21 Easy Lunch Recipes to Make at Home in 20 Minutes or Less (2024)

Make lunch easily with these quick and delicious recipes. These lunches come together in 20 minutes or less and will keep you energized for the rest of the day. Recipes like Rainbow Veggie Wraps and Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing are nutritious, light and perfect for your lunch break.

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Corned Beet Reuben Sandwich

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Tossing beets with coriander, mustard seeds, cinnamon and allspice gives them savory corned-beef flavor. With this vegetarian Reuben sandwich, you won't miss the meat. Source: EatingWell Magazine, November 2019

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Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad Bowls

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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. The great news is that these easy meal-prep lunches take just 20 minutes to prepare--that's 4 days of lunches in less than 30 minutes. Source: EatingWell.com, June 2019

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White Bean & Avocado Sandwich

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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. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2019

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Turkey & Cheddar Lettuce Wraps

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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. Source: EatingWell.com, December 2019

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Avocado Egg Salad

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This quick recipe takes classic egg salad to the next level with the addition of creamy avocado. Serve it on a piece of toasted whole-grain bread or inside a tender lettuce leaf. Avocados brown quickly, so plan on making it no more than two hours before you plan to serve it. Source: EatingWell.com, January 2020

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Goat Cheese & Fresh Herb Omelet

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The secret to this easy omelet recipe is choosing a really great goat cheese. Luckily most supermarkets have great chevre--Vermont Creamery and Laura Chenel are straightforward varieties you're likely to find. If you've got access to funky local options, bust them out for this quick breakfast recipe. Aside from the goat cheese, eggs and herbs, you need just a few pantry ingredients and 20 minutes for one of the best omelets you can make. Source: EatingWell Magazine, April 2019

Pickle Sub Sandwiches with Turkey & Cheddar

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21 Easy Lunch Recipes to Make at Home in 20 Minutes or Less (7)

Cut down on carbs by swapping out the bread for slices of pickle to make these fun turkey and Cheddar sandwiches. Roma tomatoes are the perfect oblong shape for these mini sandwiches but feel free to use regular tomatoes--simply cut the slices in half so they fit nicely on the pickle sandwich. These sandwiches are an easy lunch, but they're also great on a party tray for a casual get-together. Source: EatingWell.com, October 2019

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Spinach, Apple & Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing & Cheese Crisps

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Swap out store-bought for this tangy homemade buttermilk and poppy seed dressing to take this healthy salad recipe to the next level. For an even more impressive meal, make your own crunchy cheese crisps in a snap, using phyllo dough, for a delicious accompaniment to this dinner salad. Make extra dressing to keep on hand for other salads throughout the week. Source: EatingWell Magazine, April 2019

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Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes

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21 Easy Lunch Recipes to Make at Home in 20 Minutes or Less (9)

This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2019

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Caprese Avocado Toast

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21 Easy Lunch Recipes to Make at Home in 20 Minutes or Less (10)

Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil--the building blocks of caprese salad--lend a creative twist to a standard avocado toast recipe. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Winter 2020

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Green Goddess Quinoa Bowls with Arugula & Shrimp

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We're taking advantage of all the healthy items you can find at your local specialty grocery store to create these healthy meal-prep lunches. 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 lunch bowls in under 20 minutes. Source: EatingWell.com, September 2019

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Chicken Caesar Lettuce Cups

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Upgrade your work lunch with these tasty Caesar salad lettuce cups. This Caesar salad recipe gets a healthy makeover, thanks to homemade dressing made with Greek yogurt. Source: 400 Calorie Recipes

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Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowls

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With a handful of shortcut ingredients from your local specialty grocery store, you can prepare an entire week's worth of high-fiber meals in about 15 minutes. Look for precooked wild rice packets to cut down on prep time. Plus, wild rice is a good source of fiber and each pouch of cooked rice heats in 3 minutes. Topping these bowls with prebaked tofu also cuts down on the time it takes to make this quick meal-prep lunch. Source: EatingWell.com, December 2019

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Turkey-Apple-Brie Sandwiches

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Hollowed-out baguettes hold a satisfying combo of tart apples, creamy Brie and protein-rich, shredded turkey. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Fall 2018

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Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

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Homemade poppy seed dressing pairs beautifully with tender spinach, crunchy almonds and juicy berries for a fantastically refreshing and easy spring salad. To make ahead, whisk dressing, combine salad ingredients and store separately. Toss the salad with the dressing just before serving. To make it a complete meal, top with grilled chicken or shrimp. Source: EatingWell.com, February 2019

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Rainbow Veggie Wraps

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There's definitely a sushi vibe to these kid-friendly wraps, which are stuffed with vegetables, cheese and hummus and then rolled and sliced. Serve them with store-bought green goddess, a creamy herb-filled dressing, to take it up a notch with ease. They look impressive but they're easy enough for kids to assemble themselves for an easy lunch or dinner. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May 2019

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Zucchini Noodle "Pasta" Salad

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This healthy zucchini noodle salad has all the flavors you love in a classic Mediterranean pasta salad but we've swapped in zoodles for wheat pasta, which makes the salad lighter, lower in carbs and gluten-free. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish for a light and healthy summer dinner. Source: EatingWell.com, April 2019

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Beefless Vegan Tacos

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Take taco night in a new direction with these healthy vegan tacos. We've swapped crumbled tofu for the ground beef, without sacrificing any of the savory seasonings you expect in a taco. You can also use the filling in burritos, bowls, taco salads and to top nachos. Source: EatingWell.com, March 2019

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Chopped Salad with Chicken & Avocado-Buttermilk Dressing

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This herb-loaded green goddess-inspired dressing gets a color boost from creamy avocado. Make a double batch of this healthy salad dressing to keep on hand for salads throughout the week. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March 2020

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Thai-Style Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu

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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. Source: EatingWell.com, September 2019

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Fish Taco Wraps

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These quick-and-easy fish tacos are full of chili-crusted halibut, crunchy cabbage and fruity salsa. Using prepared salsa and coleslaw mix means this recipe is on the table in just 20 minutes. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine