Healthy Lunch Recipes

Healthy lunch recipes for home or work, including spicy red pepper and lentil soup, roasted veg with giant couscous and puy lentil salad

If you’re trying to eat healthier, often lunch is the hardest time to stick to your new regime and find healthy lunch recipes. Whether you’re busy and need to grab a sandwich or at home and give into the cravings for something full of cards and fat, it can be tempting to opt for something less healthy. Finding healthy lunch recipes so you can eat a nutritious, filling lunch that will keep you going through the day, whether you're at home or at work, is key to getting into the habit of eating healthier.

Our pick of healthy lunch recipes are mostly portable, so you will be able to fit healthy eating around wherever your plans may take you. Soups are easy to make it batches, roasted vegetables make a meal with giant couscous and puy lentils make salads a more substantial option. If you can't always make your own packed lunch, think more carefully about what you buy and pick the healthiest option there is, then customise it with extra fruit and vegetables, like the addition of sliced avocado or a sweet potato you can pop in a microwave. Make sweetcorn fritters with yogurt, avocado and chilli as a lunch that's loaded with vegetables, with chunky avocado and chilli for an extra kick.

For something a little less ordinary, why not try our Vietnamese Charred Pork Baguette with Pickled Veg? It's great if you've had a barbecue over the weekend and have leftover pork or if you're feeling super organised. You can make the pork the night before so you have a divine lunch ready for the next day.

For a low-carb lunch option, our tuna and three-bean salad is the perfect idea as it's really filling without leaving you feeling weighed down. The same goes for a Tuna Nicoise Salad - the egg and avocado perfectly complement one another!

Whether you fancy a soup, salad, sandwich or wrap for lunch, prepare healthy dishes to take with you and enjoy on your lunch break so you're not tempted to buy meals that are packed full of saturated fats and added salt and sugar. Click through to see more healthy lunch recipes....

Miso Soup With Prawn Dumplings

This traditional Japanese soup is fresh, tasty and so simple that it is ready in just 20 minutes so you can easily make it as a quick and healthy lunch. The recipe uses miso paste and a handful of other ingredients, including zesty lemongrass and edible seaweed. Thanks to all this veg, miso soup is bursting with iodine, calcium and magnesium, so you know you're getting something healthy for your lunch meal. Plus, the prawn dumplings offer a much needed dose of carbs to fill you up all afternoon - and they're delicious too! Get the recipe: Miso Soup with Prawn Dumplings.

Jerk Salmon With Mango Yogurt

For a super tasty lunch fix that helps you get your five a day as well as notches up one of your two recommended weekly portions of fish, look no further than this delicious Salmon recipe. Spicy salmon with spiralized veg and fruity yogurt makes a gorgeous lunch that's ready in just 30 minutes, so it's simple enough to make ahead. The jerk flavouring gives this dish an extra kick, adding extra flavour for a great taste. Get the recipe: Jerk Salmon with Mango Yogurt.

Puy Lentil Salad With Roasted Veg And Goats' Cheese

For a lunch dish that will keep you satisfied all day, this delicious combination of creamy goat's cheese and a tangy mustard dressing offers a burst of flavour, while the roasted veg and puy lentils take care of a few of your five-a-day. This fabulous healthy lunch option is packed with antioxidants, iron and calcium. The key is to plan ahead and throw your ingredients together in a Tupperware the night before. Get the recipe: Puy Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Goats' Cheese.

Spicy Red Pepper and Lentil Soup

Packed with flavour, this hearty soup will keep you full all afternoon thanks to the lentils. Thanks to the combination of chilli and paprika, the soup is tinged with a Mediterranean flavour which works great during the summer. Cook it up as a starter at the weekend and save a batch for lunches throughout the week. Get the recipe: Spicy Red Pepper and Lentil Soup

Winter Red Salad

Who said salads are just for the summer? This delicious wintry salad with beetroot and the burst of pomegranate is full of flavour and texture, with the dark ingredients full of antioxidants. Plus it's topped with creamy goat's cheese - what more could you want in a lunch? Get the recipe: Winter Red Salad.

Giant Couscous with Roasted Squash and Chickpeas

With filling giant couscous and tasty veg, plus a healthy dose of protein from the chickpeas, this dish is perfect for vegetarians. This veggie dish would also make the perfect side dish for an evening meal, so make an extra large batch and save the leftovers for a healthy lunch option the next day. Get the recipe: Giant Couscous with Roasted Squash and Chickpeas.

Chicken Tikka Chapatti Wrap with Saffron Yogurt

If you've been craving a takeaway but are trying to save money and stay healthy, this wrap is a simple, healthy way to get your fix. Plus it's really filling too so will keep you going all day. The recipe makes four wraps worth, so it's a great way to make a healthy lunch for the whole family. Get the recipe: Chicken Tikka Chapatti Wrap with Saffron Yogurt.

Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Soy Beans and Poached Chicken

Healthy quinoa makes this recipe a great recipe for lunch or a dinner starter. Chickpeas are a good source of fibre, while chicken will provide that much-needed protein, while soybeans offer a helping of B Vitamins. This dish is speedy to whip up, so you'll want to make it again and again. Get the recipe: Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Soy Beans and Poached Chicken.

Salmon Stir-Fry with Soba Noodles

This easy stir-fry recipe is ready in just 20 minutes, making a quick but healthy lunch if you're at home and fancy something hot. The Japanese soba noodles offer an oriental flair to this dish, while the ginger and lemon create a wonderful zingy flavour. Get the recipe: Salmon Stir-fry with Soba Noodles.

Beetroot, Quinoa and Chickpea Salad

This substantial lunch recipe can be made in a big batch to keep you going for lunches over several days. The Middle Eastern inspired ingredients make this dish both sweet and crunchy; it's a taste you won't forget in a hurry. Get the recipe: Beetroot, Quinoa and Chickpea Salad.

Watercress Soup

Light, elegant and a British classic, this watercress soup recipe is the perfect simple lunch to warm you up and keep you going all day. It only takes ten minutes to prep and another thirty to cook, so whipping up a batch in the evening will take no time at all. Get the recipe: Watercress Soup.

Vietnamese Charred Pork Baguette with Pickled Vegetables

If you've got bored with your usual lunch options, definitely give this flavoursome option a go. This Vietnamese style sandwich uses marinated pork to intensify the flavour - the recipe makes five, so they whole family's lunch is sorted. Get the recipe: Vietnamese Charred Pork Baguette with Pickled Veg.

Tuna Niçoise Salad

This great classic salad recipe is ultra healthy and quick to make. Try it as an evening dish, but make extra quantities for lunch leftovers the next day. Avocados are packed full of vitamin E and potassium, while tuna has the healthy benefits of Omega-3 acids. Get the recipe: Tuna Niçoise Salad.

Tuna and Three Bean Salad

Fancy something different for lunch but haven't had time to pop to the shops? Don't worry, as you've probably got all the ingredients for this salad in your store cupboard already. A satisfying but low-carb lunch that's just the ticket, this tuna salad recipe will fill you up in no time. Get the recipe: Tuna and Three Bean Salad.

Roasted Pepper and Garlic Bruschetta with Tomatoes

An easy, delicious and nutritious lunch option, this Mediterranean inspired dish uses fresh and fragrant ingredients. With pepper, garlic and tomatoes, you're getting a healthy hit of your five-a-day that tastes like a slice of holiday! Get the recipe: Roasted Pepper and Garlic Bruschetta with Tomatoes.

Smoked Mackerel Superfood Salad

The name says it all. This superfood salad bursting with healthy ingredients to get you back on track with your healthy eating. It's quick to throw together and makes more than one meal - so you can either share it with your other half or keep it for tomorrow's lunch too! Get the recipe: Smoked Mackerel Superfood Salad.

Mixed Pizzette

These Mixed Pizettes are great for a light lunch or supper. Serve with salad to add an extra dose of veg. There are a variety of flavours and ingredients, so whether you're in the mood for some Parma Ham, a hit of blue cheese or some chorizo, there's something for you. Get the recipe: Mixed Pixette.

Dried Fruit Bars

Not strictly a lunch recipe, but these healthy fruit bars are great as a healthy mid-afternoon snack instead of chocolate or biscuits. The recipe makes ten bars, so your snacks will be sorted all week - it's up to you if you want to share! Get the recipe: Dried Fruit Bars.

Crispy Pitta Chips

This Crispy Pitta Chip recipe is a new take on "toast" meals - great when all you fancy is a snack or light lunch. Depending on what type of dip you fancy, there's a choice of aubergine and garlic, Tzatziki or creamy guacamole, so there is something for everyone. Get the recipe: Crispy Pitta Chips.

Mozzarella Open Sandwich

A starchy lunch can make you feel sleepy in the afternoon so have a protein-packed one instead with our easy and delicious Mozzarella open sandwich. Chicken contains tryptophan, which stimulates the brain to produce serotonin, a compound in your body tissue that helps prevent mood swings and keeps you calm. Get the recipe: Mozzarella Open Sandwich.

Pitta Pizzas with Melted Brie, Avocado and Green Grapes

This simple pizza recipe makes a tasty change from the usual salads and is perfect for vegetarians. The avocado and green grapes are full of flavour and a great way to up your five-a-day intake at lunch time. Get the Recipe: Pitta Pizzas with Melted Brie, Avocado and Green Grapes. For more healthy eating inspiration, take a look at our Healthy Recipe Collection.