42 Healthy Lunch Recipes to Keep You Full Until Dinner
There’s more to lunch than sandwiches and salads (although those aren't so bad, either). Whether you’re at home, headed to the office or packing a brown bag lunch for school, these delicious recipes are sure to fit the bill.
Our Best Healthy Lunch Ideas
There are so many factors when it comes to figuring out what to eat for lunch. Sometimes you need a meal that’s quick to throw together or really easy to make, other times it’s essential that your lunch can survive the trip to work in a brown paper bag. And, for many of us, meal prepping something that’s wholesome and nourishing tops the list, too. That’s where these recipes come in handy. They’re all healthy and delicious—and there’s an option for every situation, whether you’re home or headed to the office. One of our favorites? This packable midday meal that’s loaded with tender veggies and satisfying hummus.
Grated Pasta Chicken Soup
Cozy up to a bowl of this easy chicken soup filled with fresh homemade egg noodles. The key is to make a quick 5-ingredient pasta dough and then simply grate it directly into store-bought chicken broth using a box grater. Rounded out with some veg and shredded rotisserie chicken, it’s a perfect freezer-friendly make-ahead weeknight dinner.
Pasta e Ceci
This simple, hearty dish is pure Italian comfort food. Made with double carbs (chickpeas -- the “ceci” -- and ditalini!), it’s somewhere between a soup and a pasta, bringing the best qualities of both to one bowl. While it’s optional, the Parmesan rind adds a depth of flavor here as well as to other soups and stews, especially vegetarian ones. Whenever you finish a wedge of Parmesan, just wrap the leftover rind well in plastic and keep it in the fridge. The lemon zest and juice add a bright note to the broth that’s thickened by mashing some of the chickpeas. If you don’t have a potato masher, you can mash the chickpeas against the sides of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Kale and Apple Salad
Antioxidant-rich kale is even better for you when eaten raw. Thin strips are softened in a light lemon dressing, then tossed with the savory-sweet blend of apple, dates, almonds and cheese. A little pecorino goes a long way in giving this nutritious salad a satisfying depth of flavor.
Nordic Shrimp Toast
These decorative toasts have all the flavors of Nordic cuisine and no foraging is required! Delicate shrimp get double-hacked: first, they are quickly cooked in a covered pot off the stovetop and then sliced en masse using a trick involving two plastic lids. A protein-packed snack or part of lunch.