Healthy Recipes Nutrient-Focused Diets High-Protein Recipes High-Protein Lunch Recipes 24 5-Ingredient Lunches for Weight Loss 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 10, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close Photo: Ted & Chelsea Cavanaugh Looking for some simple yet flavorful lunches? These recipes have no more than five ingredients, for an easy yet nourishing midday meal. They are all lower in calories and high in protein and/or fiber to help support weight loss and keep you satisfied longer. Try options like our English Muffin Pizza with Tomato & Olives and Zucchini Noodles with Quick Turkey Bolognese for a delicious lunch that will help you reach your nutrition goals. 01 of 24 English Muffin Pizza with Tomato & Olives Ted & Chelsea Cavanaugh This pizza-inspired English muffin topped with tomato, cheese, olives and oregano does triple duty—it's great as a snack or as part of a delicious breakfast or lunch. View Recipe 02 of 24 Spinach & Artichoke Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette Inspired by the classic warm party dip, this simple salad can be served up right away or divided into small lidded containers for a week of delicious lunches. To keep the hard-boiled eggs tasting fresh, we suggest adding them to your salad just before serving or in the morning before packing your lunch to go. View Recipe 03 of 24 Zucchini Noodles with Quick Turkey Bolognese Forgo regular pasta (and most of the carbs) for spiralized zucchini "noodles" in these make-ahead meals. The zoodles quickly turn tender-crisp as the veggie-packed Bolognese warms in the microwave. View Recipe 04 of 24 Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich In this healthy chicken sandwich recipe, the avocado is mashed to create a healthy creamy spread. View Recipe 05 of 24 Strawberry-Pineapple Smoothie 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. View Recipe 06 of 24 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. Because this salad mix is hearty, you can dress these bowls up to 24 hours before serving to allow the flavors in this healthy chopped salad to marry. If you can't find a hearty mix, go with broccoli slaw or shredded Brussels sprouts. View Recipe 07 of 24 Spicy Slaw Bowls with Shrimp & Edamame The quick 10-minute Spicy Cabbage Slaw serves as the low-carb base in this veggie-packed lunch recipe. Topped with high-protein edamame and shrimp, this satisfying lunch will help you power through the afternoon. View Recipe 08 of 24 Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas 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. View Recipe 09 of 24 Meal-Prep Curried Chicken Bowls Curry doesn't have to take hours to prepare. With the help of our sheet-pan meal-prep chicken (see associated recipe) and some cooked whole grains, you can make these meal-prep bowls in just a few minutes! Keep them in the fridge for an easy dinner on a busy weeknight or for healthy grab-and-go lunches throughout the week. View Recipe 10 of 24 Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna 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. View Recipe 11 of 24 Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing Ali Redmond Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one! View Recipe 12 of 24 Build-Your-Own Chicken Tacos This kid-friendly recipe keeps every element of tacos separate so your child can decide to eat them separately or have fun building their own mini tacos with their favorite toppings. Plus, it's perfect for packing into a bento box for a healthy lunch for school. View Recipe 13 of 24 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. View Recipe 14 of 24 Couscous & Chickpea Salad Cooked couscous and canned chickpeas come together in this quick lunch salad. The basil vinaigrette makes it taste anything but basic! When in season, we recommend adding fresh chopped tomatoes for a spin on tabbouleh. View Recipe 15 of 24 Marinara Meat Sauce Topped Baked Potato Break out of your pasta routine by subbing in a baked potato in this simple and satisfying dinner for one. View Recipe 16 of 24 Cheese Quesadillas with Peppers & Onions These 15-minute quesadillas are a notch above basic with the addition of sautéed peppers and onions. Let the kiddos load them up with the toppings at the table. View Recipe 17 of 24 Banana-Cocoa Soy Smoothie With plenty of protein from both tofu and soymilk, this banana-split-inspired breakfast smoothie will keep you satisfied until lunchtime. View Recipe 18 of 24 Ham and Broccoli Topped Baked Potato Jazz up your simple baked potato with a quickly microwaved topping. View Recipe 19 of 24 Chicken, Quinoa & Veggie Bowl With a whopping 19 grams of protein, this one-dish meal will keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours. View Recipe 20 of 24 Power Greens Salad with Baked Tofu & Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette This plant-based main-dish salad packs a powerful punch of greens, nutrients and flavor. Add healthy protein with convenient baked tofu slices, which have a firm texture that is well suited to salads and sandwiches. Sprinkle on a little crunch with slivered almonds, and just a hint of tropical sweetness with unsweetened coconut. The vinaigrette rounds out the dish with tangy-sweet kick. View Recipe 21 of 24 Bacon and Avocado Topped Baked Potato A baked russet potato is topped with crumbled bacon, diced avocado, salsa, and shredded Colby Jack cheese—a meal in itself! View Recipe 22 of 24 Turkey-Cranberry Wrap Here we pair precooked turkey with cranberry sauce for a quick and delicious wrap. View Recipe 23 of 24 Spring Green Salad with Hard-Boiled Eggs This salad capitalizes on fresh spring produce and gets a simple protein boost from hard-boiled eggs. Meal-prep this healthy lunch salad by mixing the salad base together and simmering a batch of hard-boiled eggs on the weekend. Then you'll be ready to just add one or two eggs with a drizzle of tangy vinaigrette for the simplest spring salad-to-go. View Recipe 24 of 24 Buffalo-Style Bistro Lunch Box These tailgate-inspired lunch bowls can be assembled in about 15 minutes using just a handful of ingredients from your local specialty grocery store, like pregrilled chicken and spicy Buffalo-flavored hummus. We're packing these up with crunchy veggie sticks and blue cheese so you can savor all the game-day flavors, but for a fraction of the calories. View Recipe Medically reviewed by Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit