25+ Light Lunch Recipes to Make Forever
If you’re someone who prefers a lighter midday meal, these lunch recipes are worth adding to your menu! These dishes are highly rated by EatingWell fans so you can trust that they’ll be delicious. Whether you’re in the mood for a veggie-packed sandwich. refreshing salad or flavorful wrap, there are countless options that will suit any occasion. Try tasty meals like our Veggie Wraps or No-Cook White Bean & Spinach Caprese Salad for a light lunch that will leave you satisfied.
Garlic-Miso Chicken Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser.
This chicken-miso soup is a nourishing bowl that’s fresh and comforting. Sweet carrots, tender chicken and plenty of spinach simmer in a light broth, then get a savory boost from umami-rich white miso stirred in at the end.
Everything Bagel Tuna Salad
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
The classic lunchtime favorite gets a flavorful upgrade. A mix of mayonnaise and Greek-style yogurt keeps it creamy, while Dijon mustard and lemon juice add brightness. Capers and everything bagel seasoning bring a salty, savory punch that pairs perfectly with flaky tuna. Enjoy it on toast, piled onto greens or tucked into a sandwich for an easy, protein-packed meal.
Chopped Salad with Italian Vinaigrette
This chopped salad is a crisp, colorful mix of veggies. It’s tossed with a zesty homemade vinaigrette while chickpeas bring on the plant-based protein and fiber. Everything is chopped small for the perfect forkful every time.
Turkey, Cucumber, Cream Cheese Roll-Ups
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood.
These turkey-cucumber roll-ups are a protein-packed lunch that comes together in minutes. Sliced deli turkey wraps around crisp cucumber slices and a layer of dill-infused cream cheese for a cool, satisfying bite.
Easy Chickpea Salad Lunch Box
Ali Redmond
This chickpea salad is a fresh, no-cook lunch that’s perfect for busy weekdays. Chickpeas are tossed with crisp cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes and a splash of lemon juice and olive oil for a refreshing bite. It’s easy to prep multiple servings at once, so you can stock your fridge with grab-and-go lunches for the week.
Cucumber-Hummus Wrap
Photographer: Ali Redmond.
This easy wrap is a crisp, refreshing lunch packed with veggies. Shredded green cabbage adds a satisfying crunch, while the creamy dressing (flavored with pickle juice, but no pickles) adds tang without excess sodium. Hummus provides a creamy base that pairs perfectly with the fresh crispy vegetables.
Turmeric Chicken & Avocado Wraps
Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
Chickpeas add fiber and plant-based protein to these easy and vibrant turmeric chicken wraps. Mix up the chicken salad at the beginning of the week to eat in a wrap or enjoy it over greens.
No-Cook White Bean & Spinach Caprese Salad
This easy white bean and spinach caprese salad features the classic combination of juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, fragrant basil and tangy balsamic vinegar, but adds tender white beans and fresh baby spinach to the mix.
Cucumber-Spinach Sandwich
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
This sandwich is light and refreshing, combining crisp cucumbers with tender spinach for a fresh, green bite. Layered on whole-grain bread with a creamy spread, it’s both simple and satisfying. Perfect for a quick lunch, it’s a no-fuss option perfect for work or home.
Avocado Tuna Salad Sandwich
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
This sandwich takes classic tuna salad and adds a creamy twist with ripe avocado for a fresh, buttery flavor and texture. It’s the ideal upgrade to your usual tuna salad, and it’s sure to become your new favorite lunchtime sandwich for work or home.
The Only High-Protein Veggie Sandwich Formula You Need
Ali Redmond
This high-protein veggie sandwich formula is perfect for when you want to try something new. Our combination of hummus, avocado, feta and veggies is satisfying and tasty.
Veggie Wraps
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek
These wraps are packed with veggies, including zucchini, bell pepper and spinach. The vegetables cook quickly in a skillet, so you can pull together this easy lunch in no time. Hummus adds plant-based protein and keeps the wrap from getting dry.
Lemon-Dill Tuna Salad
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower
This lemon-dill tuna salad packs plenty of protein and gets a boost of flavor from sumac—a spice used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and North African cooking that adds a citrusy touch, enhancing the lemon flavor without overshadowing the other ingredients. Serve this between two pieces of whole-wheat bread as a sandwich or by itself with tender Bibb lettuce or crunchy celery sticks.
Green Goddess Wrap
A soft and silky green goddess dressing blends with crunchy fresh cucumber and tender greens in this easy wrap. If you prefer, you can ditch the wrap and enjoy the filling as a salad instead.
Gut-Healthy Miso Cup Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
This miso soup is packed with gut-healthy ingredients like miso, a fermented paste that may improve digestion plus reduce gas and bloating.
Cucumber Sandwich with Cotija & Lime
This easy vegetarian cucumber sandwich draws flavor inspiration from elote, the Mexican street corn dish. Instead of corn, we flavor cucumber slices with cotija cheese, lime and cilantro for a tasty filling.
Chicken, Spinach & Feta Wraps
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco
This chicken, spinach and feta wrap recipe is elevated by the convenience of rotisserie chicken and the scrumptious flavor of sun-dried tomatoes. Whisk together the easy dressing, toss with the chicken, add spinach and wrap it all together for a delicious lunch. Using rotisserie chicken speeds up the process, but you can also reach for this recipe if you have leftover cooked chicken on hand.
Kale, Quinoa & Apple Salad
This kale, quinoa and apple salad has a great blend of texture and flavors. Fresh apples bring a refreshing sweetness and the kale breaks down when it’s massaged with the dressing. Nuts, fennel and quinoa add more layers, while blue cheese lends a savory note.
Cucumber Sandwich
Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
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 hold everything together.
Caprese Pasta Salad
This light and fresh caprese pasta salad is brought together with a bright and tangy dressing, with fresh mozzarella pearls adding creaminess to every bite.
Veggie & Hummus Sandwich
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey
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.
No-Cook Black Bean Salad
The dressing for this vegan black bean salad 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.
Rainbow Veggie Wraps
These delicious (and kid-friendly) wraps are stuffed with vegetables, cheese and hummus and then rolled and sliced. Serve them with store-bought green goddess, a creamy herb-filled dressing, to take it up a notch with ease.
Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas
This healthy high-fiber salad comes together in just 10 minutes, thanks to preshredded Brussels sprouts and store-bought roasted chickpeas. Serve it right away or pack it in individual servings for four super-satisfying high-fiber lunches for the week ahead.
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.
Lentil & Roasted Vegetable Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
Goddess dressing typically gets its umami-ness from anchovies, but we use miso in this super green salad recipe to keep it vegetarian. Substitute 2 chopped anchovies for the miso if you like. Or add baked tofu, poached salmon or grilled chicken for a boost of protein.
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