Healthy Recipes Health Conditions Diabetes-Friendly Diabetic Lunch Recipes 19 Diabetes-Friendly Lunches That Aren’t Salads 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 Published on June 28, 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 These delicious recipes will have you daydreaming about your lunch break all morning long! Each recipe aligns with our parameters for a diabetes-friendly eating pattern to support healthy blood sugar levels and lower the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease. They are made with heart-healthy ingredients and are conscious of calories, carbs, saturated fat and sodium as well. With yummy and satiating options like our Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls or Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich, these lunches will keep you energized and fueled until your next meal. 01 of 19 Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos. To cut down on prep time, look for precut cauliflower in the produce department. View Recipe 02 of 19 Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich In this healthy chicken sandwich recipe, the avocado is mashed to create a healthy creamy spread. View Recipe 03 of 19 Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes, Beans & Almond Pesto A tangle of spaghetti squash tricks your brain into thinking you're about to eat a serving of eggy noodles, while giving tomatoes a stint in a hot oven makes them candy-sweet. View Recipe 04 of 19 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. View Recipe 05 of 19 Lemony Lentil & Cauliflower Cup Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This bright lemony soup gets its boost of fiber and earthy, nutty flavor from ingredients like lentils and bulgur. Bulgur adds heartiness and a nice chewy texture, but you can swap it out for another cooked grain like brown rice or quinoa. Plus, the broth gets gentle heat from harissa paste. View Recipe 06 of 19 Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup with Soft-Boiled Eggs Transform canned chicken noodle soup by adding fresh ginger, crunchy vegetables, herbs and a jammy soft-boiled egg. Look for a low-sodium soup that has 450 mg sodium or less per serving. View Recipe 07 of 19 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. View Recipe 08 of 19 Pistachio & Peach Toast This delicious toast is great when you have leftover ricotta cheese—plus it comes together in just 5 minutes. View Recipe 09 of 19 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 10 of 19 Black Bean-Queso Wraps These easy wraps are filled with black beans, corn, red pepper and creamy queso. They cook up quickly in a panini press. View Recipe 11 of 19 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 12 of 19 Turkey & Bean Burritos These tasty turkey and bean burritos are the perfect choice for a quick dinner or lunch. Shredded lettuce and Cheddar cheese are wrapped up in warm whole-wheat tortillas with cooked turkey, salsa and beans. Yum! View Recipe 13 of 19 Ceviche-Stuffed Avocados Rather than serving this easy mock shrimp ceviche with chips or tortillas, cut some carbs and pile the citrusy seafood in fresh avocado bowls for a fun and healthy presentation. View Recipe 14 of 19 Veggie Wrap with Cilantro Hummus These healthy multigrain wraps are filled with mixed greens, chopped cucumber, tomato and red onion, as well as feta cheese and a homemade cilantro hummus. As a time-saver, the hummus can be prepared up to 3 days ahead, and chilled until you're ready to make the wraps. View Recipe 15 of 19 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 16 of 19 Pesto Chicken & Cannellini Bean Soup This healthy, Italian-inspired chicken soup recipe is loaded with fiber-rich vegetables and beans and gets an extra boost of flavor from a swirl of pesto at the end. View Recipe 17 of 19 Lentil Burgers Walnuts and fresh marjoram accent these vegan lentil burgers. Substitute oregano for marjoram if you like. Serve with a smear of whole-grain mustard and roasted sweet potato wedges. View Recipe 18 of 19 Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Lettuce Wraps with Tahini 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. A few wedges of warm pita finish off the meal perfectly. View Recipe 19 of 19 Cucumber Sandwich with Cotija & Lime Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman 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. 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