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  5. 20 Spring Lunches for Weight Loss in 20 Minutes

20 Spring Lunches for Weight Loss in 20 Minutes

Alex Loh
Alex Loh Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD April 11, 2021
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
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Spinach & Dill Pasta Salad

Looking for easy lunch ideas? These healthy recipes are packed with spring produce and only take 20 minutes to make. They are also high in fiber, a nutrient that can help you feel satiated for longer periods of time, as well as low in calories to help you meet your goals. Try recipes like Spinach & Dill Pasta Salad and Veggie & Hummus Sandwich when you need a nutritious and tasty lunch.

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Salmon-Stuffed Avocados

Salmon-Stuffed Avocados
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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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Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

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Homemade poppy seed dressing pairs beautifully with tender spinach, crunchy almonds and juicy berries for a fantastically refreshing and easy spring salad. To make ahead, whisk dressing, combine salad ingredients and store separately. Toss the salad with the dressing just before serving. To make it a complete meal, top with grilled chicken or shrimp.

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Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich
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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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Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

<p>In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.</p>
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In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.

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Spinach & Dill Pasta Salad

<p>Edamame gives this veggie-packed vegan pasta salad a bit of feel-full protein. Serve topped with extra freshly ground pepper, if desired.</p>
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Edamame gives this veggie-packed vegan pasta salad a bit of feel-full protein. Serve topped with extra freshly ground pepper, if desired.

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Tomato-&-Avocado Cheese Sandwich

<p>Parmesan cheese is such a bold flavor, you only need 1/4 cup to add a big punch to this vegetarian toaster-oven sandwich. Get a serving of fruit too, when you enjoy the sandwich with a fresh pear.</p>
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Parmesan cheese is such a bold flavor, you only need 1/4 cup to add a big punch to this vegetarian toaster-oven sandwich. Get a serving of fruit too, when you enjoy the sandwich with a fresh pear.

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Black Bean, Mango & Kale Wheat Berry Salad

<p>Wheat berries give this healthy grain-salad recipe a toothsome bite. The chopped kale can be swapped for any dark leafy green, such as spinach or chard, if desired.</p>
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Wheat berries give this healthy grain-salad recipe a toothsome bite. The chopped kale can be swapped for any dark leafy green, such as spinach or chard, if desired.

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Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna

<p>This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don't need to massage or cook it to make it tender.</p>
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This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don't need to massage or cook it to make it tender.

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White Bean Spread with Veggie Slaw

<p>Turn canned beans into a quick and healthy lunch with this easy gluten-free recipe. Use your favorite salad dressing, such as an Italian or French vinaigrette, as a convenient way to add flavor to the mashed beans. Top the gluten-free crackers and bean spread with any combination of shredded raw vegetables you have on hand.</p>
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Turn canned beans into a quick and healthy lunch with this easy gluten-free recipe. Use your favorite salad dressing, such as an Italian or French vinaigrette, as a convenient way to add flavor to the mashed beans. Top the gluten-free crackers and bean spread with any combination of shredded raw vegetables you have on hand.

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Salad of Avocado & Romaine with Black Olive Dressing

<p>John Willoughby helped to launch Cooks Illustrated, was executive editor at Gourmet and has authored several cookbooks, including Big Flavors of the Hot Sun, from which this salad was adapted for a March/April 1995 EatingWell story about olives. It's one of the favorites--chosen from more than 1,000 salad recipes--that we revisited in our 30th anniversary issue.</p>
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John Willoughby helped to launch Cooks Illustrated, was executive editor at Gourmet and has authored several cookbooks, including Big Flavors of the Hot Sun, from which this salad was adapted for a March/April 1995 EatingWell story about olives. It's one of the favorites--chosen from more than 1,000 salad recipes--that we revisited in our 30th anniversary issue.

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Green Machine Salad with Baked Tofu

<p>Baked tofu adds meatiness and protein this healthy packable lunch salad. A topping of toasted almonds and Parmesan adds a layer of nuttiness, and honey-mustard vinaigrette gives everything a sweet-tangy finish.</p>
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Baked tofu adds meatiness and protein this healthy packable lunch salad. A topping of toasted almonds and Parmesan adds a layer of nuttiness, and honey-mustard vinaigrette gives everything a sweet-tangy finish.

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White Bean & Avocado Toast

<p>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.</p>
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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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Mediterranean Lettuce Wraps

Mediterranean Lettuce Wraps
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A tangy, nutty tahini dressing brings together no-cook ingredients like canned chickpeas and roasted red peppers for these easy meal-prep lettuce wraps. Make these wraps ahead of time for a grab-and-go lunch or dinner. A few wedges of warm pita finish off the meal perfectly.

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Chickpea & Quinoa Buddha Bowl

<p>It seems Buddha bowls have as many variations as there are stars in the sky, and there is no wrong way to build one! But we prefer to keep things classic and simple with hummus, quinoa, avocado and loads of veggies!</p>
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It seems Buddha bowls have as many variations as there are stars in the sky, and there is no wrong way to build one! But we prefer to keep things classic and simple with hummus, quinoa, avocado and loads of veggies!

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Green Goddess Salad with Chicken

<p>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.</p>
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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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Italian Vegetable Hoagies

<p>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.</p>
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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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Quinoa Deli Salad

<p>This healthy version of a deli salad combines hearty quinoa and chickpeas with small amounts of ham and mozzarella, so you get all of the flavor without overdoing it on the sodium. This healthy quinoa salad is great as dinner and doubles as a delicious lunch the next day.</p>
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This healthy version of a deli salad combines hearty quinoa and chickpeas with small amounts of ham and mozzarella, so you get all of the flavor without overdoing it on the sodium. This healthy quinoa salad is great as dinner and doubles as a delicious lunch the next day.

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Caprese Avocado Toast

<p>Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil--the building blocks of caprese salad--lend a creative twist to a standard avocado toast recipe.</p>
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Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil--the building blocks of caprese salad--lend a creative twist to a standard avocado toast recipe.

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Meal-Prep Vegan Moroccan Lettuce Wraps

<p>For these meal-prep-friendly lettuce wraps, we swap the traditional warm filling for a cold plant-based bean salad filling loaded with fresh herbs and lemon. Topping each lettuce leaf with a little quinoa before adding the filling helps to keep the lettuce from getting soggy.</p>
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For these meal-prep-friendly lettuce wraps, we swap the traditional warm filling for a cold plant-based bean salad filling loaded with fresh herbs and lemon. Topping each lettuce leaf with a little quinoa before adding the filling helps to keep the lettuce from getting soggy.

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Vegan Superfood Buddha Bowls

<p>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.</p>
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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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    1 of 20 Salmon-Stuffed Avocados
    2 of 20 Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
    3 of 20 Veggie & Hummus Sandwich
    4 of 20 Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas
    5 of 20 Spinach & Dill Pasta Salad
    6 of 20 Tomato-&-Avocado Cheese Sandwich
    7 of 20 Black Bean, Mango & Kale Wheat Berry Salad
    8 of 20 Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna
    9 of 20 White Bean Spread with Veggie Slaw
    10 of 20 Salad of Avocado & Romaine with Black Olive Dressing
    11 of 20 Green Machine Salad with Baked Tofu
    12 of 20 White Bean & Avocado Toast
    13 of 20 Mediterranean Lettuce Wraps
    14 of 20 Chickpea & Quinoa Buddha Bowl
    15 of 20 Green Goddess Salad with Chicken
    16 of 20 Italian Vegetable Hoagies
    17 of 20 Quinoa Deli Salad
    18 of 20 Caprese Avocado Toast
    19 of 20 Meal-Prep Vegan Moroccan Lettuce Wraps
    20 of 20 Vegan Superfood Buddha Bowls

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    20 Spring Lunches for Weight Loss in 20 Minutes
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