Healthy Living

16 Low-Carb, High-Protein Lunch Recipes to Make Ahead

Reviewed by Dietitian Sarah Pflugradt, Ph.D., RDN, CSCS
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

For busy weekdays, preparing meals ahead of time can really make life easier. These lunch recipes are high in protein and lower in carbs to keep you fueled until dinner time. Plus, they’re perfect for making ahead of time, so you’ll have one less thing to worry about during busier weeks. Options like our Everything Bagel Tuna Salad and our Crustless Spinach & Asparagus Quiche with Gruyère will make it easy and delicious to have healthy meals for lunch.

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Everything Bagel Tuna Salad

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

The classic lunchtime favorite gets a flavorful upgrade. A mix of mayonnaise and strained (Greek-style) yogurt keeps it creamy, while Dijon mustard and lemon juice add brightness. Capers and everything bagel seasoning bring a salty, savory punch that pairs perfectly with flaky tuna. Enjoy it on toast, piled onto greens or tucked into a sandwich for an easy, protein-packed meal.

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Crustless Spinach & Asparagus Quiche with Gruyère

Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Styling / Emily Nabors Hall / ulia Bayless
Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Styling / Emily Nabors Hall / ulia Bayless

This light but filling crustless spinach-and-asparagus quiche features plenty of spring vegetables baked with richly flavored Gruyère cheese.

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Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps

Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley

Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley

These tuna salad lettuce wraps are a fun, anti-inflammatory-friendly lunch idea. Tuna provides protein and omega-3 fatty acids, while the addition of strained (Greek-style) yogurt in the dressing helps amp up the protein. These wraps are packed with chopped apple, onion and celery to provide a welcome crunch.

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Chicken Salad–Stuffed Avocados

This healthy homemade chicken salad served inside an avocado instead of bread makes enough for easy lunches throughout the week!

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Ham & Spinach Quiche

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser

This quiche skips the crust, making it incredibly easy to pull together even on short notice. Swap out the Cheddar cheese for Gruyère or use Swiss chard in place of the spinach for a slightly different spin.

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Lemon-Dill Tuna Salad

Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower

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.

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Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ali Ramee / Christine Keely
Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ali Ramee / Christine Keely

This recipe produces a large batch of sweet-and-spicy ground chicken studded with crunchy cashews and celery—making it great for easy weeknight entertaining or meal prepping.

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Crustless Caprese Quiche

Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell

Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell

This light and fluffy crustless quiche is dotted with tomatoes, little bites of melty mozzarella and savory pesto. And the best part—it’s mixed, assembled and baked in a pie plate for easy cleanup.

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Spinach & Artichoke Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette

Ali Redmond

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.

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Spinach & Mushroom Quiche

Photographer: Jen Causey

Photographer: Jen Causey

This vegetarian quiche is as simple as it gets, filled with sweet wild mushrooms and savory Gruyère cheese. Enjoy it for breakfast or brunch, or serve it with a light salad for lunch.

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Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad

Avocado makes an exceptionally creamy and healthful dressing for this chicken salad. A bit of ranch dressing with pickled jalapeño adds a tangy spin to the lunchtime classic. Serve it on a slice of whole-wheat toast for an open-face sandwich or in a lettuce cup for a low-carb lunch.

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Chicken Curry Cup of Noodles

This cup soup is packed with flavor, thanks to a spoonful of Thai red curry paste. Zucchini noodles have a tender versatile flavor that makes them not only versatile in soup recipes but also add in some veggies.

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Cauliflower Rice Bowls with Grilled Asparagus & Chicken Sausage

Here, we’ve swapped in riced cauliflower for regular rice and added pre-grilled asparagus, which bulks up these bowls and adds fiber. At lunchtime, just reheat to steaming, then top with a bit of pesto.

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Low-Carb Chicken & Cheddar Lettuce Wraps

Jennifer Causey
Jennifer Causey

This fresh, crunchy wrap sandwich is brimming with vegetables, yet still delivers a satisfying amount of protein thanks to the chicken and cheese. Crisp iceberg lettuce is what keeps this wrap sandwich ultra low in carbs (just 4 grams per serving).

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Chicken & Cabbage Salad Bowls with Sesame Dressing

A bag of pre-chopped red and green cabbage serves as the crunchy low-carb base in these chicken salad bowls, which only require 10 minutes to assemble. Top with sesame-flavored almonds and a sesame dressing and you have one irresistible lunch you’ll look forward to all week.

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Roasted Tomato & Asparagus Crustless Quiche

This crustless quiche is loaded with tender roasted tomatoes and tender asparagus. Perfect for making ahead, it makes a delicious lunch for busy days.

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Chicken Shawarma Bowls Are Full of Fiber & Protein for a Satisfying Dinner

These flavor-packed chicken shawarma bowls layer quick-cooking bulgur, spiced chicken, a crisp cucumber-tomato salad and a creamy beet tzatziki for a dinner that’s as colorful as it is satisfying. Bold spices like cumin and coriander and fresh herbs make every bite pop.

Our 15 Best Brussels Sprouts Recipes for the Perfect Dinner Side Dish

Photography / Brie Passano, Styling / Sammy Mila / Holly Raibikis
Photography / Brie Passano, Styling / Sammy Mila / Holly Raibikis

You won’t be able to keep your hands off of these Brussels sprouts! From crispy and roasted to tangy and glazed, the slightly earthy cruciferous vegetable becomes delicious, savory side dishes with these highly-viewed recipes. Try our Honey-Chile Glazed Baked Brussels Sprouts and Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic & Parmesan for a side that never fails to impress.

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Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Onions

Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser
Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser

Fresh herbs, onion and sautéed bacon flavor this easy Brussels sprouts recipe. This savory dish is delicious in the fall and winter months when Brussels sprouts are in season.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Potatoes

Victor Protasio

Victor Protasio

Roasted Brussels sprouts and potatoes make a great quick and easy side dish for dinner, or you can turn it into a breakfast hash served with an egg on top.

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Honey-Chile Glazed Baked Brussels Sprouts

We jump-start this baked Brussels sprouts recipe by preheating the baking sheet for quick roasting.

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04 of 15

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese & Pomegranate

This gorgeous warm salad with nutty roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet-tart pomegranate seeds and creamy goat cheese is perfect for any winter meal—from a weeknight dinner to Christmas dinner or any other holiday celebration.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes

It's easy to get creative with these roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. For a quick side dish that complements just about everything, follow the main recipe. If you want to liven things up a little, try one of the variations. Swapping out a few spices and adding fresh stir-ins transforms the flavor of the dish.

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06 of 15

Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic & Parmesan

Photography / Brie Passano, Styling / Sammy Mila / Holly Raibikis
Photography / Brie Passano, Styling / Sammy Mila / Holly Raibikis

Topped with Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar, these flavorful Brussels sprouts will be the star on any table. Smashing the sprouts creates a wide surface area that gets mouthwateringly crispy in the oven.

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07 of 15

Parmesan-Crusted Brussels Sprouts

Stacy k. Allen, Props: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ana Kelley
Stacy k. Allen, Props: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ana Kelley

Parmesan cheese gives Brussels sprouts a savory, crispy crust in this easy side dish that pairs with anything from pan-seared steak to roasted chicken. We recommended freshly grated Parmesan cheese over Parmesan that comes pre-shredded; it's more flavorful and gives the sprouts a nice golden crust. (Like this technique? Try our Parmesan & Herb Crusted Potatoes and Parmesan & Herb Crusted Zucchini.)

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Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Panko

Ali Redmond
Ali Redmond

These roasted Brussels sprouts are finished with a crispy panko topping, and are the perfect veggie side dish for any weeknight meal. Serve alongside roasted chicken, fish or pork.

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Simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts have surged in popularity recently and it's easy to understand why. They're high in nutrients while low in calories and can be prepared quickly in a variety of ways--baked, steamed, and even eaten raw! This simple side dish recipe serves up roasted sprouts seasoned with just a touch of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

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Parmesan-Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

These roasted Brussels sprouts are about to be your new favorite side dish. In addition to getting brown and crispy in the oven, they're topped with Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar for a hit of salty, savory flavor. This makes a great vegetable side to serve with roasted meats.

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Air-Fryer Brussels Sprouts

These super-crispy and browned air-fryer Brussels sprouts with sweet onions and salty bacon--all amped up with bright lemon juice--are sure to be a hit, whether you serve them for a weeknight side dish or as part of your holiday spread for Thanksgiving. This recipe makes enough to serve eight but is easily halved, though once you taste it you may well want a double serving. And if you prefer a vegetarian side, simply omit the bacon.

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Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts

Jacob Fox
Jacob Fox

Brussels sprouts get crispy and flavorful in the oven when they're smashed and seasoned with Parmesan cheese and everything bagel seasoning.

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Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

Will Dickey
Will Dickey

Fresh and tender sautéed Brussels sprouts have crispy leaves and a tender-crisp center. The sweetness from the caramelized shallots provides a great balancing flavor. Enjoy them with lemon, or try one of the variations below to better match your main dish.

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Cheesy Baked Brussels Sprouts

Fred Hardy
Fred Hardy

This creamy, cheesy baked Brussels sprout gratin will convince even the pickiest of eaters to gobble down their veggies. Gruyère cheese adds richness and flavor, while the panko adds a little crunch on top.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Smoky Aioli

The delicious dipping sauce makes this easy Brussels sprouts recipe an irresistible appetizer or side dish. If you want to double the recipe, use two large rimmed baking sheets and swap their spots in the oven halfway through cooking.

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