Healthy Recipes Nutrient-Focused Diets High-Protein Recipes High-Protein Lunch Recipes Our 23 Best Summer 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 Published on August 5, 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 flavorful lunch recipes are some of our best, having earned 4- and 5-star ratings from our readers! To help keep you feeling full, they are high in fiber or protein (or both) with 6 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein per serving. They are also lower in calories, which can support weight loss, and are made with delicious summer produce like zucchini and bell peppers. Try our Chicken & Kale Taco Salad with Jalapeño-Avocado Ranch and Veggie & Hummus Sandwich for a tasty and nutritious lunch perfect for a midday meal this summer. 01 of 23 Chicken & Kale Taco Salad with Jalapeño-Avocado Ranch This healthy, super-fast salad recipe swaps out romaine for kale, giving you more than 10 times the vitamin C. Easy flavor hacks like store-bought ranch and pickled jalapeños help make a creamy, tangy and spicy dressing you'll want to drizzle on everything from salad to sliced veggies and shredded poached chicken. View Recipe 02 of 23 Shrimp Cobb Salad with Dijon Dressing We've replaced chicken with shrimp in this delicious and easy spin on the classic Cobb salad for a satisfying meal that takes just 20 minutes to make. View Recipe 03 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 04 of 23 Chickpea Tuna Salad Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn This chickpea tuna salad with capers, feta and cucumber makes for the perfect lunch to pack for work or school. You can prep the salad the night before (just be sure to keep the spinach separate and dress the salad right before serving). View Recipe 05 of 23 Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls These shrimp, pesto and quinoa bowls are delicious, healthy, pretty and take less than 30 minutes to prep. Feel free to add additional vegetables and swap the shrimp for chicken, steak, tofu or edamame. View Recipe 06 of 23 No-Cook Black Bean Salad The dressing for this vegan black bean salad gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick. View Recipe 07 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 08 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 09 of 23 Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl This flavorful burrito bowl features grilled chicken coated in a spicy chipotle glaze. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthier meal. View Recipe 10 of 23 Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dressing This hearty vegan salad is loaded with plant-based power ingredients: chickpeas, quinoa and hummus. We love the crunch of the sunflower seeds and the unexpected flavor of roasted peppers. View Recipe 11 of 23 Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls Skip the tortillas in favor of this warm fajita salad, which features a nutritious medley of chicken with roasted kale, bell peppers and black beans. The chicken, beans and vegetables are all cooked on the same pan, so this healthy meal is easy to make and the cleanup is easy too. View Recipe 12 of 23 Chicken Quinoa Fried Rice Regular fried rice gets a protein boost when rice is swapped for quinoa in this healthy dinner recipe. Feel free to use any vegetables you have on hand—broccoli, green beans and mushrooms are all good options in this quinoa fried rice. Serve with hot sauce, if desired. View Recipe 13 of 23 Chopped Cobb Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing Joy Howard In place of bacon, this satisfying salad uses store-bought crispy chickpeas for lower saturated fat and less prep time. Using fresh herbs, bright citrus and a creamy base of yogurt and mayonnaise for the dressing gives it a flavorful finish. View Recipe 14 of 23 Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad Bowls Pasta salad is a classic summer side dish, but adding protein (leftover grilled chicken is perfect here) and extra greens makes it a super-satisfying lunch. We use baby spinach, but arugula or baby kale works too. Top with a bright and tangy basil vinaigrette just before serving. View Recipe 15 of 23 Spicy Ramen Noodle Cup Soup Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster In just 15 minutes, you can make three jars of vegetarian ramen cup soup that you can bring to work or school. These cup soups are not only a time-saver, but are also packed with protein from hard-boiled eggs, which will help keep you satisfied until your next meal. View Recipe 16 of 23 Chicken Hummus Bowls The spiced chicken atop these bowls is ready fast with the help of the broiler. Serve with warm whole-wheat pita for scooping up extra hummus at the bottom of the bowl. View Recipe 17 of 23 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 18 of 23 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 19 of 23 Lemony Lentil Salad with Feta Jason Donnelly This delicious and healthy lentil salad comes together in just 30 minutes and makes a wonderful hot-weather meal. Serve with whole-wheat pitas, if desired. View Recipe 20 of 23 Spring Roll Salad This healthy spring-roll inspired salad is bursting with the colors of the rainbow from generous amounts of fresh vegetables, shrimp and whole grains all topped with a peanut dressing for the ultimate satisfying salad. View Recipe 21 of 23 White Bean & Avocado Sandwich White beans mash seamlessly into a creamy protein-packed spread for a satisfying healthy sandwich that makes for an easy lunch or dinner. Mix it up by trying it with canned chickpeas or black beans. This vegetarian sandwich recipe is also a fiber superstar: avocado, beans, greens and whole-wheat bread team up to give it 15 grams of fiber, more than half of what most women should aim for in a day. View Recipe 22 of 23 Peanut Zoodles with Edamame Photo by: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D. A package of fresh zucchini noodles gets tossed with shelled edamame and store-bought peanut sauce in these 5-minute, no-cook vegetable noodle bowls. Because prepared sauces and dressings are commonly high in sodium, scan the label and opt for those that contain 150 mg sodium or less per tablespoon. View Recipe 23 of 23 Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl 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. 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