Lunch can be a big challenge when you’re trying to lose weight and get healthy. For many of us, it’s the meal most likely to be eaten away from home, squeezed into an already overcrowded day.
With so many unhealthy quick and easy options – from tacos, pizza, burgers and super-sized subs and sandwiches – to all you can eat Chinese buffets – tempting us from every angle, it can be hard to stay on track. If you’re not careful it’s easy to blow your whole day’s worth of calories on a double cheeseburger, fries and soda.
Healthy Lunch Ideas - Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion and Mustard on Whole Grain Bread
One simple way to support your weight loss efforts is to automate lunch. Remove the guess work. Choose a healthy meal that you like and eat it (or some variation of it) for lunch most days. (Save your wider variety of options for dinner when you usually have more time.)
By decreasing the variety of foods to chose from, you’ll make eating a healthy lunch easy and effortless.
According to , by , studies show that people who eat the same thing for at least one meal a day lose more weight than those who have more variety. And when you choose the right healthy combination of foods you won’t be hungry, which is key.
Find a healthy lunch or two that you like – say salad with grilled chicken and olive oil vinaigrette or turkey, lettuce and tomato on whole grain bread – and have it for lunch every day. (If this seems too monotonous, rotate between 2 or 3 healthy lunch options, which is my approach.)
Make sure your choice include lots of fiber to fill you up and lean healthy protein to keep you satisfied for hours. Think whole grains, beans, low fat cheese, fish, chicken, turkey and lean ham or beef with lots of vegetables and fruit.
To get you started here are 22 healthy lunch ideas for weight loss to choose from.
22 Healthy Lunch Ideas for Weight Loss
1) Chopped Salad – chopped mixed greens, chopped veggies of your choice and 6 chopped walnuts, tossed with 4 ounces of salmon, turkey or chicken breast with low fat balsamic olive oil dressing.
2) Hearty broth based vegetable soup - and a simple tossed salad. Add 3 or 4 whole grain crackers and an ounce of reduced fat cheese if you like.
3) Veggie burger - on a toasted whole wheat English muffin with mustard, salsa or a little tomato sauce, lettuce, tomato and onion. Add a side of baby carrots and celery sticks with a healthy low fat dip if you want.
4) 1/2 tuna sandwich - on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato (1/2 cup tuna, 1 teaspoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon chopped onion and 1 teaspoon chopped celery) with 1 cup chopped cucumber and tomato salad with a splash of balsamic vinaigrette.
6) 1/2 turkey sandwich – on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato, 2 ounces turkey and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard with a side salad and 1 tablespoon low fat dressing.
7) Large spinach salad - with 2 ounces feta, goat or blue cheese, 3 ounces grilled chicken, 1/4 cup chickpeas, 1/4 cup sliced grapes and 1 tablespoon low fat dressing and 2 pieces of whole grain crispbread.
Easy baked bean soup - with 3 whole grain crackers, 2 ounces of lean ham and baby carrots.
9) Baked potato – microwave a medium (6 ounce) baked potato and top it with unlimited vegetables such as broccoli, chopped tomatoes, sauteed spinach and mushrooms or 1/2 cup pinto beans and 1/4 cup reduced fat cheese with a small tossed salad.
10) Vegetarian chili - with 1 serving baked tortilla chips and fruit. Another great make ahead meal that just needs reheating.
11) Easy pita pizza – top a small whole grain pita with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, 1/4 cup grated mozzarella and grilled/raw vegetables of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese bubbles, 5 -10 minutes.
13) Quick & healthy nachos – Spread 1-1/2 ounces whole grain tortilla chips on an oven/microwave safe plate and top with 1/2 cup beans and 1 ounce shredded low fat cheese. Bake at 300 for 10 to 12 minutes or microwave 30 seconds until the cheese melts. Top with 1/4 cup salsa and 2 tablespoons guacamole . Perfect when a craving for Mexican food strikes.
14) Tuna pasta salad – combine 1 cup whole wheat pasta, 1/2 cup drained canned tuna and 3 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise stirred together with finely chopped green onion, red pepper and celery.
15) Rice and beans – stir 1 cup cooked brown rice, 1/2 cup black beans, 1/2 cup chopped avocado together with salsa and a sprinkling of reduced fat cheese.
16) Greek salad – combine 2 cups baby spinach leaves with 2 ounces feta cheese, 1/2 chopped tomato, 1/4 chopped cucumber, 1/4 chopped green pepper 3 black olives and 2 tablespoons low fat dressing.
17) Mozzarella wrap – Top 1 whole grain tortilla with 2 ounces shredded part skim mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup roasted sliced red peppers, chopped tomatoes and spinach. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon pesto and roll into a sandwich wrap.
18) Nut butter and jelly – Spread 1-1/2 tablespoons your favorite nut butter and 2 teaspoons jam between 2 slices of whole grain bread. Add an apple and some baby carrots.
19) Chicken vegetable quesadilla – Spread a small whole grain tortilla with 1 ounce cooked chopped chicken, 1 ounce low fat shredded cheese, chopped tomato, chopped green onion and 2 tablespoons salsa. Top with another tortilla. Grill, bake or microwave until the cheese melts.
20) Open faced easy egg salad sandwich – on 1 slice of whole grain bread with 1 cup chopped tomato, celery and cucumber salad and 1 ounce dark chocolate.
22) Ham and cheese sandwich – 2 ounces ham, 1 ounce cheese, 1 teaspoon mustard or mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato on whole grain bread with 1 cup raw sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes.
If you’re still feeling hungry, and more non-starchy vegetables and fruit till until you’re satisfied.
More Healthy Lunch Ideas from around the Web
Tuscan Tuna Salad – a simple salad from pantry staples that keeps well in the refrigerator found at Eating Well
Lunch can be a big challenge when you’re trying to lose weight and get healthy. For many of us, it’s the meal most likely to be eaten away from home, squeezed into an already overcrowded day.
With so many unhealthy quick and easy options – from tacos, pizza, burgers and super-sized subs and sandwiches – to all you can eat Chinese buffets – tempting us from every angle, it can be hard to stay on track. If you’re not careful it’s easy to blow your whole day’s worth of calories on a double cheeseburger, fries and soda.
Healthy Lunch Ideas - Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion and Mustard on Whole Grain Bread
One simple way to support your weight loss efforts is to automate lunch. Remove the guess work. Choose a healthy meal that you like and eat it (or some variation of it) for lunch most days. (Save your wider variety of options for dinner when you usually have more time.)
By decreasing the variety of foods to chose from, you’ll make eating a healthy lunch easy and effortless.
According to , by , studies show that people who eat the same thing for at least one meal a day lose more weight than those who have more variety. And when you choose the right healthy combination of foods you won’t be hungry, which is key.
Find a healthy lunch or two that you like – say salad with grilled chicken and olive oil vinaigrette or turkey, lettuce and tomato on whole grain bread – and have it for lunch every day. (If this seems too monotonous, rotate between 2 or 3 healthy lunch options, which is my approach.)
Make sure your choice include lots of fiber to fill you up and lean healthy protein to keep you satisfied for hours. Think whole grains, beans, low fat cheese, fish, chicken, turkey and lean ham or beef with lots of vegetables and fruit.
To get you started here are 22 healthy lunch ideas for weight loss to choose from.
22 Healthy Lunch Ideas for Weight Loss
1) Chopped Salad – chopped mixed greens, chopped veggies of your choice and 6 chopped walnuts, tossed with 4 ounces of salmon, turkey or chicken breast with low fat balsamic olive oil dressing.
2) Hearty broth based vegetable soup - and a simple tossed salad. Add 3 or 4 whole grain crackers and an ounce of reduced fat cheese if you like.
3) Veggie burger - on a toasted whole wheat English muffin with mustard, salsa or a little tomato sauce, lettuce, tomato and onion. Add a side of baby carrots and celery sticks with a healthy low fat dip if you want.
4) 1/2 tuna sandwich - on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato (1/2 cup tuna, 1 teaspoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon chopped onion and 1 teaspoon chopped celery) with 1 cup chopped cucumber and tomato salad with a splash of balsamic vinaigrette.
5) Slim & healthy broccoli cheese soup with 3 or 4 whole grain crackers.
6) 1/2 turkey sandwich – on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato, 2 ounces turkey and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard with a side salad and 1 tablespoon low fat dressing.
7) Large spinach salad - with 2 ounces feta, goat or blue cheese, 3 ounces grilled chicken, 1/4 cup chickpeas, 1/4 cup sliced grapes and 1 tablespoon low fat dressing and 2 pieces of whole grain crispbread.
9) Baked potato – microwave a medium (6 ounce) baked potato and top it with unlimited vegetables such as broccoli, chopped tomatoes, sauteed spinach and mushrooms or 1/2 cup pinto beans and 1/4 cup reduced fat cheese with a small tossed salad.
10) Vegetarian chili - with 1 serving baked tortilla chips and fruit. Another great make ahead meal that just needs reheating.
11) Easy pita pizza – top a small whole grain pita with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, 1/4 cup grated mozzarella and grilled/raw vegetables of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese bubbles, 5 -10 minutes.
12) Easy healthy sausage, spinach and wild rice soup - a hearty satisfying meal in a bowl you can make over the weekend and enjoy for a quick and healthy lunch during the week.
13) Quick & healthy nachos – Spread 1-1/2 ounces whole grain tortilla chips on an oven/microwave safe plate and top with 1/2 cup beans and 1 ounce shredded low fat cheese. Bake at 300 for 10 to 12 minutes or microwave 30 seconds until the cheese melts. Top with 1/4 cup salsa and 2 tablespoons guacamole . Perfect when a craving for Mexican food strikes.
14) Tuna pasta salad – combine 1 cup whole wheat pasta, 1/2 cup drained canned tuna and 3 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise stirred together with finely chopped green onion, red pepper and celery.
15) Rice and beans – stir 1 cup cooked brown rice, 1/2 cup black beans, 1/2 cup chopped avocado together with salsa and a sprinkling of reduced fat cheese.
16) Greek salad – combine 2 cups baby spinach leaves with 2 ounces feta cheese, 1/2 chopped tomato, 1/4 chopped cucumber, 1/4 chopped green pepper 3 black olives and 2 tablespoons low fat dressing.
17) Mozzarella wrap – Top 1 whole grain tortilla with 2 ounces shredded part skim mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup roasted sliced red peppers, chopped tomatoes and spinach. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon pesto and roll into a sandwich wrap.
18) Nut butter and jelly – Spread 1-1/2 tablespoons your favorite nut butter and 2 teaspoons jam between 2 slices of whole grain bread. Add an apple and some baby carrots.
19) Chicken vegetable quesadilla – Spread a small whole grain tortilla with 1 ounce cooked chopped chicken, 1 ounce low fat shredded cheese, chopped tomato, chopped green onion and 2 tablespoons salsa. Top with another tortilla. Grill, bake or microwave until the cheese melts.
20) Open faced easy egg salad sandwich – on 1 slice of whole grain bread with 1 cup chopped tomato, celery and cucumber salad and 1 ounce dark chocolate.
21) Jamie Oliver vegetable soup with beans – and small mixed green salad with low fat dressing.
22) Ham and cheese sandwich – 2 ounces ham, 1 ounce cheese, 1 teaspoon mustard or mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato on whole grain bread with 1 cup raw sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes.
If you’re still feeling hungry, and more non-starchy vegetables and fruit till until you’re satisfied.
More Healthy Lunch Ideas from around the Web
Tuscan Tuna Salad – a simple salad from pantry staples that keeps well in the refrigerator found at Eating Well
Best Healthy Lunch Ideas – from Cooking Light
Healthy Lunch Recipes for Weight Loss – 3 great ideas from Weight Watchers
Bethenny Frankel Demonstrates 2 Simple Healthy Lunch Salad Recipes: