Hands up if the thought of lunch is sometimes the only thing that gets you through a working day.
When you have a day full of meetings and an overflowing inbox, it’s important to have something to look forward to, right? Leave behind limp sandwiches and ditch that dry chicken with plain boiled rice — you deserve so much more than that.
With this incredible list of all our favourite healthy lunch recipes, you’ll never have to worry about coming up with something new and exciting to keep you full and feeling good. Just try some of these simple ideas and you’ll be winning at life, we promise.
Whether you’re looking for a way to raise your salad game, need a quick plant-based bite, or want a batch-cooking solution to get you sorted for the whole week — we’ve got just the thing. Get your meal prep containers at the ready and get cooking.
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Pasta recipes
If it was down to me, I'd have pasta for lunch and dinner, day in, day out. So if you're anything like me, tuck into the following pasta recipes.
1. Creamy sausage pasta
Made with quark instead of cream cheese or double cream, this pasta dish doesn’t come with the calories or fat content that you might expect. It’s so good that you’ll certainly be considering seconds.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 415 | 34g | 48g | 5.8g
2. Buffalo chicken pasta salad
Another spicy little number for your chicken meal prep — this pasta salad is loaded with flavour and packed with protein.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 485 | 49g | 30g | 20g
3. Tuna pasta salad
Boil some pasta, and chuck in some tuna, enjoy. Alright, it’s not quite that simple, after all, flavour requires a bit of effort, but not much.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 415 | 26g | 40g | 20g
4. Chicken Caesar pasta salad
No complicated steps, no obscure ingredients, no wasted time, just flavour and macros wrapped up in an absolutely banging midday treat.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 557 | 41g | 65g | 15g
Rice recipes
It's a gym-goers staple, after all, what's chicken and rice without the rice? But there's plenty more options than just that...
5. One-pot lentil dahl
This easy plant-based dish is absolutely spot on for a rich, warming lunch that will keep you full and satisfied all day through.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 191 | 8.5g | 14.3g | 9g
6. Easy chicken satay
When peanut butter is involved in a recipe, you know it’s going to be good.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 382 | 41.7g | 12.9g | 18.3g
7. Sweet chilli glazed salmon
Salmon is one of the best sources of mood-boosting, heart-healthy omega-3s, plus it has a high protein content, too. Double win.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 483 | 29g | 54g | 16g
8. Air fryer chicken skewers
Easy, quick and an absolute winner on a bed of rice
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 356 | 35g | 47g | 4g
9. Sticky teriyaki chicken rice bowl
Plain old chicken and rice is a thing of the past — bland, dry and boring. Sticky teriyaki chicken is where it’s at now.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 472 | 41g | 47g | 13g
10. Naked chicken burrito bowl
All the usual goodness of a chicken burrito, just without the wrap. A good alternative to switch things up slightly. I like to serve mine with a couple of tortilla chips on the side for an added crunch. Chef’s kiss.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 378 | 30g | 35g | 8g
11. Barbecue chicken & rice
Yet another take on chicken and rice, but this time with a smoky barbeque flavour. It’s simple, quick, and it won't break the bank — what’s not to love?
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 511 | 41g | 57g | 6g
12. Salmon poke bowl
A slightly fancier lunch option for when ham and cheese sandwiches aren’t quite cutting it anymore. It’s the perfect Friday lunchtime treat.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 552 | 24g | 70g | 19g
Wraps and sandwich recipes
On the days where facing the office microwaves is too much, sandwiches and wraps are the next safest bet. And believe me, we're not offering up any old ham and cheese sarnie. No, no, we can do better than that.
13. One-tray roasted halloumi wraps
Anything with halloumi involved and we’re down. These one-tray wraps are a delicious way to get in some healthy veggies too.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 467 | 21g | 35g | 25g
14. Mushroom fajitas
Whether you’re following a vegan diet or you’re just trying to cut back on your meat intake, these Portobello mushroom fajitas are a must.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 439 | 12g | 35g | 15g
15. Spicy Korean beef wraps
This spicy Korean beef wrap ticks all of the meal prep boxes. High in protein, super tasty, and oozing food envy (apologies in advance to all of your colleagues).
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 750 | 70g | 105g | 30g
16. Vegan “meatball” sub
Rich, ‘meaty’ and filling, it’s the perfect combination of carbs and protein. Plus, it’s loaded with tonnes of marinara sauce, it might be messy, but it’s so worth it.
Vegan “Meatball” Sub
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 498 | 29g | 65g | 11g
17. Egg-stuffed tortilla wrap
Ready in just 10 minutes, this egg-stuffed tortilla is the ideal lunch for when you need to squeeze in some goodness in between meetings. It's got protein, carbs and healthy fats, plus you can jazz it up with whatever you’ve got in the fridge.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 667 | 50g | 41g | 34g
18. Protein-packed sandwiches 2 ways
Sandwiches, when done right, are a top-tier lunch. And don’t worry, we’ve got them down. Zero cooking, no time wasted waiting for the dreaded office microwave, and full to the brim with a delicious filling.
Creamy tomato chicken
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 336 | 29.6g | 32.6g | 9.3g
Classic chicken salad
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 231 | 30.5g | 24g | 2g
19. Sweet chilli chicken wrap
It’s the wrap of the day, sweet chilli chicken. High protein, low-calorie and the sort of lunch you can’t stop thinking about.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 372 | 32g | 49g | 5g
20. Air-fryer chicken sandwich
And now we have it, the sandwich of all sandwiches. Mild or fiery, however you like it, this one is bound to hit the spot.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 400 | 46g | 36g | 7g
Salad recipes
Salad is a staple lunch. I'm not talking some sad leaves with a bland sauce, I'm thinking protein, veggies, plenty of sauce — the sort of salad that fills you up for the rest of the afternoon.
21. Chipotle chicken salad
Spice up your salad with an iconic Mexican flavour — chipotle has a smoky, spicy taste that is absolutely made for chicken.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 509 | 48g | 33g | 21g
22. Chicken protein bowl
Loaded full of veggies and protein, this bowl makes you feel good from the inside out. And it requires next to no prep, once your chicken is cooked you just need to get chopping.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 620 | 55g | 87g | 10g
23. Cold peanut noodle salad
Looking for a low-calorie lunch option that’s big on flavour Look no further. This cold peanut noodle salad ticks all of those boxes and more.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 176 | 10g | 25g | 2g
Couscous recipes
While often overlooked, couscous is an excellent shout for your lunchtime carb. It goes with plenty of different things, it's filling, and it's surprisingly high in protein.
24. Spicy chicken with couscous
Give that chicken meal prep a makeover with this easy homemade marinade and switch out the plain rice for some stock-infused cous cous. You’ll never look back.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 284 | 50g | 22g | 3g
25. Harissa chicken and Moroccan couscous
Spicy and succulent chicken paired with fresh veg and a good serving of cous cous. Now that’s a healthy balanced lunch.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 579 | 29g | 30g | 21g
Other recipes
If none of the above tickle your fancy, fear not, we're not done yet. I'd actually argue that we've saved some of the best for last... but you can be the judge of that.
26. Crispy teriyaki tofu & noodles
If you don’t like tofu, you’ve probably just not cooked it right yet. With this simple recipe, you’ll be nailing it in no time though, don’t worry.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 497 | 19.2g | 60g | 18g
27. Nourishing gut health soup
Tasty, satisfying and good for your gut. Plus it’s a real comfort meal — perfect for those winter days, or those summer days when it feels like winter...
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 318 | 16g | 55g | 2g
28. Easy pesto chicken & veg
It turns out pesto isn’t just for pasta, it actually makes a great sauce for chicken and veg. Served up on a fluffy bed of quinoa, it’s a simple lunch that hits the spot.
Nutritional info per serving:
- Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat
- 523 | 52g | 36g | 16g
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After finishing an internship with Myprotein, Emily returned to university to finish her degree in Business Management and Marketing, before coming back to work full-time with the team. Emily specialises in high-protein recipes, inspiring real-life stories and accessible health and fitness advice, and her work has been featured in The Supplement Magazine. When she’s not in the kitchen baking or cooking, she’s out exploring Manchester’s best food spots, or working up an appetite at the gym.
