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  5. 26 High-Protein, Low-Calorie Lunch Recipes

26 High-Protein, Low-Calorie Lunch Recipes

Leah Goggins headshot
Leah Goggins August 27, 2019
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Indian Grain Bowls with Chicken & Vegetables

These light lunches pack in a punch of satisfying protein to keep you full during the day. Everyone's protein needs look different, so these meals contain at least 15 grams per serving to get you on your way. Whether you're looking for a shrimp salad, a meaty burrito bowl or a vegetarian cup of noodles, these recipes have something for you. Recipes like our Indian Grain Bowls with Chicken & Vegetables and Green Goddess Salad with Chicken are delicious ways to shake up your midday routine.

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Kale Turkey Wraps

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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.

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Green Goddess Salad with Chicken

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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.

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Indian Grain Bowls with Chicken & Vegetables

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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.

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Chicken Hummus Bowls

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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.

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Salmon Caesar Salad

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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.

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Chopped Salad with Chicken & Avocado-Buttermilk Dressing

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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.

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Black Bean & Slaw Bagel

Black Bean & Slaw Bagel
Credit: Ted & Chelsea Cavanaugh
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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.

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Lemony Shrimp, Kale & Potato Salad

Lemony Shrimp, Kale & Potato Salad
Credit: Leigh Beisch
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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.

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Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad

Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad
Credit: Greg DuPree
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Avocado adds creaminess while sunflower seeds provide texture and crunch in this easy tuna-spinach salad.

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Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Credit: Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ali Ramee / Christine Keely
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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.

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Cannellini Bean & Herbed Ricotta Toast

Cannellini Bean & Herbed Ricotta Toast
Credit: Ted & Chelsea Cavanaugh
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Herbed ricotta toast gets topped with cannellini beans and roasted red peppers for a colorful, tasty open-face sandwich.

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Spring Roll Salad

Spring Roll Salad
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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.

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Chicken Curry Cup of Noodles

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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.

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Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl

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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.

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Miso Soup Cup of Noodles with Shrimp & Green Tea Soba

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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.

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Chicken Quinoa Fried Rice

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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.

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Spicy Ramen Cup of Noodles

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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.

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Middle Eastern Chicken & Chickpea Stew

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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.

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Vietnamese Grapefruit & Pork Salad (Pork Goi Buoi)

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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.

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Chicken & Collard Green Spring Rolls

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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.

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Edamame & Chicken Greek Salad

Edamame & Chicken Greek Salad
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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.

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Japanese Chicken Noodle Soup

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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.

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Mediterranean Tuna-Spinach Salad

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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.

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Beet & Shrimp Winter Salad

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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.

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Mom's Chili

Mom's Chili
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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.

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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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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 26 Kale Turkey Wraps
    2 of 26 Green Goddess Salad with Chicken
    3 of 26 Indian Grain Bowls with Chicken & Vegetables
    4 of 26 Chicken Hummus Bowls
    5 of 26 Salmon Caesar Salad
    6 of 26 Chopped Salad with Chicken & Avocado-Buttermilk Dressing
    7 of 26 Black Bean & Slaw Bagel
    8 of 26 Lemony Shrimp, Kale & Potato Salad
    9 of 26 Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad
    10 of 26 Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
    11 of 26 Cannellini Bean & Herbed Ricotta Toast
    12 of 26 Spring Roll Salad
    13 of 26 Chicken Curry Cup of Noodles
    14 of 26 Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl
    15 of 26 Miso Soup Cup of Noodles with Shrimp & Green Tea Soba
    16 of 26 Chicken Quinoa Fried Rice
    17 of 26 Spicy Ramen Cup of Noodles
    18 of 26 Middle Eastern Chicken & Chickpea Stew
    19 of 26 Vietnamese Grapefruit & Pork Salad (Pork Goi Buoi)
    20 of 26 Chicken & Collard Green Spring Rolls
    21 of 26 Edamame & Chicken Greek Salad
    22 of 26 Japanese Chicken Noodle Soup
    23 of 26 Mediterranean Tuna-Spinach Salad
    24 of 26 Beet & Shrimp Winter Salad
    25 of 26 Mom's Chili
    26 of 26 Creamy Pesto Chicken Salad with Greens

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    26 High-Protein, Low-Calorie Lunch Recipes
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