29 Healthy Lunches You Can Make in 5 Minutes

3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad
Photo: Carolyn Hodges

These simple recipes are perfect for days when you barely have time to think about lunch. Since you can whip up these lunches in just five minutes, you'll want to pack your pantry and fridge with the common grocery items we rely on for these meals, like avocados, rice, frozen fruit and tinned fish. Recipes like our 3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad and White Bean & Avocado Toast are easy standards that will soon be go-tos during busy weeks.

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Roasted Veggie & Tofu Brown Rice Bowl

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A healthy and satisfying vegan lunch for one, featuring roasted butternut squash, broccoli, peppers and onions with simple brown rice, lime-marinated tofu and creamy cashew tahini sauce.

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White Bean & Avocado Toast

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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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Edamame & Veggie Rice Bowl

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The ingredients in this vegan grain bowl recipe can be prepped ahead for an easy lunch to pack for work. The tangy citrus dressing is a refreshing flavor with the sweet caramel of the roasted sheet-pan veggies.

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Egg Salad Avocado Toast

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It's like egg salad and avocado toast had a baby in this 5-minute healthy breakfast.

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3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad

3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad
Carolyn Hodges

We put a flavor twist on the classic chicken salad by using a lemon-herb mayonnaise. Try other mayo varieties, like roasted garlic or chipotle lime, in this fast, no-cook lunch recipe. Serve with whole-grain crackers.

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Mermaid Smoothie Bowl

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Channel your inner mythical creature with a colorful smoothie bowl that's fun to make and eat. Look for blue spirulina powder, a protein-rich supplement made from blue-green algae, at natural-foods stores or order it online.

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Chopped Cobb Salad with Chicken

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This healthy chopped salad is a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken. You can reserve the remaining hard-boiled egg half for a snack.

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Tuna Salad Spread

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This healthy twist on tuna salad uses avocado and Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise. Serve it on cucumber slices, butter lettuce leaves or whole-grain crackers.

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Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna

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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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Pork Wrap with Lime-Jalapeño Slaw

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A leftover cooked pork cutlet and coleslaw from earlier meals make this lunch a breeze to put together.

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Cucumber Sandwich

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The English cucumber sandwich gets a healthy fiber bump with sprouted whole-grain bread. This easy open-face sandwich recipe is a great healthy snack or packable lunch idea.

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Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich

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

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PB&J Bistro Lunch Box

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Inspired by Starbucks' bistro boxes, this peanut butter and jelly lunch will be loved by kids and adults alike. Accompanied by sandwich sides including a yogurt parfait, fruit, veggies and popcorn, this healthy packable lunch will keep you full until dinner.

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Loaded Chicken-Quinoa Salad

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Turn simple precooked ingredients into a delicious one-dish meal, high in fiber and with plenty of protein to keep you feeling satisfied.

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Peanut Butter-Banana English Muffin

Peanut Butter-Banana English Muffin

Peanut butter and banana are the original power couple. Top a simple toasted English muffin with the duo, then sprinkle everything with a hit of ground cinnamon for a healthy breakfast of champions.

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Ham & Cheese Sandwich Wrap

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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Chicken, Quinoa & Veggie Bowl

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With a whopping 19 grams of protein, this one-dish meal will keeping you feeling full and satisfied for hours.

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Turkey & Cheese Pinwheels Bento Lunch

Turkey & Cheese Pinwheels Bento Lunch

Bite-size pinwheels of turkey, cheese and lettuce make an appealing centerpiece of this bento box. Crisp celery sticks and juicy blueberries are tasty accompaniment, while popcorn, mixed with chocolate chips, makes a satisfying snack or dessert. Plus, this healthy lunch is so easy to pack and can even be made the night before.

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Roasted Veggie Mason Jar Salad

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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.

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Strawberry & Cream Cheese Sandwich

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Sliced strawberries and reduced-fat cream cheese come together in a sandwich for this quick and healthy lunchbox treat.

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Turkey-Cranberry Wrap

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This wrap is quick-and-easy to prepare and is the perfect lunch solution for all of those Thanksgiving leftovers.

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Everything Bagel Avocado Toast

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Get all the flavor of an everything bagel married with the creaminess of avocado toast in one healthy breakfast. Just toast, top, sprinkle and go for this quick morning meal when you need to get out the door fast. Want to take it up a notch? Top with a poached or fried egg.

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Tuna Salad Crackers

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A fun twist on a tuna salad sandwich. This Tuna Salad & Crackers recipe uses wheat crackers instead of bread!

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Quick Creamy Tomato Cup-of-Soup

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This 3-ingredient easy soup recipe is perfect for a satisfying and healthy afternoon snack or a quick lunch.

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Shrimp, Avocado & Feta Wrap

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This easy wrap makes a great healthy lunch to pack for work. Buy cooked shrimp in the seafood department at most supermarkets and grocery stores, or check the freezer section for tailed and deveined shrimp that are easy to thaw and steam. Salty feta and chopped fresh vegetables keep this easy lunchtime wrap flavorful and satisfying.

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Easy Brown Rice & Veggie Wrap

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Use leftover brown rice and roasted veggies for this easy vegan lunch idea to pack for work. To serve this wrap warm, simply pop in the microwave for about a minute to warm through.

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Roasted Veggie & Quinoa Salad

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Quick, simple and packed with satisfying protein and fiber, this salad makes a perfect lunch or easy one-dish dinner.

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Protein Bistro Lunch Box

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Inspired by Starbucks' bistro boxes, this affordable lunch is easy to make and pack yourself. With high-protein ingredients like a hard-boiled egg, edamame and tuna, this bistro-style lunch will leave you feeling satisfied.

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Turkey BLT Wraps

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This delicious kid-friendly twist on a classic BLT includes turkey. The extra protein makes a filling, healthy lunch to pack up for school or work.

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