Healthy Recipes Low-Calorie Recipes Low-Calorie Lunch Recipes Low-Calorie Make Ahead Lunch Recipes 23 Make-Ahead Lunches 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 August 20, 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 If you’re looking to switch up your lunches, these tasty make-ahead recipes are delicious options to try! Each recipe aligns with our parameters for a diabetes-friendly eating pattern by being lower in saturated fat and sodium and mindful of carbs to support healthy blood sugar levels and lower the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease. They are also made with heart-healthy ingredients like whole grains, legumes and vegetables for something that’s both nourishing and flavorful. Plus, you can prep them in advance so they’re ready to grab and go when you need them. Try options like our Spinach & Strawberry Meal-Prep Salad or Chickpea & Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce for a tasty midday meal. 01 of 23 Spinach & Strawberry Meal-Prep Salad One of our most popular salad recipes, Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta & Walnuts, gets a makeover in these simple yet totally satisfying meal-prep spinach salad bowls. They require minimal prep and can be customized to your taste. Swap in roasted salmon for the chicken thighs, and almonds or pecans for the walnuts, and use any fresh berry that looks good at your market. View Recipe 02 of 23 Chopped Salad with Chicken & Creamy Chipotle Dressing Photography / Jennifer Causey, Styling / Melissa Gray / Kay Clarke This chopped salad with chicken is smoky and zesty thanks to the creamy chipotle dressing. Cilantro adds a pop of freshness to each bite. View Recipe 03 of 23 Chickpea & Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Photographer: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco Quinoa and chickpeas pack this vegetarian grain bowl with plenty of plant-based protein. Whip up a batch of these flavorful grain bowls and store them in lidded containers to stash in the fridge for easy, healthy grab-and-go lunches all week long. View Recipe 04 of 23 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 05 of 23 Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables. View Recipe 06 of 23 Salmon & Quinoa Bowls with Green Beans, Olives & Feta This flavorful and easy salmon quinoa bowl is a meal that keeps on giving. Pack up any leftovers for a next-day lunch, or make the entire recipe ahead and pack it into individual serving containers for ready-to-go meals. View Recipe 07 of 23 Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut Dressing 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 08 of 23 Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos (see Associated Recipes). To cut down on prep time, look for pre-cut cauliflower in the produce department. You can also save time by using microwaveable quinoa pouches (you'll need one 8-ounce pouch for this recipe) instead of cooking quinoa. View Recipe 09 of 23 Curried Chickpea Stew Who says a meatless meal isn't filling? Packed with fiber-rich vegetables and chickpeas, this fragrant stew satisfies. View Recipe 10 of 23 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 11 of 23 Southwest Black-Bean Pasta Salad Bowls Meal-prep a week's worth of delicious and satisfying high-fiber lunches with just 5 simple ingredients and 20 minutes. In this Southwestern-style pasta salad, we're using pasta made with black beans to bump up the fiber to an impressive 14 grams per serving. Paired with seasoned chicken strips and a flavorful corn salad—shortcut ingredients you can often find at your local specialty grocery store—this meal-prep lunch is one you'll get excited for. View Recipe 12 of 23 Chimichurri Noodle Bowls We're mixing whole-grain spaghetti with zucchini noodles to add volume and save calories in these simple, flavor-packed meal-prep bowls topped with a bright and herby chimichurri sauce. View Recipe 13 of 23 Spring Veggie Wraps A tangy tahini-ginger-soy mixture both marinates the tofu and serves as a sauce for this colorful veggie wrap recipe. Look for spinach tortillas for an additional pop of green. View Recipe 14 of 23 Quinoa Deli Salad This healthy version of a deli salad combines hearty quinoa and chickpeas with small amounts of ham and mozzarella, so you get all of the flavor without overdoing it on the sodium. This healthy quinoa salad is great as dinner and doubles as a delicious lunch the next day. View Recipe 15 of 23 Lemon-Roasted Vegetable Hummus Bowls Brimming with colorful roasted vegetables, these plant-based meal-prep lunch bowls are high in fiber to keep you full through the afternoon. The easy roasted veggies are based on a popular recipe from our sister magazine (see Associated Recipes). View Recipe 16 of 23 Pork Wrap with Lime-Jalapeño Slaw A leftover cooked pork cutlet and coleslaw from earlier meals make this lunch a breeze to put together. View Recipe 17 of 23 Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing These hearty kale salads hold up well for 4 days, making them perfect for meal-prep lunches. To keep the ingredients from getting soggy, dress this salad and top it with peanuts just before serving. For a delicious vegan option, swap in roasted tofu for the chicken breast (see Associated Recipes). View Recipe 18 of 23 Make-Ahead Spinach & Black Bean Burritos These egg, bean and cheese burritos are designed to be made ahead and frozen. They are perfect for busy days and make a satisfying breakfast or lunch. View Recipe 19 of 23 Chopped Veggie Grain Bowls with Turmeric Dressing 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. View Recipe 20 of 23 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. To get a homemade stock flavor using store-bought broth, we simmer bone-in chicken breasts in the broth before adding the rest of the soup ingredients. View Recipe 21 of 23 Grilled Vegetable Salads with Goat Cheese Prepare a week's worth of lunches in about 10 minutes using a handful of ingredients from your local specialty grocery store. To save time, we're using a bag of frozen grilled and marinated vegetables, then adding big flavor with marinated goat cheese. If you want to bump up the protein, leftover chicken breast or salmon pair perfectly with this hearty salad. View Recipe 22 of 23 Chicken & Cabbage Salad Bowls with Sesame Dressing A bag of prechopped red and green cabbage serves as the crunchy low-carb base in these chicken salad bowls, which only require 10 minutes to assemble. Top with sesame-flavored almonds and a sesame dressing and you have one irresistible lunch you'll look forward to all week. View Recipe 23 of 23 Green Goddess Quinoa Bowls with Arugula & Shrimp To add extra protein (while minimizing prep time), we're using fully cooked quinoa and cooked shrimp, both of which you can find in the freezer section. With a few more simple items, including bottled salad dressing, you'll have all the ingredients you need to make these high-protein green goddess salad bowls in under 20 minutes. 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