Healthy Recipes Health Conditions Diabetes-Friendly Diabetic Lunch Recipes 18 Best 3-Step Lunch Recipes for Better Blood Sugar By Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Wimberly is EatingWell's Editorial Fellow. As a food and mental health blogger, Camryn explores how food and cooking can help improve mental health and also be an avenue to connect with one's culture and heritage. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 30, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RD Annie Nguyen is a Registered Dietitian who manages EatingWell's Pinterest page. Before EatingWell, she worked with other dietitians to write nutrition blog posts, develop recipes and create social media content. Annie went to the University of Oklahoma to complete her B.S. in Health and Exercise Science. She went on to get her M.A. in Dietetics and finish her dietetic internship at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close Photo: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Lunch will be as easy as 1-2-3, thanks to these simple recipes! These highly rated dishes take just three steps to make, for a delicious, low-effort meal. Plus each serving is low in calories, saturated fat, sodium and carbs, which can help support healthy blood sugar levels. You’ll want to make options like our Lemon-Dill Tuna Salad or our Chicken & Cabbage Soup with Pesto for an easy and nourishing lunch. 01 of 18 Lemon-Dill Tuna Salad Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower This brightly flavored 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. View Recipe 02 of 18 Curried Cauliflower Salad Sandwiches Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food stylist: Annie Probst, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco The creamy cauliflower mixture in this vegetarian sandwich was inspired by the flavors of Indian raita. A combination of yogurt, cashews and mustard rounds out the spices in the curry powder, with pomegranate arils adding a juicy pop of sweetness. View Recipe 03 of 18 Chicken & Cabbage Soup with Pesto Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely This simple soup is topped with flavor-boosting store-bought pesto. Big, fiber-rich butter beans add a creamy bite, but you can easily swap them out for cannellini beans or navy beans if you prefer. This soup works well with leftover chicken—simply shred or chop cooked chicken and add it to the soup to reheat once the cabbage is tender. View Recipe 04 of 18 Tuna Salad & Tomato Sandwich Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser This classic deli-style tuna sandwich is packed with protein and topped with a juicy slice of fresh tomato. Sweet pickle relish adds a contrast of flavors to the mix, but if you prefer something less sweet, dill pickle relish can be used in its place. View Recipe 05 of 18 Chicken, Spinach & Feta Wraps Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco This tasty wrap 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. View Recipe 06 of 18 High-Protein Mason Jar Salad Ali Redmond Mason jar salads make for a convenient lunch that can easily be taken on the go or enjoyed at home. With just a few ingredients, you have a well-rounded lunch packed with fiber, protein and micronutrients that won’t spike your blood sugars. View Recipe 07 of 18 Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This vibrant and wholesome soup helps support your well-being. It’s packed with a variety of colorful vegetables, like tomatoes, which contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help reduce inflammation. View Recipe 08 of 18 Green Goddess Tuna Salad Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco Canned tuna makes this dish convenient and pantry-friendly while also offering an impressive punch of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Serve on bread or in a wrap, over a bed of greens or scooped up with your favorite chips, crackers or cucumber slices. View Recipe 09 of 18 Cucumber Sandwich with Cotija & Lime Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman This crunchy 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. Cotija cheese, a salty, crumbly Mexican cheese, is similar in flavor and texture to feta cheese, which can be used as a substitute. Arugula adds a peppery flavor, but any tender greens will work well here. View Recipe 10 of 18 Green Goddess Wrap Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf 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. View Recipe 11 of 18 Salmon Rice Bowl Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco This rice bowl makes for a tasty lunch or dinner. With healthy ingredients like instant brown rice, salmon and veggies, you'll have a flavorful meal in just 25 minutes. View Recipe 12 of 18 10-Minute Tuna Melt Joy Howard This variation of the diner classic uses mayonnaise, but not where you think! Mayo is brushed on the outside of the sandwich in place of butter to make the sandwich golden and crispy as it heats in a skillet. Plain Greek yogurt takes mayo's place in the salad—along with crunchy celery, roasted red bell peppers and scallions—for a satisfying lunch. View Recipe 13 of 18 Immune-Supporting Creamy Tomato Soup Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This easy soup is made with just three ingredients—perfect for a quick afternoon snack or a healthy lunch. Plus, this soup has over 20% of the Daily Value of vitamins A and C, two nutrients that are needed for the immune system to function properly. View Recipe 14 of 18 Spicy Slaw Bowls with Shrimp & Edamame A flavorful slaw serves as the low-carb base in this veggie-packed lunch. Topped with high-protein edamame and shrimp, this satisfying lunch will help you power through the afternoon. View Recipe 15 of 18 Broccoli & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad We've loaded this pasta salad with vegetables and bright flavors. Sun-dried tomatoes and a touch of lemon zest jazz up the dressing, while tender-crisp broccoli florets cook alongside the pasta, making assembly (and cleanup!) a breeze. View Recipe 16 of 18 Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut Dressing Prep four days' worth of high-protein vegan lunches using just four easy ingredients from your local specialty grocery store, including a veggie-heavy salad mix as a base. View Recipe 17 of 18 Chopped Chicken & Sweet Potato Salad This easy salad is a wonderful use of leftover cooked chicken. Look for escarole in the produce section near the leafy greens; if you can't find it, you can use romaine instead. View Recipe 18 of 18 Salmon-Stuffed Avocados Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell 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. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit