Low-Sodium Lunch Recipes

Set yourself up for a week of super-satisfying lunches with these south of the border-style meal-prep bowls. We took one of our favorite recipes, Mexican Stuffed Acorn Squash (see Associated Recipes) and repurposed the filling into a tasty topping for low-carb spaghetti squash. The Mexican-inspired seasoning blend adds a lot of flavor easily, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and queso fresco finishes the dish.

Arrange the toppings individually on these protein-packed Buddha bowls so each bite has a contrasting taste and texture. Make big batches of the salad dressing, quinoa and roasted chicken thighs and you'll have healthy meal-prep lunches or dinners for days. Though the chicken thighs take just 15 minutes to prep, you can also make the salads with leftover chicken or store-bought cooked chicken to make prep even faster.

In Venezuela, sandwiches are often made with corn rolls known as arepas (ah-reh-pahs) that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Here, we use the arepas to create a healthy sandwich stuffed with chicken and avocado salad.

Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty and healthy salad recipe.

Cubed deli turkey takes the place of chicken, while Cheddar replaces blue cheese in this easy Cobb-inspired salad. The protein-rich turkey and cheese, plus eggs and bacon, gives the salad staying power, so you won't get hungry an hour after you eat. Feel free to swap out the turkey for cooked chicken or chickpeas to mix things up. Serve the salad right away or pack it up in individual containers and you'll be set for lunch for days.

With a variety of flavors and textures (and a whopping 30 grams of protein!), these Mediterranean-inspired meal-prep bowls will keep you fueled all afternoon. The turkey meatballs are adapted from Greek Turkey Burgers with Spinach, Feta & Tzatziki by Hilary Meyer. Look for premade tzatziki near the specialty cheeses and dips at your grocery store or make your own (see Associated Recipes).

We're mixing whole-grain spaghetti with zucchini noodles to add volume and save calories in these simple, flavor-packed meal-prep bowls. The bright and herby chimichurri sauce originally appeared in Katie Workman's salmon recipe for EatingWell magazine (see Associated Recipes). Leftover chicken, tofu or canned beans can be swapped in for the shrimp.

For these meal-prep-friendly lettuce wraps, we swap the traditional warm filling for a cold plant-based bean salad filling loaded with fresh herbs and lemon. Topping each lettuce leaf with a little quinoa before adding the filling helps to keep the lettuce from getting soggy.

Pasta salad is a classic summer side dish, but adding protein (leftover grilled chicken is perfect here) and extra greens makes it a super-satisfying lunch. We use baby spinach, but arugula or baby kale works too. Top with a bright and tangy basil vinaigrette just before serving. The great news is that these easy meal-prep lunches take just 20 minutes to prepare--that's 4 days of lunches in less than 30 minutes.

This easy apple and pork salad uses up the leftovers from two separate recipes--Maple-Mustard Pork and Wild Rice Pilaf--for a fast and easy lunch or dinner. Since it's served cold, it's especially good for packing up for work lunches. The simple cider vinegar and honey dressing would be nice on any grain salad.

This healthy chopped salad is a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken. You can reserve the remaining hard-boiled egg half for a snack.

This gorgeous and healthy summer vegetable salad is loaded with pretty produce, including golden beets, avocado, corn, microgreens and radishes. Chickpeas and edamame add substance, and an herb-filled buttermilk-avocado dressing makes this salad really special. Serve it on its own for a light vegetarian meal or add grilled chicken for an easy weeknight dinner.

A nice option for a light lunch, these seared scallops are served with a fresh tomato, cucumber, and corn salad, and drizzled with a tasty basil vinaigrette.

Whether you use it for sandwiches, breakfast toast, or as a serve-along for soups, this whole-wheat version of challah is delightful.

The creamy citrus dressing on this healthy autumn-inspired salad brings out the intense flavors of sweet fennel and bold radicchio.

Try this recipe of pineapple, grapefruit, kiwi, and jicama chilled in spiced cider the next time you need a fruity and refreshing side dish.

For this sustainable vegan sushi, we swapped out tuna for tomato that gets a savory seafood flavor from seaweed, tamari and other umami-rich ingredients. The tomato "tuna" tops sushi rice and is finished with a dollop of spicy vegan mayo for nigiri that will delight any sushi lover.

Who needs a tortilla when a lettuce leaf will do just fine? These low-carb Thai-inspired lettuce cups are full of cooked chicken, crunchy cabbage and snap peas, fresh mint and cilantro, and zesty scallions and red onion. A limey-hot sauce blend works well to bring all of the flavors together.

Enjoy the benefits of good-for-you whole-wheat couscous with this quick and easy grain side dish. Fresh cherry tomatoes, crisp-tender zucchini, and earthy thyme are a perfect accompaniment to the delightful, nutty taste of the couscous.

Low-fat yogurt and light sour cream make this caraway-flavored coleslaw creamy and rich. It's a low-carb side dish that's ideal for a diabetic meal plan.