Healthy No-Cook Lunch Recipes

Find healthy, delicious no-cook lunch recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Cucumber Sandwich

Rating: 4.5 stars 28
This creamy, crunchy cucumber sandwich recipe strikes a lovely balance between decadent and light. The cream cheese-yogurt spread complements the crisp refreshing cucumber while the hearty flavor and texture of the whole-wheat bread holds everything together.
Amanda Stanfield Headshot
By Amanda Stanfield

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

Rating: 4.5 stars 19
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.
Katie Webster
By Katie Webster

Chopped Power Salad with Chicken

Rating: 5 stars 3
Enjoy this filling and colorful salad for lunch or dinner. The dressing gets made in the same bowl that the salad is tossed in, so the greens absorb every bit of flavor.
By Carolyn Casner

Salmon-Stuffed Avocados

Rating: 4.5 stars 11
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.
By Abbie Gellman, MS, RD, CDN

Chickpea & Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Rating: 4.5 stars 17
Quinoa and chickpeas pack this vegetarian grain bowl with plenty of plant-based protein. Whip up a batch of these flavorful grain bowls and pack them in lidded containers to stash in the fridge for easy, healthy grab-and-go lunches all week long.
By Carolyn Casner

Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl

Rating: 4 stars 13
This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.
Katie Webster
By Katie Webster

Cucumber Vinegar Salad

Rating: 4 stars 10
This cucumber vinegar salad has the perfect balance between sweet and sour flavors, plus a hint of fresh dill. The red onion adds nice crunch. Enjoy this salad right after you're done making it or store it away to snack on for later.
Olivia Dansky headshot
By Liv Dansky

Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

Rating: 4 stars 3
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.
Eating Well Bio Page
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

No-Cook Black Bean Salad

Rating: 5 stars 9
The dressing for this vegan black bean 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.
Hilary Meyer
By Hilary Meyer

Sunomono (Japanese Cucumber Salad)

Rating: 4.5 stars 6
This version of sunomono uses more readily available English or slicing cucumbers, but if you live near an Asian market you could substitute Japanese cucumbers. Some recipes call for salting the cucumbers first, but we found that squeezing them in paper towels removed enough excess moisture without adding additional sodium. This Japanese-inspired salad is cool, crisp and simply delicious.
By Jessie Price

3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Rating: 2 stars 5
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 this rotisserie chicken salad recipe with whole-grain crackers.
Carolyn Hodges Headshot
By Carolyn Hodges, M.S., RDN

Vegetarian Chopped Power Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing

This healthy vegetarian salad recipe features chickpeas and quinoa for a boost of protein. Cilantro adds color and flavor when blended to make a creamy dressing. Serve this cold salad for lunch or dinner.
By Carolyn Casner
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Inspiration and Ideas

18 No-Cook Lunches for Vegetarians
You can throw together these effortless vegetarian lunches in as little as five minutes.
17 Easy No-Cook Lunches in 15 Minutes or Less
Quickly throw together a delicious and healthy lunch with these easy, no-cook recipes. These lunches can be assembled in just 15 minutes or less. Whether it's a salad or sandwich, these lunches will keep you full throughout the day. Recipes like Salmon-Stuffed Avocados and Quinoa Deli Salad are nutritious, flavorful and fast.
Guacamole Chopped Salad
Rating: 5 stars 4

All of the delicious guacamole flavors you love in a healthy veggie-packed salad. Want to pump up the protein? Add leftover roast chicken or sautéed shrimp. Serve with tortilla chips on the side (or crumbled over the top) to take it up a notch.