24 High-Fiber, Vegetarian Lunch Recipes to Make Ahead

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Make these tasty recipes ahead of time and save time during your lunch break! These dishes are high in fiber, with at least 6 grams per serving, which can support healthy digestion and lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. They’re also vegetarian and full of colorful, fiber-rich veggies like kale, Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes to add variety to your menu. Try our Crispy Chickpea Grain Bowl with Lemon Vinaigrette and Lemon-Roasted Vegetable Hummus Bowls for a satiating make-ahead lunch you’ll love!

01 of 24

Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad

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This cold pesto pasta salad will cool you off on a summer day. Fresh tomatoes and roasted red peppers add a pop of bright color and juiciness here, but any of your favorite pasta-salad veggies, like blanched broccoli and fresh bell peppers, would be delicious too.

02 of 24

Crispy Chickpea Grain Bowl with Lemon Vinaigrette

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Our favorite part of these vegetarian grain bowls is the tangy lemon vinaigrette, which ties together a satisfying combo of quinoa, toasted pumpkin seeds, and roasted chickpeas and kale.

03 of 24

Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl

Overhead view of a white bowl of Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl recipe on a reddish brown tile tabletop

Photography: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco

This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.

04 of 24

Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowls

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With a handful of shortcut ingredients from your grocery store, including precooked rice packets and seasoned baked tofu, you can prepare several high-fiber, high-protein meals in about 15 minutes.

05 of 24

Lemon-Roasted Vegetable Hummus Bowls

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Brimming with colorful roasted vegetables, these plant-based meal-prep lunch bowls are high in fiber to keep you full through the afternoon.

06 of 24

Falafel Pita Sandwiches with Tzatziki

Falafel Pita Sandwiches with Tzatziki

This delightful vegetarian sandwich boasts tons of flavor from the yogurt sauce and quick-pickled veggies, and it's only 400 calories! You can make the pickled vegetables, falafel mixture and tzatziki sauce ahead of time for easy meal-prep lunches or dinner later in the week.

07 of 24

Eggplant Gyros

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Eggplant's meaty texture is a delicious vegetarian stand-in for the lamb that typically fills a gyro sandwich. The vegetable absorbs the lemony-herby-spicy marinade like a sponge, so if you have time, let it marinate for the full day.

08 of 24

Chopped Veggie Grain Bowls with Turmeric Dressing

veggie grain bowl in a glass to-go container

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.

09 of 24

Quinoa Avocado Salad

How to Make Quinoa-Avocado Salad

Protein-packed quinoa pairs with creamy avocado in this refreshing grain salad. It's the perfect make-ahead side dish to bring on a picnic or take to a potluck. Or pack it for lunch or enjoy it as a light dinner.

10 of 24

Green Goddess Grain Bowl

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This healthy grain bowl packs in the greens with peas, asparagus and a creamy yogurt dressing. Tofu adds protein while keeping it vegetarian, but you could also swap in cooked shrimp or chicken for a satisfying dinner or packable lunch ready in just 15 minutes.

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Cabbage, Tofu & Edamame Salad

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Craving crunch? Bite into this salad loaded with crisp red cabbage, edamame, bamboo shoots and chow mein noodles. This salad is slightly sweetened with baked tofu, mandarin oranges and sesame vinaigrette.

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Chickpea "Chicken" Salad

Chickpea "Chicken" Salad

This chickpea salad is a vegetarian version of a classic chicken salad. It doesn't mimic the flavor of chicken; it swaps chickpeas in for the chicken. It's an ideal recipe if you're looking for simple, healthy lunch ideas. It is a delicious and fiber-packed vegetarian alternative! 

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Meal-Prep Roasted Vegetable Bowls with Pesto

Meal-Prep Roasted Vegetable Bowls with Pesto

Your co-workers will be jealous when you pull out this healthy lunch of roasted veggies and brown rice. Put together 4 lunches when you have time and you will have packable lunches (or ready-to-eat dinners) for several days—just grab a container on your way out the door in the morning.

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Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut Dressing

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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.

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Rice & Bean Freezer Burritos

Rice & Bean Freezer Burritos

Save money and sodium when you make a batch of homemade frozen burritos. Mashing the beans and mixing them with tomatoes, cheese and jalapeños before filling the healthy burritos means you get all the ingredients in each bite. Serve with your favorite toppings—we like sour cream, salsa and hot sauce.

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Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls

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A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos.

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Meal-Prep Falafel Bowls with Tahini Sauce

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These quick couscous bowls come together in 20 minutes thanks to healthy convenience items like frozen falafel and steam-in-bag fresh green beans. Whisk together the simple tahini sauce while the other ingredients cook.

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Roasted Veggie Mason Jar Salad

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This vegan Mason jar salad is easy to pack up and take for lunch. Layering the creamy cashew sauce into the bottom of the jar ensures that your big, bold power salad won't become wilted by the time you're ready to eat.

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Vegan Superfood Grain Bowls

overhead shot of vegan grain bowl filled with beets, edamame and avocado

Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

This nutrient-packed grain bowl recipe comes together in 15 minutes with the help of a few convenience-food shortcuts like prewashed baby kale, microwaveable quinoa and precooked beets. Pack these ahead to keep on hand for easy meal-prep lunches or dinners on busy nights.

20 of 24

Chopped Rainbow Salad Bowls with Peanut Sauce

Chopped Rainbow Salad Bowls with Peanut Sauce

Make good use of crunchy and colorful seasonal produce in these meal-prep-friendly vegetable bowls. With just 30 minutes of prep, you get four healthy lunches that are ready to grab and go. We use bulgur, which cooks faster and is higher in fiber than brown rice, but you could swap in quinoa (or any hearty whole grain). 

21 of 24

Vegan White Bean Chili

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Fresh Anaheim (or poblano) chiles add mild heat to this classic white bean chili and contribute lots of smoky flavor. Quinoa adds body to the chili, while diced zucchini provides pretty flecks of green and increases the veggie content.

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Grain Bowl with Chickpeas & Cauliflower

Grain Bowl with Chickpeas & Cauliflower

This beautiful grain bowl is packed with healthy ingredients like quinoa, chickpeas, kale and cauliflower—all drizzled with a lemony tahini sauce. The fast one-bowl meal makes a satisfying weeknight dinner or packable work lunch. If you don't have za'atar, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander.

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Vegan Mac & Cheese

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Mac and cheese no longer has to be off the menu if you don't do dairy. A blend of hearty cauliflower, butternut squash, cashews and nutritional yeast gives this vegan macaroni and cheese the gooey, cheesy texture and flavor of traditional mac, without a bit of dairy!

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Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas

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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. 

Medically reviewed by
Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Jessica Ball
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 & WineReal SimpleParentsBetter Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes.
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