Low-Sodium Lunch Recipes

Thin green beans cook quickly, so rinsing them with cold water (or putting them into an ice water bath) is important if you want to keep them crisp. The beans in this side dish recipe take only 20 minutes to prepare, but taste their best after a couple hours in the fridge where they soak up the flavor of the shallot-thyme mixture.

Seitan, often called "wheat meat," is just that: a dough made of wheat gluten that when cooked, very closely resembles meat. It's a common meat replacement for vegetarian and vegan diets and it's actually very easy to make at home. Use it to make breaded "chicken" parmesan, barbecue "chicken" or even "chicken" tenders. Our recipe makes two loaves so you can use one now and freeze the other one for later.

This simple Greek vinaigrette is so easy to make and so finger-licking good you'll never want to go back to bottled dressing again! Drizzle it over classic Greek salad, a green salad or even use it as a marinade for grilled vegetables or chicken.

This spinach salad boasts a delightful combination of flavors--smoked turkey, sweet blueberries and tart goat cheese--all dressed up in an tangy orange-balsamic dressing. For a complete meal, serve with fresh pear slices and long thin breadsticks dipped in hummus.

These tasty turkey and bean burritos are the perfect choice for a quick dinner or lunch. Shredded lettuce and Cheddar cheese are wrapped up in warm whole-wheat tortillas with cooked turkey, salsa and beans--yum!

Bitter greens are balanced with a honey-orange dressing in this quick and satisfying salad. Serve with garlic shrimp, grilled chicken or cheese toast to round out a meal.

Skip frozen burritos and make your own by spicing up a can of refried black beans with chopped pickled jalapeños. Serve this easy vegetarian dish with tortilla chips, if desired.

Not only are these cheesy biscuits gluten-free, they're also made with cauliflower for a low-carb copycat recipe of a favorite. Cheddar cheese, garlic and chives add mouthwatering flavor to these biscuits that make a great way to start a meal. Serve along with soup or eat as a snack.

Using premade pizza crusts means this dinner can be on the table in just 30 minutes. The vegetable sauce is prepared on the stove and the pizzas are finished up quickly on the grill.

Flaxseed meal makes an excellent substitute for eggs in this vegan crepe batter. The batter is made in a blender for easy preparation and cleanup. The crepes taste great served simply with a drizzle of maple syrup. Or, serve them for brunch filled with sautéed vegetables or for dessert filled with a fruit compote.

Holiday leftovers often end up in casseroles and soups, but they are also delicious in a light but hearty salad. In addition to leftover turkey, this recipe takes advantage of leftover stuffing--which is transformed into crisp croutons, cranberry sauce--which enhances the dressing, and whatever leftover roasted vegetables you have on hand.

Classic cornbread can easily be made vegan with delicious results by replacing the egg and dairy milk with flaxseed meal and soy milk! Serve this easy recipe as a side with vegan chili or turn it into vegan cornbread stuffing.

This salad is easy and festive--the perfect healthy addition to your holiday table. The no-sugar-added dressing blends well with the sweet notes of apple and sharp Cheddar cheese, and crunchy pecans round out the dish.

Curry doesn't have to take hours to prepare. With the help of our sheet-pan meal-prep chicken (see associated recipe) and some cooked whole grains, you can make these meal-prep bowls in just a few minutes! Keep them in the fridge for an easy dinner on a busy weeknight or for healthy grab-and-go lunches throughout the week.

Skip take-out and whip up these equally delicious, and easy-to-make burrito bowls at home. They're great for a fast and easy dinner or as meal-prep lunches to pack for work throughout the week.

Pureed chickpeas, seasoned with the characteristic flavors of falafel, make excellent veggie burgers. We use a two-stage method for cooking the patties, first browning them in a skillet and then finishing them in the oven. Garnish the burgers with tzatziki or tahini sauce (see associated recipes), pickled red onions, lettuce and tomatoes.

This is a soup with a long history (references to it in English go back to 1784) that can now be conveniently made in a modern appliance. Although it's technically an English soup, its origins are decidedly Indian. (The name loosely means "pepper water" in the Tamil language of Southern India.) The sweetness of apple and coconut milk counterbalances the garlic, ginger, curry and cayenne.

Luscious, slightly sweet and studded with cheese-filled pasta pillows, this tomato soup is a dream bowl for kids. Make sure to save some for them.

Inspired by Tuscany's legendary pappa al pomodoro, this soup is a great way to use stale bread. The traditional version doesn't contain kale or a topping of squash and grape tomatoes, but why not?

Long-simmered marrow bones give this soup its luxurious flavor. The texture of the finished soup is hearty--bordering on a soupy risotto.