26 High-Protein, Low-Calorie Lunch Recipes

Using kale leaves instead of bread to wrap your filling makes this healthy turkey lunch recipe low-calorie. If you can't find lacinato, also known as Tuscan kale, try cabbage for your wrap.

In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss and chicken salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. Any extra dressing is delicious served over grilled chicken or flaky white fish, such as cod or flounder.

Look forward to a week of healthy, flavorful lunches with these high-protein meal-prep grain bowls. We're using bulgur wheat, which cooks up quickly and is higher in fiber than rice, but feel free to swap in any whole grain you prefer. The bowls are topped with broiled chicken (from our popular Indian-Spiced Chicken Pitas recipe) and cilantro chutney (see Associated Recipes). To balance the heat of the chutney, dress these bowls with a squeeze of fresh lime juice just before serving.

The spiced chicken atop these bowls is ready fast with the help of the broiler. Serve with warm whole-wheat pita for scooping up extra hummus at the bottom of the bowl.

This easy Caesar salad subs creamy Greek yogurt and buttermilk for the traditional egg yolks and olive oil and mixes in mildly bitter radicchio in addition to classic romaine. Using just a small amount of flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano shaves calories and sodium too.

This herb-loaded green goddess-inspired dressing gets a color boost from creamy avocado. Make a double batch of this healthy salad dressing to keep on hand for salads throughout the week.

This easy open-face sandwich recipe uses a jalapeño-Cheddar bagel, but a plain bagel would work just as well. Top each bagel half with black beans and fresh slaw for a satisfying bite.

Hearty kale and potatoes put a seasonal spin on a Greek-style salad featuring feta, olives and cherry tomatoes. Russet potatoes absorb flavor like a sponge, making them a great choice for salads with flavorful vinaigrettes like this one.

Avocado adds creaminess while sunflower seeds provide texture and crunch in this easy tuna-spinach salad.

This recipe produces a large batch of sweet-and-spicy ground chicken studded with crunchy cashews and celery—making it great for easy weeknight entertaining or meal prepping.

Herbed ricotta toast gets topped with cannellini beans and roasted red peppers for a colorful, tasty open-face sandwich.

All the tastes, color and fun of a spring roll without all the work! This healthy salad recipe is bursting with the colors of rainbow from generous amounts of fresh vegetables, shrimp and whole grains all topped with a peanut dressing for the ultimate satisfying salad.

Make your own cup of instant soup at home with this chicken curry zoodle (spiralized zucchini noodles) recipe. Pack several jars at once to take to work for easy lunches throughout the week.

This chipotle-flavored burrito bowl recipe is even better than takeout and just as fast. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthy dinner.

Green tea soba noodles, or cha soba, are buckwheat noodles made with powdered green tea, which imparts a subtle grassy note and pretty color. You can find them in Japanese markets or online. Regular buckwheat soba noodles work just as well in this cup-of-noodles-style mason jar noodle soup.

Regular fried rice gets a protein boost when rice is swapped for quinoa in this healthy dinner recipe. Feel free to use any vegetables you have on hand-broccoli, green beans and mushrooms are all good options. Serve with hot sauce if desired.

Make your own cup of instant soup at home with this vegetarian ramen recipe. Pack several jars at once to take to work for easy lunches throughout the week.

This quick, protein-rich chicken stew recipe gets great flavor from cumin, lemon juice and garlic. Make a double batch and freeze it for a quick healthy dinner. Serve the stew with couscous and steamed broccoli.

Goi buoi is a Vietnamese salad typically made with pomelo, a thick-skinned but super-sweet citrus fruit. In this healthy salad recipe, we use grapefruit because it's easier to find. Plus, it lends a tangy, acidic flavor to balance the vegetables.

A quick pickling turns collard stems from trash to a treasure, adding a pleasant tang to these leaf-wrapped spring rolls. Serve as a healthy main dish or cut into quarters and serve as a colorful appetizer.

This healthy dinner salad recipe with cucumber, feta, basil and olives has edamame added for extra protein. Serve with toasted pita brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano.

This healthy, Japanese-inspired chicken noodle soup recipe is made with udon noodles and gets a hit of umami flavor from a swirl of miso at the end. To make the miso easier to stir into the soup, combine a little bit of the hot broth with the thick miso to thin it before adding to the rest of the soup.

This tuna salad recipe gets an upgrade with olives, feta and a tahini dressing. Served over baby spinach, this is the perfect easy and light lunch or dinner salad.

This healthy dinner salad recipe gets its staying power from protein-packed shrimp and fiber-rich barley. With a simple red-wine vinaigrette, this quick salad makes just one serving but is easy to double or triple. Look for precooked beets with other prepared vegetables in the produce department.

This healthy basic beef chili recipe is well worth doubling so you can throw a batch in the freezer. Serve topped with diced red onion, sliced scallions, shredded cheese and your favorite hot sauce.

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.