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Amp up your midday meal with one of these nutritious lunch recipes. Highlighting seasonal ingredients like cabbage, celery, lemons and onions, these afternoon meals are well-suited for the winter months. Plus, with no more than 14 grams of carbohydrates and at least15 grams of proteinper serving, these dishes are light yet satisfying choices to keep you energized. Recipes like our Tuna Salad with Egg and Turkey & Cheddar Lettuce Wraps are great additions to your lunch routine.
01of 17Tuna Salad with EggView RecipePhotography / Jennifer Causey, Styling / Ali Ramee / Audrey DavisThis simple tuna salad with egg has a clean and balanced flavor. The capers and lemon bring acidity to help everything come together and chopped arugula adds a peppery kick. Enjoy it with greens or on a slice of your favorite whole-grain bread.
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Tuna Salad with Egg
View Recipe
Photography / Jennifer Causey, Styling / Ali Ramee / Audrey Davis
This simple tuna salad with egg has a clean and balanced flavor. The capers and lemon bring acidity to help everything come together and chopped arugula adds a peppery kick. Enjoy it with greens or on a slice of your favorite whole-grain bread.
02of 17Avocado Ranch Chicken SaladView RecipeAvocado makes an exceptionally creamy and healthful dressing for this chicken salad. A bit of ranch dressing with pickled jalapeño adds a tangy spin to the lunchtime classic. Serve it on a slice of whole-wheat toast for an open-face sandwich or in a lettuce cup for a low-carb lunch.
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Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad
Avocado makes an exceptionally creamy and healthful dressing for this chicken salad. A bit of ranch dressing with pickled jalapeño adds a tangy spin to the lunchtime classic. Serve it on a slice of whole-wheat toast for an open-face sandwich or in a lettuce cup for a low-carb lunch.
03of 17Turkey & Cheddar Lettuce WrapsView RecipeCrispy green lettuce leaves hold the filling inside this low-carb turkey wrap. It’s perfect for lunch or a quick, easy dinner on the go.
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Turkey & Cheddar Lettuce Wraps
Crispy green lettuce leaves hold the filling inside this low-carb turkey wrap. It’s perfect for lunch or a quick, easy dinner on the go.
04of 17Smoked Trout Salad with Herb & Horseradish DressingView RecipePhotography / Jenny Huang, Food Styling / Tyna Hoang, Prop Styling / Nicole LouieThis no-cook main-dish salad pairs a flavorful dressing featuring sharp horseradish and tangy crème fraîche with smoked trout.
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Smoked Trout Salad with Herb & Horseradish Dressing
Photography / Jenny Huang, Food Styling / Tyna Hoang, Prop Styling / Nicole Louie
This no-cook main-dish salad pairs a flavorful dressing featuring sharp horseradish and tangy crème fraîche with smoked trout.
05of 17Cauliflower Rice Bowls with Grilled Asparagus & Chicken SausageView RecipeStock the fridge with a week’s worth of lunches using a handful of ingredients from your local grocery store. To save on carbs, we’re swapping in riced cauliflower for regular rice and adding pregrilled asparagus, which bulks up these bowls and adds fiber. At lunchtime, just reheat to steaming then top with a bit of pesto. Try Trader Joe’s for fast shortcut ingredients like these–see Tip (below) for our product recommendations.
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Cauliflower Rice Bowls with Grilled Asparagus & Chicken Sausage
Stock the fridge with a week’s worth of lunches using a handful of ingredients from your local grocery store. To save on carbs, we’re swapping in riced cauliflower for regular rice and adding pregrilled asparagus, which bulks up these bowls and adds fiber. At lunchtime, just reheat to steaming then top with a bit of pesto. Try Trader Joe’s for fast shortcut ingredients like these–see Tip (below) for our product recommendations.
06of 17Chopped Power Salad with ChickenView RecipeJason DonnellyEnjoy this filling and colorful salad for lunch or dinner. The dressing gets made in the same bowl that the salad is tossed in, so the greens absorb every bit of flavor.
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Chopped Power Salad with Chicken
Jason Donnelly
Enjoy this filling and colorful salad for lunch or dinner. The dressing gets made in the same bowl that the salad is tossed in, so the greens absorb every bit of flavor.
07of 17Creamy Pesto Chicken Salad with GreensView RecipeFor a healthy variation on creamy chicken salad, we’ve replaced half the mayonnaise with basil pesto. Serve over greens or make it into a sandwich for a healthy lunch.
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Creamy Pesto Chicken Salad with Greens
For a healthy variation on creamy chicken salad, we’ve replaced half the mayonnaise with basil pesto. Serve over greens or make it into a sandwich for a healthy lunch.
08of 17Mozzarella, Basil & Zucchini FrittataView RecipeThis vegetable-studded frittata recipe is one of the quickest meals you can make. Make it for breakfast, or serve for lunch or dinner with a tossed salad and a slice of olive oil-drizzled crusty baguette.
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Mozzarella, Basil & Zucchini Frittata
This vegetable-studded frittata recipe is one of the quickest meals you can make. Make it for breakfast, or serve for lunch or dinner with a tossed salad and a slice of olive oil-drizzled crusty baguette.
09of 17Chicken & Cabbage Salad Bowls with Sesame DressingView RecipeEverything you need (just 4 ingredients!) to prepare a week’s worth of healthy, low-carb lunches can be found at your neighborhood grocery store. 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. Shopping at Trader Joe’s? See Tip (below) for our product recommendations.
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Chicken & Cabbage Salad Bowls with Sesame Dressing
Everything you need (just 4 ingredients!) to prepare a week’s worth of healthy, low-carb lunches can be found at your neighborhood grocery store. 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. Shopping at Trader Joe’s? See Tip (below) for our product recommendations.
10of 17Salmon-Stuffed AvocadosView RecipeCanned 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.
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Salmon-Stuffed Avocados
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.
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Spinach & Artichoke Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette
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3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad
Carolyn Hodges
13of 17Avocado Tuna SaladView RecipePhotography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ruth BlackBurn / Julia BaylessJazz up a can of tuna with this easy avocado tuna salad recipe. Silky avocado adds creaminess that’s cut with a hit of acidity from lemon and a briny punch from feta cheese. Romaine hearts and cucumber offer refreshing crunch.
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Avocado Tuna Salad
Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ruth BlackBurn / Julia Bayless
Jazz up a can of tuna with this easy avocado tuna salad recipe. Silky avocado adds creaminess that’s cut with a hit of acidity from lemon and a briny punch from feta cheese. Romaine hearts and cucumber offer refreshing crunch.
14of 17Taco Lettuce WrapsView RecipeDon’t limit yourself to lettuce for this low-carb, gluten-free taco lettuce wrap recipe–any fresh green sturdy enough to wrap around 1/2 cup of filling works.
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Taco Lettuce Wraps
Don’t limit yourself to lettuce for this low-carb, gluten-free taco lettuce wrap recipe–any fresh green sturdy enough to wrap around 1/2 cup of filling works.
15of 17Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut DressingView RecipePrep 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.
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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.
16of 17Chicken Salad-Stuffed AvocadosView RecipeLooking for a clean, packable lunch for work? This healthy homemade chicken salad served inside an avocado instead of with bread is just the ticket. Plus, this recipe makes enough for ready-made lunches for the week! If you have leftover cooked chicken on hand, skip Step 1 and use about 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken in Step 2.
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Chicken Salad-Stuffed Avocados
Looking for a clean, packable lunch for work? This healthy homemade chicken salad served inside an avocado instead of with bread is just the ticket. Plus, this recipe makes enough for ready-made lunches for the week! If you have leftover cooked chicken on hand, skip Step 1 and use about 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken in Step 2.
17of 17Chicken Curry Cup of NoodlesView RecipeMake your own cup of instant soup at home with this chicken curry zoodle (spiralized zucchini noodles) recipe. Pack several jars at once to take to work for easy lunches throughout the week.
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Chicken Curry Cup of Noodles
Make your own cup of instant soup at home with this chicken curry zoodle (spiralized zucchini noodles) recipe. Pack several jars at once to take to work for easy lunches throughout the week.
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