Easy Healthy Lunch Ideas to Help Support Weight Loss
Whether you’re just starting out on a weight loss journey and already beyond tired of boring, basic salads and sad desk lunches or you’re just looking to add a little extra variety to your line-up of tried and trues, you’re in the right place. I love the challenge of putting together high protein, macro-friendly meals that taste great and are anything but boring. Bonus: Most of my favorites are also super easy to make and work great for meal prepping.
Great for busy weekdays, planning ahead, or even an activity-packed weekend meal, these healthy lunch ideas for weight loss will help you stick to your goals without even trying too hard. You’re going to love them!
Why It’s Important to Eat a Healthy Lunch
Trying to drop a few pounds? One thing you shouldn’t do? Skip meals. That’s right, even when you’re cutting back on calories and trying to lose a little weight, you should still eat healthy, well-rounded meals regularly to help support your weight loss goals. Though it might sound counterintuitive, eating a healthy lunch is one of the simplest and easiest ways to help you slim down. Here’s why you shouldn’t skip it:
It helps prevent afternoon cravings and extra snacking
When you skip a meal (it doesn’t even have to be lunch!), or eat something super light that won’t stay with you (hint: it’s probably low on protein and/or fiber), you’ll almost certainly find yourself with crashing energy and the urge to snack or overeat later on. Making time for a healthy, balanced lunch can help keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day and keep you feeling full and focused.
Helps preserve muscles during weight loss
As you might already know, eating high-protein meals can help you keep the lean muscle mass you already have, but that’s true even when you’re eating in a calorie deficit. And the more muscle you have, the more efficiently your metabolism can run.
Boosts your energy levels and increases focus
Balanced meals that include carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats can help keep you focused, keep your mood and blood sugar levels more stable, and keep your energy levels up, which is super important as you train.
Helps you hit your macro goals
When you eat a healthy, well-balanced lunch, you can pack it full of veggies, fiber, and micronutrients that you might otherwise not be getting enough of. Eating more nutrient-dense meals can help boost your digestion (your gut loves plant diversity!), lessen cravings, and more.
Minimizes decision paralysis
If you meal prep or meal plan, you won’t have to worry about what you’re going to eat for lunch each day. The panic of not knowing what you should eat for your midday meal can lead to snacking, making convenience foods, opting for fast food, or ordering takeout, all of which can interfere with your long-term goals.
Helps make weight loss more sustainable
When you eat healthy, delicious lunches that you actually look forward to eating, it’s easier to stick to your plans and lose weight over time.
My Favorite Healthy Lunch Ideas for Weight Loss
Cold Chicken Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing
This healthy and delish cold noodle salad packs in 37g of protein per serving and can be made in just minutes. It’s a great choice for office lunches because it will hold up well on the commute (and in the fridge). Filled with tons of shredded chicken and crunchy veggies, and topped off with a tangy peanut-lime sauce, it’s super satisfying and so refreshing.
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers
Super comforting, super delicious, and packed with both protein and veggies? This recipe has it all. These buffalo chicken stuffed peppers are spicy, savory, and just a little creamy from the Greek yogurt. With just about 37g of protein and 307 calories in each serving, they’re a great choice if you’re looking for something macro-friendly and low-carb. Plus they’re great for prepping and baking ahead of time for a healthy meal anytime you need one.
Shrimp Taco Bowls
Is there anything better than a taco bowl? These shrimp ones are filled with tons of fresh flavors: grilled shrimp, rice (for whole grains) or cauliflower rice, black beans for fiber and protein, fruit salsa, and a spicy-tangy chili-lime sauce. With 30g+ of protein in each bowl, it’s a great option for something a little different than your usual lunches.
Chicken Shawarma Salad
Can’t get enough of Mediterranean flavors? Then, you absolutely must try this chicken shawarma salad with a rich and creamy hummus dressing. With 35g of protein per serving and only 406 calories, it’s a great option when you’re looking for something that feels a little bit lighter, but still super filling. A balanced salad with plenty of lean protein, veggies, and healthy fats, this salad would also be great with extra herbs and a squeeze of lemon for even more brightness. It’s a really good choice that will support you on your weight loss journey.
Roasted Butternut Squash Bowls with Chicken Sausage
At Protein Snack Queen, we love a sheet pan meal, and these sheet pan roasted butternut squash bowls with chicken sausage and a creamy yogurt-tahini sauce absolutely fit the bill. Roast your veggies and chicken sausage on just one sheet pan, mix up your sauce, serve, drizzle, and garnish, for a protein-packed meal that travels well, stores well, and tastes great. The roasting brings out the sweetness of the squash and other veggies without adding any sugar to them and the protein from the chicken sausage and Greek yogurt in the sauce helps you support your muscles while you lose weight.
Mustard & Herb Crusted Salmon Meal Prep Bowls
Meal prep bowls are tailor-made for healthy lunches for the week ahead. These gourmet-feeling salmon meal prep bowls are packed with about 34g of protein, plus roasted veggies, whole grains, and a super flavorful mustard-and-herb crust. It’s an easy way to grab and go, knowing you have the right-sized portion and a healthy, satisfying meal that’ll stick with you all afternoon long.
Grain bowls and rice bowls are also great the next day! So if you know you're dealing with busy weeks, you can prep some grains, lean meat, veggies, and a flavorful sauce for an easy lunch you won't have to think too hard about (but that still packs a ton of flavor).
Fasoulia (Lamb & Green Bean Stew)
If you’re looking for a meal that’s a bit heartier, but still protein-packed and super cozy and nourishing, look no further than this fasoulia (lamb and green bean stew) that’s made with lamb, green beans, rice, and tomatoes. With about 42-45g of protein per serving, it’s an especially great choice for those chilly fall and winter days when you want something warm and comforting, but you don’t want to sacrifice your health and wellness goals.
Looking to cut back a bit on calories and carbs? Serve this warming stew with cauliflower rice or extra veggies instead of the rice.
Roasted Veggie & Chicken Glow Salad
This colorful, hearty, veggie-packed salad is an easy way to load up on micronutrients and fiber, protein, and all kinds of ingredients that really will give you a glow. Easy to make (pro tip: get a veggie chopper to make salad-making so much more enjoyable), ready in no time, full of flavor, and packed with good-for-you ingredients that promote skin health and help fight free radicals, this salad is one you’re going to want to make over and over again.
Quick & Easy Healthy Egg Salad
Egg salad is a classic for a reason. My healthy take on egg salad includes over 20 grams of protein, easy hard-boiled eggs (of course), Greek yogurt for extra protein, a little mayo and Dijon mustard for flavor, and fresh herbs. Easy to make in advance and keep on hand all week for sandwiches, wraps, salads, and dipping, it’s a slightly-upgraded take on a quick lunch idea that anyone can make.
The Best Ways to Use These Healthy Lunch Ideas for Weight Loss
Meal prep on Sundays: Meal prepping doesn’t always get the reputation it deserves, but it can really make a big difference when it comes to weight loss and other specific health and wellness or nutrition-related goals. Make an extra-large batch of your favorite recipe, divide up into airtight containers, pop in the fridge, and enjoy easy lunches all week long.
Make sure your plate is balanced: This is important at every meal, but since we’re talking about lunch, let’s focus on that. Balance your lunch with lean protein, a fiber-rich non-starchy veggie, healthy fats, and complex carbs for a satisfying, energizing meal that’ll stick with you, not leave you hungry in an hour or two.
Be mindful of macros: Getting enough protein is super important when you’re on a weight loss journey. It can help you preserve your muscle while losing fat, so try to get around 30 grams of protein at lunch (or more!).
Maximize flavor: Add hot sauce, fresh herbs, lemon, different spices and seasonings, or whatever else to add even more flavor without a ton of calories. You can also add legumes like beans or lentils, or leafy greens for added fiber.
FAQs
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If you’re focused on losing weight, make sure you’re eating lunches that are high in protein and fiber and balanced with healthy fats for satiety. Think: hearty high-protein salads, bowls, and veggie-heavy recipes that can keep you feeling full for longer, but without overdoing it with calories.
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Generally speaking, you should aim for between 25-40 grams of protein per meal. That way, you’ll be supporting your muscles and weight loss goals, while eating nutrient-dense meals that will stick with you until it’s time to eat again.
Everyone is different though, so if you’re unsure what your specific needs are, I’d recommend speaking with a professional who can help (I work with clients - reach out if you’re interested!).
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Yes! Pretty much all of these meals will keep well for 3-4 days in the fridge in airtight containers. Make sure you store the shrimp or dressing separately for best results and assemble them before you eat for the freshest-tasting lunch.
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It’s super easy to adapt these recipes to make them vegetarian! Use tofu, tempeh, chickpeas, beans, lentils, plant-based meat alternatives, and extra veggies to help round out your recipe, while still giving you the nutrition you need.
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If you find that you usually get pretty hungry again shortly after eating lunch, there are some things you can do to avoid that in the future. Make sure to focus on lunches with about 30g of protein, plenty of fiber-rich veggies, legumes, and grains, and a moderate amount of healthy fat (like from avocado, nuts, tahini, or olive oil). These kinds of well-balanced meals can help you keep your blood sugar stable throughout the afternoon and keep you from mindless snacking.
If you’ve decided to start on a weight loss journey and are worried that that means eating boring, sad lunches and being hungry all the time, I’m here to set the record straight. These high-protein healthy lunch ideas for weight loss are super flavorful and filling and nearly every single one can easily be meal prepped in advance! No matter what kinds of food you like to eat for lunch—fresh, hearty salads, cozy, comforting bowls, warm, nourishing soups, or bold flavors like buffalo and shawarma, I’ve got a lunch idea to help you reach your goals.
Want more? Search all our Protein Snack Queen lunch recipes here.
