21 Healthy Lunch Recipes | Mix Up Your Meal Prep
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 Zoom meetings, an overflowing inbox, and very little sunlight, 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.
1. Spicy Chicken With Cous Cous
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.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 284 | 50g | 22.2g | 3.7g |
2. Seared Tuna & Sweet Potato Meal Prep
Mix up your meat choices – a juicy tuna steak will provide an impressive 33g of protein and is packed with plenty of omega-3 fatty acids which are important for heart health.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 342 | 38.2g | 33g | 7.6g |
3. 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.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 191 | 8.5g | 14.3g | 9g |
4. 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.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 436 | 39g | 35g | 21g |
5. Easy Chicken Satay Meal Prep
When peanut butter is involved in a recipe, you know it’s going to be good.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 382 | 41.7g | 12.9g | 18.3g |
6. 30-Minute Chicken Tikka Masala
Rich, creamy, and ready in just half an hour – this ticks all the boxes for easy meal prep that you can fall back on time and time again.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 291 | 41g | 11.5g | 10.9g |
7. One-Tray Pesto 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.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 496 | 40.5g | 16.6g | 29.3g |
8. 15-Minute Fiery Five Bean Chilli
Need a little heat to kick-start your afternoon? This delicious plant-based chilli is perfect for a tasty protein-packed lunch.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 499 | 21g | 86g | 7g |
9. Ultimate 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.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 439 | 12g | 35g | 15g |
10. Baked Sweet Potato & Feta Tacos
Loaded with crumbled feta, tangy salsa, and chilli-lime soured cream, these soft-shell tacos are a flavour explosion waiting to happen.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 198 | 5.4g | 28.9g | 7.6g |
11. Chimichurri Steak Flatbreads
Feeling a little bit extra on a Friday? Why not treat yourself to these sizzling steak flatbreads and enjoy a bit of escapism to South America.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 481 | 14g | 49.7g | 24.6g |
12. Stuffed Peppers With Beef Mince & Bulgur Wheat
These stuffed peppers come with a healthy portion of low GI carbs to keep you fuelled and firing on all cylinders, as well as a hefty hit of protein to support your training goals.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 464 | 39.6g | 30.6g | 17.4g |
13. Chicken Tikka Naan Rolls
Made with juicy chicken pieces, fresh Greek yoghurt, and plenty of crunchy red onion, these naan rolls taste like an indulgent takeaway treat — just without the calorie hit.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 306 | 22.4g | 35.6g | 7.4g |
14. Chipotle Chicken Salad
Spice up your salad with an iconic Mexican flavour — chipotle has a smoky, spicy taste that is absolutely made for chicken.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 509 | 48g | 33g | 21g |
15. Lean, 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.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 415 | 34g | 48g | 5.8g |
16. Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Another spicy little number for your chicken meal prep — this pasta salad is loaded with flavour and packed with protein.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 485 | 49g | 30g | 20g |
17. Quinoa & Feta Salad
We’re passionate about salads that actually taste good. Forget soggy leaves and try this crispy, crunchy bowl of goodness instead. Cheese makes everything better.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 450 | 13g | 44g | 25.8g |
18. Grilled Peach Salad
Into your sweet and savoury flavour combos? Us too. This grilled peach salad is bursting with rich, fresh flavours to tantalise your taste buds.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 467 | 10.9g | 52.6g | 26g |
19. Vermicelli Prawn Salad
No lie, this Asian-style salad is the absolute bomb. Packed with crunchy veg, chilli-garlic prawns, and a zingy soy dressing, you need this in your life.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 319 | 24.2g | 30g | 11.5g |
20. Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Taking it back to basics, these stuffed sweet potatoes are great for a simple, wholesome lunch that you can rely on to hit the spot.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat | |
| Guacamole | 254 | 4.4g | 37g | 11g |
| Tuna Mayo | 349 | 34.1g | 31g | 16.3g |
| Fajita Chicken | 322 | 35.7g | 37.9g | 6g |
21. Crispy Teriyaki Tofu & Rice
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.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| 497 | 19.2g | 60g | 18g |
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Lauren is an English Literature graduate originally from the South. She’s always loved swimming, has discovered the power of weight training over the past few years, and has lots of room for improvement in her weekly hot yoga class.
On the weekends she’s usually cooking or eating some kind of brunch, and she enjoys trying out new recipes with her housemates – especially since shaking off student habits, like mainly surviving off pasta. Above all, she’s a firm believer in keeping a balance between the gym and gin.
Find out more about Lauren’s experience here.
