Healthy Recipes Healthy Mealtime Recipes Healthy Lunch Recipes 25 Healthy Lunches for When You Need Something Light By EatingWell Editors EatingWell Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter Articles by "EatingWell Editors" are a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, articles are updated by a number of writers and editors over time to keep the information as up-to-date and comprehensive as possible. The EatingWell team includes industry-leading food and nutrition editors, registered dietitians, expert Test Kitchen staffers and designers who produce award-winning journalism, delicious recipes and engaging content. Our work has earned more than 50 national and international awards for writing, editing, art direction, creative marketing and publishing excellence EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 29, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos After a long holiday weekend filled with yummy goodies, having a variety of healthy lunch recipes of light foods will help you get back on track. Fiber and protein-rich choices like Caprese Avocado Toast and No-Cook Black Bean Salad will help keep you full and energized throughout the afternoon. From sandwiches to soups and salads, here are some of our favorite light lunches—all with less than 500 calories—that will leave you feeling satisfied without weighing you down. 01 of 25 Veggie & Hummus Sandwich View Recipe This mile-high vegetables and hummus sandwich makes the perfect heart-healthy vegetarian lunch to go. Mix it up with different flavors of hummus and different types of vegetables depending on your mood. 02 of 25 Caprese Avocado Toast View Recipe Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil—the building blocks of caprese salad—lend a creative twist to a standard avocado toast recipe. 03 of 25 Lentil & Roasted Vegetable Salad with Green Goddess Dressing View Recipe Goddess dressing typically gets its umami-ness from anchovies, but we use miso in this super green salad recipe to keep it vegetarian. Substitute 2 chopped anchovies for the miso if you like. Or add baked tofu, poached salmon or grilled chicken for a boost of protein. 04 of 25 3-Ingredient Chickpeas with Kale & Sundried Tomatoes View Recipe Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D. Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes pull double duty in this recipe. Use the oil from the jar to cook the kale, then stir in the sun-dried tomatoes to add flavor and texture to the dish. 05 of 25 Weight-Loss Cabbage Soup View Recipe Loaded with cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, tomato and plenty of seasoning, this healthy cabbage soup recipe packs in lots of flavor and is ultra-satisfying. This easy recipe makes a big batch for lunches or veggie-packed snacks all week. If you want to bump up the satisfaction factor even more, top with a little cheese or avocado. 06 of 25 Citrus Lime Tofu Salad View Recipe This veggie-packed salad has plenty of protein and fiber, so you'll feel full and satisfied. Prep the ingredients ahead of time for an easy vegan lunch idea to pack for work. 07 of 25 Rainbow Veggie Wraps View Recipe There's definitely a sushi vibe to these kid-friendly wraps, which are stuffed with vegetables, cheese and hummus and then rolled and sliced. Serve them with store-bought green goddess, a creamy herb-filled dressing, to take it up a notch with ease. They look impressive but they're easy enough for kids to assemble themselves for an easy lunch or dinner. 08 of 25 Chickpea, Artichoke & Avocado Salad with Apple-Cider Dressing View Recipe This delicious 400-calorie salad is a helpful tool for weight loss because it provides a good balance of fiber, protein and healthy fats from loads of veggies and beans, all tossed in a tangy apple-cider vinaigrette. To meal-prep these for lunch throughout the week, pack the dressing and the salad separately and make sure your veggies are thoroughly dried before packing them together. 09 of 25 Edamame & Chicken Greek Salad View Recipe This healthy 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. 10 of 25 West Coast Avocado Toast View Recipe Hummus, sprouts and avocado top sprouted whole-wheat bread in this healthy vegan lunch idea. Look for sprouted bread in the freezer section of your grocery store. 11 of 25 Chicken, Barley & Mushroom Soup View Recipe This healthy chicken soup recipe is chock-full of sturdy root vegetables and whole-grain barley. You can use any combination of dried and fresh mushrooms here. The soup will thicken as it sits on the stove—thin it as needed with more broth or water. 12 of 25 No-Cook Black Bean Salad View Recipe This vegan black bean salad version gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick. 13 of 25 Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup View Recipe Make this low-calorie vegetable soup recipe with ease in this load-and-go crock pot recipe. After simmering away in the slow cooker, portion it into individual serving containers and store in the fridge or freezer for fast, healthy lunches or an easy, satisfying snack. This weight-loss vegetable soup fills you up without a lot of calories, plus it's an easy way to eat more vegetables. 14 of 25 Tomato, Cucumber & White Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette View Recipe This no-cook bean salad is a delicious way to use summer's best cherry or grape tomatoes and juicy cucumbers for a light dinner or lunch. Fresh basil elevates an easy vinaigrette recipe that dresses up this simple salad into something extraordinary. 15 of 25 BLATs (Bacon-Lettuce-Avocado Sandwiches) View Recipe 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. 16 of 25 Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas View Recipe This healthy high-fiber salad comes together in just 10 minutes. Serve it right away or pack it in individual servings for four super-satisfying high-fiber lunches for the week ahead. To cut down on prep time, we're using preshredded Brussels sprouts from the produce department and store-bought roasted chickpeas. Look for roasted chickpea snacks with the healthy snacks or nuts at your grocery store. 17 of 25 Greek Salad Wraps View Recipe Zesty Greek salad packed with tomatoes, cucumber and olives—plus chickpeas for a protein punch—gets tucked into a whole-wheat wrap for a healthy vegan lunch that's easy to pack for work. It's so flavorful and satisfying, you won't miss the feta! 18 of 25 Zucchini Noodle "Pasta" Salad View Recipe This healthy zucchini noodle salad has all the flavors you love in a classic pasta salad but we've swapped in zoodles for wheat pasta, which makes the salad lighter, lower in carbs and gluten-free. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish for a light and healthy summer dinner. 19 of 25 Roasted Veggie Mason Jar Salad View Recipe This vegan mason jar salad is easy to pack up and take for lunch. Layering the creamy cashew sauce into the bottom of the jar ensures that your big, bold power salad won't become wilted by the time you're ready to eat. 20 of 25 Chickpea "Chicken" Salad View Recipe This chickpea salad is a vegetarian version of a classic chicken salad—and, thus, can be eaten in the exact same way. Let's be clear, though: it doesn't taste like chicken, but it is a delicious (and fiber-packed) vegetarian alternative! 21 of 25 Tuscan White Bean Soup View Recipe A pound of dried beans is the inexpensive foundation for this simple, hearty meal. Serve it with slices of whole-wheat bread or a side salad for a complete and satisfying lunch or dinner. 22 of 25 Kale Turkey Wraps View Recipe 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. 23 of 25 Chicken Avocado BLT Wrap View Recipe Who doesn't love a BLT? In this Mexican-inspired version, we've added chicken and avocado and wrapped it in a tortilla, making it easy to eat. 24 of 25 Green Goddess Salad with Chicken View Recipe 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. 25 of 25 Tuna Salad Sandwich with Sweet Relish View Recipe This sweet twist on a classic tuna-salad sandwich is a healthy high-protein lunch that even your kids will love. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit