Quickly throw together a delicious and healthy lunch with these easy, no-cook recipes which can be assembled in just 15 minutes or less. Whether it’s a salad or sandwich, these lunches will keep you full throughout the day. Recipes like our High-Protein Mason Jar Salad and our Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato & Cucumber Sandwich are nutritious, flavorful and fast.
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Avocado Tuna Salad Sandwich
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
This sandwich takes classic tuna salad and adds a creamy twist with ripe avocado for a fresh, buttery flavor and texture. It’s the ideal upgrade to your usual tuna salad, and it’s sure to become your new favorite lunchtime sandwich for work or home.
High-Protein Mason Jar Salad
Ali Redmond
Mason jar salads make for a convenient lunch that can easily be taken on the go or enjoyed at home. With just a few ingredients, you have a well-rounded lunch packed with fiber, protein and micronutrients that won’t spike your blood sugars. This nutritious Mason jar salad allows plenty of room for customization based on your taste preferences.
Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato & Cucumber Sandwich
Photographer: Stacy k. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Lauren Odum
This protein-packed hummus sandwich features a topping of crisp veggies, feta cheese and sweet, tangy sun-dried tomatoes. Sun-dried tomatoes in oil have a soft texture perfect for sandwiches. You can use dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes in their place, but you may have to rehydrate them in water to soften them before using.
Lemon-Dill Tuna Salad
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower
This lemon-dill tuna salad packs plenty of protein and gets a boost of flavor from sumac—a spice used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and North African cooking that adds a citrusy touch, enhancing the lemon flavor without overshadowing the other ingredients. Serve this between two pieces of whole-wheat bread as a sandwich or by itself with tender Bibb lettuce or crunchy celery sticks.
Buffalo Chickpea Salad
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly
We took all the flavors you know and love from Buffalo wings and used them in this plant-based chickpea salad. Celery adds a satisfying crunch, while blue cheese provides a cooling element to balance the spicy sauce. Serve on top of leafy greens or use as a sandwich filling.
Tomato & Burrata Sandwich
This easy sandwich is a harmony of flavors that you can toss together for a quick lunch or dinner. Fresh heirloom tomato pairs well with the slightly salty, creamy burrata and tangy balsamic vinegar.
Cucumber & Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Wrap
This easy vegetarian wrap makes a great grab-and-go lunch for work or school. Roasted red pepper hummus adds color and a little extra flavor, but any flavor hummus will work well here. Cucumber, sprouts, salad greens or spinach all add a refreshing crunch. For a peppery kick, try using arugula.
High-Protein Tuna & Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
This zesty tuna sandwich gets an extra boost of protein from chickpeas. Smashing some of the chickpeas into the tuna enhances the texture and helps hold the filling together. The combo of garlic and Sriracha adds a delightful kick, but feel free to opt for an alternative hot sauce of your preference or skip it altogether for a milder flavor.
White Bean & Spinach Caprese Salad
This easy salad features the classic combination of juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, fragrant basil and tangy balsamic vinegar, but adds tender white beans and fresh baby spinach to the mix.
Cucumber Sandwich with Cotija & Lime
This easy vegetarian cucumber sandwich draws flavor inspiration from elote, the Mexican street corn dish. Instead of corn, we flavor cucumber slices with cotija cheese, lime and cilantro for a tasty filling.
Chopped Veggie Grain Bowls with Turmeric Dressing
In about 10 minutes, you can prep a week’s worth of lunches using 4 simple store-bought ingredients from your local specialty grocery store. These crunchy chopped salad bowls are high in fiber but lower in calories, making them perfect for those following a reduced-calorie diet.
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 use Greek-style yogurt to turn it into a salmon salad that we use to fill avocados. It’s an easy no-cook meal.
Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Annie Probst
This cucumber chickpea salad with feta and lemon is tangy and refreshing. You can enjoy it on its own or toss it with greens for an easy lunch or dinner.
Pasta Salad with Vinaigrette Lunchbox
Pasta salad is a great take-along lunch with tons of opportunity to make it your own. Want to make it vegetarian? Pack olives in place of salami. Don’t love peppers? Try tomatoes instead! Be sure that you pack at least one container big enough to hold everything together once it’s mixed (about 1 1/2 cups).
Salmon Salad–Stuffed Avocado
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Addelyn Evans
Good-quality canned salmon is high in protein and brain-loving omega-3 fatty acids. Mix it with pesto-spiked yogurt and pile it old-school style into a halved avocado for a quick healthy lunch.
Mashed Chickpea Salad with Dill & Capers
This creamy yet light vegan salad is full of bright, herby goodness. On its own, it’s great to serve alongside a sandwich or veggie burger in place of potato salad or coleslaw. You can also make it into a light lunch by adding a handful of arugula to enjoy it as a green salad. Double the recipe and refrigerate to have on hand throughout the week.
Avocado Toast with Burrata
Burrata (cream-filled fresh mozzarella cheese) brings this avocado toast recipe to the next level for a weekday-friendly lunch that takes just a few minutes to prepare.
Green Goddess Tuna Salad
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
Canned tuna makes this recipe convenient and pantry-friendly. Use the remaining herb sauce as a dressing for salads or grain bowls, as a spread on sandwiches or as a dip for vegetables. Serve on bread or in a wrap, over a bed of greens or scooped up with your favorite chips, crackers or cucumber slices.
3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad
We put a flavor twist on the classic chicken salad by using a lemon-herb mayonnaise. Try other mayo varieties, like roasted garlic or chipotle lime, in this fast, no-cook lunch recipe. Serve this rotisserie chicken salad recipe with whole-grain crackers.
