21 400-Calorie Lunch Ideas While You Work from Home

5-Inggredient-Quiche_Caramelized-Onion-Mushroom
Photo: Photo by: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Your lunch break just got more delicious with these healthy lunch recipes. These recipes clock in at 400 calories or fewer per serving to keep you satisfied through the rest of the workday. As a bonus, you can also make some of these recipes in advance to speed things up. Recipes like Salmon-Stuffed Avocados and Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Quiche are tasty and nutritious.

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Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Quiche

5-Inggredient-Quiche_Caramelized-Onion-Mushroom
Photo by: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Onions and mushrooms are classic quiche ingredients. To make the most of these vegetables and build big flavor fast, sauté sliced red onion and cremini mushrooms until golden brown (about 10 minutes) before adding them to the pie crust.

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Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls

A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos (see Associated Recipes). To cut down on prep time, look for precut cauliflower in the produce department. You can also save time by using microwaveable quinoa pouches (you'll need one 8-ounce pouch for this recipe) instead of cooking quinoa.

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Salmon-Stuffed Avocados

Salmon-Stuffed Avocados

Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy omega-3-rich fish in your diet. Here, we combine it with avocados in an easy no-cook meal.

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Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

This mile-high vegetable 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.

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Vegetarian Taco Salad

Vegetarian Taco Salad

Nobody will miss the meat in this colorful, zesty vegetarian taco salad. The rice and bean mixture can be made ahead and the salad quickly assembled at mealtime. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

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Vegan Superfood Buddha Bowls

This nutrient-packed vegan Buddha bowl recipe comes together in 15 minutes with the help of a few convenience-food shortcuts like prewashed baby kale, microwavable quinoa and precooked beets. Pack these ahead to keep on hand for easy meal-prep lunches or dinners on busy nights.

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Roasted Buffalo Chickpea Wraps

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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Egg Salad & Avocado Toasts with Capers

Egg Salad & Avocado Toasts with Capers
Jason Donnelly

This creamy egg salad gets a briny boost of flavor from capers and nice crunch from yellow bell pepper and celery.

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Asparagus & Feta Quiche

Asparagus & Feta Quiche
Photo by: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Quickly steaming asparagus in the microwave keeps it bright green and prevents it from becoming mushy in the quiche. For another simple flavor boost, look for feta seasoned with Mediterranean herbs.

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Ham & Cheese Sandwich Wrap

Spice up your typical lunch sandwich and have a wrap instead! The broccoli sprouts add crunch and nutrients, and the honey mustard adds some sweetness.

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Loaded Black Bean Nacho Soup

Jazz up a can of black bean soup with your favorite nacho toppings, such as cheese, avocado and fresh tomatoes. A bit of smoked paprika adds a bold flavor kick, but you can swap in any warm spices you prefer, such as cumin or chili powder. Look for a soup that contains no more than 450 mg sodium per serving.

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Greek Meatball Mezze Bowls

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).

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BBQ Ranch Wraps

Pack these yummy wrap sandwiches for an easy meal on the go.

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Creamy Pesto Chicken Salad with Greens

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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White Bean & Avocado Toast

Mashed avocado and white beans make for a fiber-rich and creamy topping, the perfect partner for a crispy slice of toast. Try it for a quick breakfast or snack.

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Edamame Hummus Wrap

Edamame Hummus Wrap

Made with protein-rich edamame instead of chickpeas, this easy hummus recipe is the perfect vegetarian filling for a grab-and-go wrap. Or double the recipe and use the hummus for a healthy snack with cut-up vegetables.

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Toaster-Oven Quesadillas

We love finding new ways to use our kitchen tools and appliances. These toaster-oven quesadillas with peppers and avocado are the perfect example of an unexpected toaster-oven hack we had to share.

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Crunchy Confetti Tuna Salad

The herb-infused dressing in this healthy tuna salad recipe calls for equal parts Greek yogurt and low-fat mayo to keep it light. Lots of fresh veggies, including bell pepper, carrot, radishes and celery, also give boosts of flavor, color and nutrients. Serve on lettuce leaves, over a green salad or as an open-face sandwich on whole-grain toast.

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Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich

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

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Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

These hearty kale salads hold up well for 4 days, making them perfect for meal-prep lunches. To keep the ingredients from getting soggy, dress this salad and top it with peanuts just before serving. For a delicious vegan option, swap in roasted tofu for the chicken breast (see Associated Recipes).

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BLATs (Bacon-Lettuce-Avocado-Tomato Sandwiches)

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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