27 350-Calorie Lunch Ideas for Work

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We know you're super-busy and rushing out the door in the morning, but don't forget to pack a healthy lunch! It's your #1 secret weapon against fast-food and vending machine temptations. These low-calorie packable lunch recipes are easy to prepare and have 350 calories or fewer per serving.The Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Rice Bowl and Indian-Spiced Chicken Pitas are the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

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Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap

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White beans mashed with ripe avocado and blended with sharp Cheddar and onion makes an incredibly rich, flavorful filling for this wrap. The tangy, spicy slaw adds crunch. A pinch (or more) of ground chipotle pepper and an extra dash of cider vinegar can be used in place of the canned chipotles in adobo sauce. Wrap these up to take as a healthy and portable lunch for work.

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Italian Vegetable Hoagies

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This delightfully easy, and somewhat messy, sandwich packs a punch with sweet balsamic vinegar, artichoke hearts, red onion, provolone cheese and zesty pepperoncini. We love it for dinner as well as lunch. If you're packing the hoagies to take along, keep the ingredients separate and assemble right before eating to avoid soggy bread. Serve with tomato and cucumber salad.

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Mediterranean Tuna Antipasto Salad

Mediterranean Tuna Antipasto Salad for Two

Packed with protein and fiber, this tuna and bean salad is ready in a flash. For an extra kick, add a pinch of crushed red pepper or cayenne.

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Spicy Chicken & Mango Collard Green Wraps

Spicy Chicken & Mango Collard Green Wraps
Jerrelle Guy

Be sure to carefully cut out the thickest part of the center rib and stem of the collard greens so the wraps can be tightly rolled up. Serve with extra hot sauce for those who like a little kick.

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Smoked Salmon Brown Rice Onigiri

Smoked Salmon Brown Rice Onigiri
Jerrelle Guy

These Japanese rice triangles can be made simply with seasoned rice or filled with vegetables or protein. Cooking a bit of starchier short-grain white rice with the brown ensures they hold together—but still gives you a filling dose of fiber.

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Italian Deli Salad

Italian Deli Salad
Jerrelle Guy

An antipasto lover's dream—amped up with plenty of veggies. Adding the arugula on top keeps the greens from wilting when you pack it to go.

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Creamy Pesto Chicken Salad with Greens

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For a healthy variation on creamy chicken salad, we've replaced half the mayonnaise with basil pesto. Serve over greens or make it into a sandwich for a healthy lunch.

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Chile-Lime Veggie Noodles

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We love the bright flavor that lime and chile-garlic sauce give to this quick and easy veggie-and-noodle stir-fry. Multicolored peppers make this recipe festive, while the addition of eggs makes it a satisfying vegetarian supper.

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Turkey, Corn & Sun-Dried Tomato Wraps

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Fresh corn kernels, tomatoes and lettuce fill these hearty turkey wraps. This wrap is great for picnics or when you need to have dinner on the run. Add some crumbled feta or shredded Cheddar for another layer of flavor. Serve with carrot sticks, sliced bell pepper or other crunchy vegetables plus your favorite creamy dressing.

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Indian-Spiced Chicken Pitas

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Make a perfect summer supper: grill spice-rubbed chicken breasts and tuck them into whole-wheat pitas along with fresh vegetables and a tangy yogurt sauce. Serve with: Grilled vegetables and a pilsner.

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Barbecue Chicken Kale Wraps

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Smooth, lacinato kale (aka dinosaur kale) is topped with barbecue chicken, carrots and cabbage in this healthy, gluten-free lettuce wrap recipe. Try them for a low-carb dinner or light lunch.

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BLATs (Bacon-Lettuce-Avocado-Tomato Sandwiches)

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In this healthy BLT recipe, we use a creamy avocado spread flavored with garlic and basil, and add sprouts. Look for sprouted-wheat bread in the frozen section or with other specialty breads at your grocery store.

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Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich

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In this healthy chicken sandwich recipe, the avocado is mashed to create a healthy creamy spread.

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Chicken Waldorf Salad

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Leftover cooked chicken makes this chicken Waldorf salad, loaded with apples, grapes, celery and walnuts, a snap to assemble. If you use rotisserie chicken, keep in mind that it's salty and omit the salt in the dressing. Serve over watercress, with a chunk of whole-grain baguette.

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Greek Salad with Sardines

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The fresh, tangy elements of a Greek salad--tomato, cucumber, feta, olives and lemony vinaigrette--pair well with rich-tasting sardines. Look for sardines with skin and bones (which are edible) as they have more than four times the amount of calcium as skinless, boneless sardines. If you're lucky enough to have fresh sardines available in your supermarket, try them in place of the canned sardines. Lightly dredge them in salt-and-pepper-seasoned flour and sauté them in a little olive oil.

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Tijuana Torta

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A Mexican-style torta is just like a burrito, except the "wrapper" is a hollowed-out roll instead of a tortilla. Here it's filled with mashed spiced black beans and a quick guacamole. Take this vegetarian version to another level (and add calcium) by melting Monterey Jack cheese onto the bean side of the sandwich. Serve with: Grilled corn on the cob or Spanish rice.

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Salmon Salad Sandwich

Salmon Salad Sandwich

Salmon salad served on tangy pumpernickel bread makes for an easy dinner--a double batch will give you lunch the next day.

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3-Ingredient Farro Bowl with Rotisserie Chicken

3-Ingredient Mediterranean Farro Bowl
Carolyn Hodges

To make this hearty grain bowl, grab a salad kit from the grocery store. Then, top the kit with farro and chicken for a high-protein lunch or dinner that's ready in minutes.

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Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Cuban Cauliflower Rice Bowl

In this riff on a healthy grain bowl recipe, we use cauliflower rice instead of another whole grain like brown rice to cut back on carbs and load up on veggie servings. A simple citrusy drizzle, inspired by Cuban mojo sauce, finishes these vegan rice bowls, perfect for lunch or dinner.

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Roasted Buffalo Chickpea Wraps

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This vegetarian riff on a Buffalo chicken wrap adds the spicy Buffalo tang you love to crunchy roasted chickpeas all tucked into an easy-to-make wrap with carrot, celery and blue cheese. Make and take a wrap for a healthy packable lunch or serve them up on game day for a protein-packed snack everyone will devour.

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Easy Lentil Salad

Easy Lentil Salad
Jennifer Causey

This easy lentil salad is a great salad to have around for a quick lunch for work or home. You can buy precooked lentils to cut down on prep time or easily cook your own at home.

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Kale & Strawberry Salad

Kale & Strawberry Salad
Greg DuPree

In this kale and strawberry salad, apple-cider vinegar and mustard flavor the dressing while fresh strawberries offer a touch of sweetness. Creamy herbed goat cheese completes this healthy salad that's perfect for lunch or dinner.

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Spinach Panini

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This warm panini recipe is an easy choice when you're preparing lunch for four. Each sandwich is loaded with a full cup of spinach and flavorful basil and feta cheese--so tasty!

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Cream Cheese & Veggie Roll-Up

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Jacob Fox

With sliced vegetables, a whole-wheat tortilla and baby spinach, these roll-ups make the perfect healthy lunch for your kids to take to school.

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Southwestern Salad with Black Beans

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Here we top salad greens with black beans, sweet corn and grape tomatoes and bring it all together with a tangy avocado-lime dressing for a Mexican-inspired salad. Try this salad for a take-along lunch. To keep the salad greens from getting soggy, pack the greens, salad toppings and dressing in separate containers and toss them together just before eating.

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Tomato-Basil Zoodle Salad

Tomato-Basil Zoodle Salad

Spiralized zucchini noodles make the perfect base for this colorful and flavorful salad--think pasta salad without all the carbs! It comes together quickly for a light lunch or easy side. Add grilled chicken, shrimp or chickpeas to make a heartier meal.

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Greek Salad with Edamame

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Edamame adds protein to the classic Greek salad: romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, feta and olives. Serve with toasted pita brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with dried oregano or za'atar.

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