Credit: Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Sammy Mila, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.
This month, make lunch easy with these recipes. With five ingredients or less(excluding staples like salt, pepper and oil), these lunches are simple to make and are flavorful, healthy choices for a midday meal. Recipes like our Cheese Dreams with Tomatoes and our 5-Ingredient Peanutty Soba Noodles are satisfying options you’ll look forward to all month long.
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Cheese Dreams with Tomatoes
Credit: Abbey Littlejohn
Cheese Dreams are nostalgic open-faced cheesy toasts—simple, satisfying and perfect for lunch. This version is inspired by a family favorite: juicy tomato slices layered under melted Cheddar cheese on crisp whole-wheat toast. Toasting the bread first keeps it from getting soggy under the tomatoes. Watch out: The scalding cheese-and-tomato can burn the roof of your mouth if you’re not careful. I like to eat mine with a fork and knife to cool off each bite, but feel free to eat these however you choose.
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5-Ingredient Avocado & Chickpea Salad
Credit: Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Sammy Mila, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.
This avocado-and-chickpea salad is a fresh, flavorful dish that comes together in minutes. Made with just five ingredients, it’s as simple as it is satisfying. Creamy avocado pairs perfectly with hearty chickpeas for a filling, plant-based meal. With no cooking required and minimal prep, it’s a perfect quick lunch or dinner.
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5-Ingredient Peanutty Soba Noodles
Credit: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Nutty soba noodles team up with peanut butter in this easy vegetarian pasta dish. Chile-garlic sauce adds nice heat, while lime juice and zest brighten the flavor. Enjoy this quick dish warm, or serve it chilled for an easy lunch. We like the firm texture and flavor of soba noodles, but regular whole-wheat pasta will work well too. For a boost of protein, serve with shredded chicken or shrimp or tofu.
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Chicken & Cabbage Bowls with Sesame Dressing
Credit: Photographer: Rachel Marek, Prop stylist: Holly Dreesman, Food stylist: Gabriel Greco
Four convenience products are all you need to prepare these tasty bowls. A bag of shredded coleslaw serves as the base, topped with seasoned chicken strips, crunchy flavored almonds and a drizzle of sesame dressing. Leftover chicken can easily stand in for the chicken strips. Traditional cabbage coleslaw works well, as does broccoli slaw for a slightly different look and flavor.
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05 of 30
3-Ingredient Cucumber Boursin Wrap
Credit: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
An easy lunch is only three ingredients away with this cucumber Boursin wrap. Boursin spreadable cheese is flavorful and functional, as it holds the chopped cucumber in place as you roll up the wrap. You can slice and enjoy this easy sandwich right away, or pack it up for lunch. If you are saving it for later, pat the chopped cucumber with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
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06 of 30
Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing
Credit: Ali Redmond
Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one!
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3-Ingredient White Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad
Credit: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
This three-ingredient lunch takes a packaged salad kit to the next level with the addition of two pantry staples: cherry tomatoes and white beans. The Mediterranean flavor profile works well here, but another mix would be just as simple and satisfying.
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3-Ingredient Farro Bowl with Rotisserie Chicken
Credit: Carolyn Hodges
To make this hearty grain bowl, grab a salad kit from the grocery store. Then, top the kit with farro and chicken for a high-protein lunch or dinner that’s ready in minutes.
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3-Ingredient Salmon & Veggie Sandwich
Credit: Photographer: Carson Downing, Food stylist: Annie Probst, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek
This 3-ingredient salmon sandwich recipe is a great way to use up leftover cooked veggies and salmon (you can also use canned salmon). Pulling out the insides of the bread makes a nice pocket for the filling. Use those bread pieces to make breadcrumbs or croutons.
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Goat Cheese–Tomato Toast
Credit: Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek
Whip up this goat cheese–tomato toast to enjoy the fresh flavors of summer any time of the year. This sweet-and-savory combo makes a perfect breakfast, lunch or snack. For an extra burst of flavor, drizzle with balsamic glaze or sprinkle with crushed red pepper for a little heat. You could also drizzle with a bit of honey and sprinkle with some fresh herbs like basil or mint.
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The #1 Anti-Inflammatory Salad You Should Be Making
Credit: Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
This easy kale salad draws flavor inspiration from the classic Italian pasta dish cacio e pepe, which translates to “cheese and pepper.” The signature flavors of sharp Pecorino Romano cheese and freshly ground black pepper transform kale into a delicious, anti-inflammatory side salad.
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3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad
Credit: Carolyn Hodges
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 with whole-grain crackers.
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5-Ingredient Brie and Blackberry Jam Grilled Cheese
Credit: Photography: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
This irresistible sandwich pairs creamy Brie cheese with a sweet-and-savory blackberry jam spread for the perfect ultra-quick lunch or dinner option. You can easily double the recipe using a medium pan, or use a sandwich press if you have one on hand.
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Mascarpone & Berries Toast
Creamy mascarpone is delightful when topped with mixed berries and mint for this bright-tasting, easy and healthy breakfast toast.
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Cucumber & Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Wrap
Credit: Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Skyler Myers, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
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.
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English Muffin Pizza with Tomato & Olives
Credit: Ted & Chelsea Cavanaugh
This pizza-inspired English muffin topped with tomato, cheese, olives and oregano does triple duty—it’s great as a snack or as part of a delicious breakfast or lunch.
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Salsa-Topped Avocado Toast
Credit: Photography: Carson Downing, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabe Greco
Spin leftovers from taco night into this easy salsa-topped avocado toast for a quick snack, or use it as a jumping-off point for breakfast by adding an egg on top. Single-serve packages of mashed avocado or guacamole can stand in for the fresh avocado.
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Spinach & Artichoke Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette
Credit: Ali Redmond
Inspired by the classic warm party dip, this simple salad can be served up right away or divided into small lidded containers for a week of delicious lunches. To keep the hard-boiled eggs tasting fresh, we suggest adding them to your salad just before serving or in the morning before packing your lunch to go.
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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 reduce 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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3-Ingredient Brie & Jam Wrap
Credit: Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Grab your favorite-flavor jam and pair it with melted Brie cheese on a whole-wheat tortilla for a sweet and savory lunch. Reheating the wrap once it’s fully assembled can get messy, so we recommend enjoying it cold if you’re taking it on the go.
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Creamy Tomato Soup
Credit: Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
This easy soup recipe is made with just three ingredients—perfect for a quick afternoon snack or a healthy lunch. Plus, this soup has over 20% of the daily value of vitamins A and C, two nutrients that are needed for the immune system to function properly. This recipe makes one serving but you can easily make as many as you’d like to pack and take with you for a hassle-free lunch on the go.
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Apple & Peanut Butter Toast
A pinch of ground cardamom punches up the flavor in this classic combo of apples and peanut butter on toast.
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Chicken, Quinoa & Veggie Bowl
Credit: Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.
With a whopping 19 grams of protein, this one-dish meal will keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours.
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Roasted Veggie Mason Jar Salad
This vegan mason jar salad is easy to pack up and take for lunch. Layering the creamy cashew sauce into the bottom of the jar ensures that your big, bold power salad won’t become wilted by the time you’re ready to eat.
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Southwest Black-Bean Pasta Salad Bowls
Meal-prep a week’s worth of delicious and satisfying high-fiber lunches with just 5 simple ingredients and 20 minutes. In this Southwestern-style pasta salad, we’re using pasta made with black beans to bump up the fiber to an impressive 14 grams per serving. Paired with seasoned chicken strips and a flavorful corn salad—shortcut ingredients you can often find at your local specialty grocery store—this meal-prep lunch is one you’ll get excited for.
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Everything Bagel Avocado Toast
Get all the flavor of an everything bagel married with the creaminess of avocado toast in one healthy breakfast. Just toast, top, sprinkle and go for this quick morning meal when you need to get out the door fast. Want to take it up a notch? Top with a poached or fried egg.
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Couscous & Chickpea Salad
Cooked couscous and canned chickpeas come together in this quick lunch salad. The basil vinaigrette makes it taste anything but basic! When in season, we recommend adding fresh chopped tomatoes for a spin on tabbouleh.
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Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich
Credit: Photographer: Stacy K. Allen, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser
In this healthy chicken sandwich recipe, the avocado is mashed to create a healthy creamy spread.
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Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna
This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber. Tossing the kale with dressing and then letting it stand in the jar softens it enough that you don’t need to massage or cook it to make it tender.
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Berry–Green Tea Smoothie
Credit: Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
This berry-green tea smoothie recipe is a refreshing, nutrient-packed beverage with plenty of anti-inflammatory benefits. It combines antioxidant-rich berries, green tea and omega-3-rich chia seeds with the natural sweetness of dates, blending into a delicious, healthy drink. It’s perfect for starting your day or as a post-workout recovery drink. Your favorite berry or a blend of berries will work well here.
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