{"id":56291,"date":"2017-02-21T11:15:38","date_gmt":"2017-02-21T16:15:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=56291"},"modified":"2021-09-01T06:47:28","modified_gmt":"2021-09-01T10:47:28","slug":"healthy-lunch-ideas-recipes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/recipes\/healthy-lunch-ideas-recipes\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Healthy Lunch Ideas That Are Easy and Quick to Make"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"10<\/div>\n

Lunch is the most challenging meal prep<\/a> for most people. We can easily prepare overnight oats<\/a> or bake muffins for breakfast the next day. Cook once, eat twice recipes<\/a> help cut time in the kitchen on busy weeknights when all you have time for is reheating dinner. But lunch? What\u2019s that? Meetings and deadlines are often hurdles to a midday sit-down meal, so we grab lunch to-go instead. The key to brown bagging it is using simple ingredients with little lift to make the habit stick. These tasty soups<\/a>, sandwiches and salads are crazy-easy to make, and they\u2019re full of flavor so you\u2019ll look forward to enjoying them. From pesto noodles to buffalo tempeh wraps, these desk side eats are creative, delicious and pretty darn quick to make.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>8 Quick and Easy Egg Sandwich Recipes<\/a><\/p>\n

10 Healthy Lunches That Make Meal Prep a Breeze<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Quick<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Kale Walnut Pesto Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Pasta<\/a> is possible for lunch when you\u2019ve got 20 minutes at home! To prepare the mouthwatering kale walnut pesto, simply combine some kale leaves, fresh basil, walnuts, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic and olive oil in a food processor. Roasted grape tomatoes lend a sweet, smoky flavor to the savory pasta. Photo and recipe: Natalie Gruendl \/ Tastes Lovely<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Quick<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0Asian Noodle Bowl with Ginger Peanut Dressing<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

This recipe is so quick you don\u2019t even have to cook the sauce<\/a>. The peanut dressing has an umami of flavors ranging from salty soy sauce to sweet peanut butter<\/a> and tangy ginger. Rice noodles bring boldness to the green onions, carrots and tofu. Photo and recipe: Dana Shultz \/ Minimalist Baker<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Quick<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0Cucumber Avocado Sandwich<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Swap your cucumber and cream cheese sammy for these avocado<\/a> and goat cheese stacks. Garlic powder, smoked paprika, basil and oregano heighten the smooth buttery flavor of goat cheese. Plus, a log of ch\u00e8vre is half the fat of a tub of whole milk cream cheese. Photo and recipe: Krista Rollins \/ Joyful Healthy Eats<\/em><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>15 Healthy Lettuce Wraps for Low-Carb Lunches<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Quick<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Vegetarian Spring Rolls<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Delivery has nothing on these colorful, veggie-packed spring rolls. These vegetarian spring rolls<\/a> are a savior if you\u2019re running from one meeting to the next. Crunchy carrots, cucumber, sprouts and lettuce cozy up nicely in the uber-thin rice paper. Sprinkling crushed nori sheets and sesame seeds add more fiber and flavor. Need something to perk you up from the afternoon lull? The wasabi-garlic soy sauce does the trick. Photo and recipe: Kristen Shoemaker \/ This Vegan Girl<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Quick<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0One Pot Tomato Lentil Pasta<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll love the lentil noodles for their fiber and protein<\/a> minus the bloat you get from regular carb-heavy pasta. This recipe not only saves you time cooking but dishwashing, too. Just add all the ingredients \u2014 lentil pasta, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, onion, garlic and fresh basil \u2014 in one pot, add a dash of oregano, salt and pepper, and stir. Photo and recipe: Tedi Sarah \/ Tedi Sarah<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Quick<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0Vegan Buffalo Tempeh Wrap<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

A cashew-based ranch and buffaloed tempeh<\/a> keep the recipe vegan. Adding some nutritional yeast to the ranch sauce boosts the health benefits of this dish. Store the ingredients separately and assemble the wrap before eating to keep everything as fresh as possible. Photo and recipe: Andrew Olson \/ One Ingredient Chef<\/em><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>10 Quinoa Bowl Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Quick<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0Chicken Quinoa Bowl<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Add this to the list of delicious ways to serve up a grain bowl<\/a>. Quinoa<\/a>, mandarin oranges and spinach aren\u2019t an obvious combo, but the honey-lime vinaigrette ties them together beautifully. Opt for store-bought rotisserie chicken<\/a> to save even more time.\u00a0Photo and recipe: Kathryn \/ Family Food on the Table<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Quick<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0Pad Thai Zoodle Salad<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

We have a thing for vegetable noodles<\/a> (dubbed \u2018zoodles\u2019), and this pad thai bowl shows you can make any dish with the help of a spiralizer. Not only will you be clocking in a significantly lower carb count, but you\u2019ll get a power punch of protein to help you through your day from the peanuts, tofu and eggs. Photo and recipe: Olena Osipov \/ iFood Real<\/em><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>9 Next-Level Lunch Boxes That Make Meal Prep Easy<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Quick<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0Cayenne Chocolate Chili<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Chocolate lovers will appreciate the robust Southwestern flair of this chili dish<\/a>. You\u2019ll feel like you\u2019re having a bowl of Mexican hot cocoa for lunch. This recipe calls for using a bit of dark chocolate bark with cayenne pepper to prepare the spicy broth. Its earthy and subtle sweetness enhances the chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika. Photo and recipe: Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox \/ May I Have That Recipe<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Quick<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0Chickpea Caesar Collard Wrap<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vegetarian Caesar dressing is a major game changer. This version subs in capers for anchovies to provide the same salty flavor. Greek yogurt ups the protein content and cuts the fat, but freshly grated Parmesan is still in the mix to bring that deliciously cheesy goodness. Collard greens<\/a> offer a healthy alternative to a typical tortilla wrap and are an excellent source of vitamin K, which is great for bone health. Photo and recipe: Sarah Rae Vargas \/ Girl Adulting<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meal prepping healthy lunches feels like a chore, but these delicious lunch ideas only take 20 minutes to cook and will help you power through your day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":56316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,424,9],"tags":[204,151,317,292,71,85,248,158,341,388],"class_list":["post-56291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy","category-lunch","category-recipes","tag-cooking","tag-lunch","tag-meal-planning","tag-meal-prep","tag-nutrition","tag-salad","tag-sandwich","tag-soup","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56291\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}