15 Healthy Lunch Ideas To Power Through A Long Day
Lunchtime doesn’t have to be unhealthy or expensive. In fact, you can make a perfectly healthy lunch at home without spending a fortune. Brown-bagging your lunch is the best way to save money and make sure you eat healthy. When you need energy to get through your day, you want a healthy lunch with plenty of protein and fiber. These fifteen healthy lunch ideas offer exactly that, so you’ll be full from lunch until dinner with no problem.
1. Easy Tuna Wrap
If you need lunch ready fast and easy, this easy tuna wrap is what you want. The filling is made in about 5 minutes. All you have to do is roll it up in a wrap with some lettuce. Easy, portable, delicious, and filling.
2. Garden Vegetable Turkey Skillet
Each spoonful of this garden vegetable turkey skillet is loaded with protein-rich ground turkey, brown mushrooms, avocado, and tomatoes. It’s light and easy to eat but still filling enough to get you through to dinner. If you want to round out the meal a bit, you can easily stir some brown rice or whole-grain pasta into this for extra bulk.
3. Cajun Chicken Wrap
Thick slices of Cajun-seasoned chicken and a bunch of low-calorie veggies rolled up in whole-grain tortillas make this Cajun chicken wrap a powerhouse. It’s only about 160 calories per wrap, but you get a hefty dose of protein (25 g) that’ll keep you energized all day.
4. Meatball Sandwiches
Few sandwiches can beat a hearty and delicious meatball sandwich. You can add any toppings you like, and you will definitely stay full until dinnertime. To pack this for lunch, pack the meatballs and the bun separately. Heat up the meatballs in the breakroom microwave and then put them on your bun. Don’t forget a napkin or two.
5. Egg Salad Sandwich
A classic egg salad sandwich is delicious, filling, and easy to pack for lunch. It’s a great balance of flavor and nutrition. With a good, whole-grain bread and some fresh tomatoes, you’ll get a nice dose of fiber, while the protein from the eggs and fats from the mayonnaise will fill you up and keep you that way.
6. Broccoli Salad
Broccoli lovers will love this raw broccoli salad. It’s a hearty salad with lots of chew and tons of flavor. It’s also high in fiber, so you won’t be hungry again until dinner or later. Enjoy this as a main course for lunch, and then serve any leftovers as a side for your dinner meal.
7. Cucumber Sandwich
Need a light and refreshing lunch that travels well? This cucumber sandwich is perfect for a lighter lunch. The cucumber hydrates, and all that fiber fills you up fast. This is a great idea for an outdoor meal when the weather is nice. It’s easy to pack and easy to eat, and you can serve it with some fresh fruit on the side. It’s the perfect warmer-weather lunch.
8. Turkey Vegetable Pasta Salad
If you like a good pasta salad for lunch, this turkey vegetable pasta salad is a well-balanced, delicious, and filling idea. Packaging it up is easy, and it won’t make a big mess when you sit down to eat. It’s a complete meal all on its own, but you can certainly add a side salad if you want to round out the meal.
9. Fajita Wraps
Whether you use leftovers from fajita night or make these from scratch, these delicious fajita wraps are a great way to jazz up your lunch with tons of flavor. They are easy to make, easy to pack, and easy to eat.
10. Tuna Stuffed Avocados
Keto or low-carb folks will love these tuna stuffed avocados. They are high in lean protein and healthy fats, and this tiny and portable lunch will keep you full for hours. In fact, you’ll probably be surprised by just how full you get on so little food.
11. Hummus Stuffed Sweet Potato
For plant-based folks, this hummus stuffed sweet potato is portable, highly nutritious, and incredibly filling. Pair it with a green salad for a complete meal. Stuffed with hummus and your favorite toppings, you can’t go wrong with this recipe.
12. Instant Pot Tomato Soup
Sandwiches can get a little boring day after day. But pair your sandwich with a really great bowl of soup, and your sandwich gets elevated to a whole new level. This Instant Pot tomato soup is particularly good with cheese-based sandwiches and turkey sandwiches, too.
13. Easy Gimbap
If you’ve never had Gimbap before, you’re missing out. This Korean gimbap wrap is a kid favorite that adults will love, too. Wrap up your favorite hot dog with some sticky rice in a nori wrap, slice it in half for easy packing and eating, and you’re ready to head out the door.
14. BLT Pasta Salad
If you are tired of sandwiches for lunch, give some BLT pasta salad a try. It has all the classic flavors of a much-loved BLT sandwich but can be packed in bigger portions for larger lunches. It has a delicious, creamy dressing and is a complete meal all on its own.
15. Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Have some leftover buffalo chicken? Make pasta salad for lunch! This Buffalo chicken pasta is easy to make, packs a powerful punch of delicious flavor, and will totally fill you up until dinner. Pack a green salad if you want something more to go with this.
More From The Gracious Pantry
If you prefer sandwiches to wraps, The Gracious Pantry has you covered there, too. Here’s a fabulous collection of sandwich recipes that taste amazing and might actually be good for you.
