Healthy No-Cook Lunch Recipes

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

Staff Picks

Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Bowl

Rating: Unrated
10
Quinoa and chickpeas pack this vegetarian grain bowl with plenty of plant-based protein. Whip up a batch of these Mediterranean meals and pack in containers with lids to stash in the fridge for easy, healthy grab & go lunches all week long.
By Carolyn Casner

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

Rating: Unrated
11
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.
By Katie Webster

White Bean & Veggie Salad

Rating: Unrated
5
This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables.
By Katie Webster

Flat-Belly Salad

Rating: Unrated
3
This 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.
By Hilary Meyer

Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna

Rating: Unrated
1
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.
By Katie Webster

Mediterranean Tuna-Spinach Salad

Rating: Unrated
7
This tuna salad recipe gets an upgrade with olives, feta and a tahini dressing. Served over baby spinach, this is the perfect easy and light lunch or dinner salad.
By Sara Haas, R.D.N., L.D.N.

Black Bean-Quinoa Buddha Bowl

Rating: Unrated
4
Treat your Buddha bowl to a vacation south of the border! This black bean and quinoa Buddha bowl has the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the greasy fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.
By Katie Webster

Massaged Kale Salad

Rating: Unrated
11
Here a pungent garlicky dressing is infused into kale by massaging the greens and the dressing together with your hands. Any type of kale will work in this kale salad recipe, just remember to remove the tough stems before you start.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mediterranean Lettuce Wraps

Rating: Unrated
1
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.
By Robin Bashinsky

Chickpea & Quinoa Buddha Bowl

Rating: Unrated
4
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!
By Katie Webster

Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette with Lemon

Rating: Unrated
2
A healthy, tasty homemade salad dressing is as simple as shaking a few ingredients in a jar.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Salmon-Stuffed Avocados

Rating: Unrated
4
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, M.S., RD, CDN

Inspiration and Ideas

19 Easy No-Cook Lunches in 15 Minutes or Less

19 Easy No-Cook Lunches in 15 Minutes or Less

Citrus Vinaigrette

Citrus Vinaigrette

This versatile citrus salad dressing gets a touch of natural sweetness from orange juice, which balances the acidity of the lemon juice. Use it in coleslaw for a mayo-free dressing, or drizzle it over winter greens with dried fruit and nuts.
Garlic Hummus

Garlic Hummus

Rating: Unrated
6
Whole-Wheat Veggie Wrap

Whole-Wheat Veggie Wrap

Rating: Unrated
3
Green Salad with Edamame & Beets

Green Salad with Edamame & Beets

Rating: Unrated
4
Chopped Rainbow Salad Bowls with Peanut Sauce

Chopped Rainbow Salad Bowls with Peanut Sauce

Rating: Unrated
1

Japanese Cucumber Salad

Rating: Unrated
5

This Japanese-inspired cool, crisp salad is as elegant and well balanced as it is simple.

All Healthy No-Cook Lunch Recipes

Peanut Butter-Banana Cinnamon Toast

Rating: Unrated
3
This satisfying peanut butter-banana toast gets a sprinkle of cinnamon for an extra flavor boost.
By Victoria Seaver, M.S., R.D.

Strawberry-Pineapple Smoothie

Rating: Unrated
1
Blend almond milk, strawberry and pineapple for a smoothie that's so easy you can make it on busy mornings. A bit of almond butter adds richness and filling protein. Freeze some of the almond milk for an extra-icy texture.
By Julia Levy

Strawberry-Blueberry-Banana Smoothie

A smoothie with strawberries, blueberries and banana is delicately sweet and entirely kid-friendly, even with a boost of protein from hemp seeds. Freeze the fruits ahead of time for an extra frosty texture once blended.
By Julia Levy

No-Cook Black Bean Salad

Rating: Unrated
3
A classic black bean salad is a must for picnics and potlucks. This vegan 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.
By Hilary Meyer

Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette

Rating: Unrated
1
Here is a great, all-purpose salad dressing. The pleasing pungency of Dijon mustard makes it a good match for slightly bitter greens, such as escarole, chicory, radicchio or Belgian endive. It also makes an irresistible dipping sauce for crunchy vegetables (especially fennel) and crusty whole-wheat bread.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta & Walnuts

Rating: Unrated
1
Sweet strawberries, salty feta and crunchy walnuts jazz up a simple spinach salad. The balsamic vinaigrette is incredibly easy; fresh shallots add more zip than you'll find in any commercial dressing.
By Carolyn Casner

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas

Rating: Unrated
3
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.
By Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Fig & Goat Cheese Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
The sweet-and-savory combination of the figs and earthy goat cheese will surely satisfy the palate. If you can't find dried figs, try swapping in dried apricots.
By Katie Webster

Chopped Veggie Grain Bowls with Turmeric Dressing

Rating: Unrated
1
In about 10 minutes, you can prep a week's worth of lunches using 4 simple ingredients from your local specialty grocery store. To minimize prep, we're taking advantage of prechopped fresh veggie mix and frozen quinoa (which heats in the microwave in under 5 minutes). These crunchy chopped salad bowls are high in fiber but lower in calories, making them perfect for those following a reduced-calorie diet.
By Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Strawberry-Chocolate Smoothie

This creamy, rich strawberry-chocolate smoothie will satisfy any chocolate cravings. It's so decadent you might want it as a dessert, too.
By Julia Levy

Mediterranean Lentil & Kale Salad

The kale and lentils in this Mediterranean-inspired salad recipe are combined with sweet red peppers and a bold garlic and dried tomato vinaigrette. To cut down on prep time, we use refrigerated steamed lentils, but offer instructions on preparing your own.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Guacamole Chopped Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
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.
By Carolyn Casner

Smashed Cucumber Salad with Lemon & Cumin

Rating: Unrated
2
Don't skip salting the cucumbers in this quick cucumber salad recipe--just 10 minutes pulls out some of their excess moisture, concentrating the flavor and keeping the salad from being watered down. Serve as a healthy side dish at a summer cookout alongside burgers and hot dogs.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Avocado Hummus

Rating: Unrated
5
This vibrant green hummus recipe couldn't be easier--just toss a few ingredients in the food processor and whir away! Aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) and avocado make this healthy dip extra smooth and creamy. Serve with veggie chips, pita chips or crudités.
By Devon O'Brien

Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

Rating: Unrated
2
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.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Green Salad with Pita Bread & Hummus

Rating: Unrated
3
Elevate hummus and pita by piling your plate high with cucumbers, carrots and mixed greens! Just a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil is all it takes to dress it up.
By Katie Webster

Salmon Pita Sandwich

This quick lunch recipe is loaded with heart-healthy omega-3s thanks to the canned sockeye salmon. If you're bringing this sandwich for lunch, keep the salmon salad separate and stuff the pita just before eating.
By Sara Haas, R.D.N., L.D.N.

Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich

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

Italian Vegetable Hoagies

Rating: Unrated
15
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.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Greek Kale Salad with Quinoa & Chicken

Rating: Unrated
2
Toss the cooked chicken into this healthy 5-ingredient salad recipe while it's still warm to lightly wilt the kale, making it softer and easier to eat. Using store-bought salad dressing saves time, but you could also make your own Mediterranean vinaigrette.
By Joy Howard

Avocado Egg Salad Sandwiches

Rating: Unrated
3
Lighten up classic egg salad by swapping in creamy avocado instead of using mayonnaise. Sandwich it between toasted whole-wheat bread and you've got an easy, packable lunch ready for work or school.
By Carolyn Casner

Greek Salad with Edamame

Rating: Unrated
2
Edamame adds protein to the classic Greek salad: romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, feta and olives. Serve with toasted pita brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with dried oregano or za'atar.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Quick Greek Chopped Salad with Chicken

Make lunch in a pinch with this healthy Greek salad recipe, ready in just 10 minutes. It’s packed with protein and fiber, to help keep you full for longer.
By Breana Killeen

Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Rating: Unrated
1
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.
By Carolyn Casner
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