s roasted and then sliced.
Charles Masters
For a super-speedy prep, use leftover cooked pork.
This recipe proves it’s not.
Smashed Cucumber Salad With Spicy Feta and Olives
Why smash a perfectly good cucumber?
Antonis Achilleos
It makes more nooks and crannies for the oil and vinegar dressing to seep into.
Top it with tomato slices, basil, and mozzarella for a back-to-basics lunch that’s better than delivery.
Oil-packed tuna fillets mingle with shallot, celery, cornichons, capers, and tender herbs.
John Kernick
Tofu is a tasty andhigh-protein foodthat makes this vegetarian rice bowl come together.
And the crispier the tofu, the better.
It comes together in just 15 minutes yet packs in tons of flavor.
Greg DuPree
Chickpea-Tuna Salad
Victor Protasio
Rethink your standard tuna salad with this healthy lunch recipe.
This vinegar-based tuna salad is far from the mayonnaise-centric rendition of deli counters and cafeterias.
First, you’ll marinate chickpeas in oil and vinegar to infuse them with flavor.
Victor Protasio
These join oil-packed tuna, radicchio, and red onion, plus kalamata olives and capers.
The base is romaine lettuce heartsthe crispiest of lettuceswith chopped cucumber, snap peas, and edamame mixed in.
Want even more veggies?
Jose Picayo
Shredded carrot, thinly sliced bell pepper, and snow peas would be welcome, too.
Shawarma-Seasoned Cauliflower and Chickpea Pitas
This five-ingredient lunch is a fragrant vegetarian delight thats packed with flavor.
This vegetarian shawarma wrap recipe borrows the intricate flavors sans the meat.
Greg DuPree
Roasted Broccoli Pesto Pasta
This pasta salad is easy, healthy, and completely satisfying for lunchtime.
Swap regular pasta for a whole-grain option such as kamut, farro, or whole wheat.
Or opt to make it gluten-free with brown rice pasta.
Victor Protasio
Add salt and pepper as you’d like, but it’s still fluffy and delicious.
And you’ve got the option to pull it together in just about 40 minutes.
Greg DuPree
Fred Hardy
Greg DuPree
Caitlin Bensel
Caitlin Bensel
Caitlin Bensel
Greg DuPree
Caitlin Bensel
Antonis Achilleos
Victor Protasio
Victor Protasio
Greg DuPree
Caitlin Bensel
Antonis Achilleos
Jennifer Causey
Greg DuPree
Linda Pugliese
Charles Masters
Maria Robleda
Jen Causey
Caitlin Bensel
Greg DuPree
Victor Protasio
Greg DuPree
Fred Hardy
Chris Simpson
Caitlin Bensel
Anna Williams
