31 Healthy Meals You Can Make in 10 Minutes or Less (Lunch)
A delicious dinner for one, this noodle bowl gets all the flavors of your fave quick-cook noodle cups without the icky additives. Rice noodles provide the bulk of this vegetarian-friendly bowl that uses boxed butternut squash soup as the base for fast cooking. Pea shoots taste like, well, peas, and are rich in vitamins A and C and folic acid, but use spinach if you can’t find them.
Rather than topping a salad with bagged croutons, whip up this Tuscan version with toasted pita bread. There’s the usual good-alone-but-better-together suspects expected in something called “Mediterranean”: tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, and olives, which are key since the fats in them help your body absorb the nutrients in the veggies.
Colorful and crunchy, this salad is just what the doctor ordered when leafy-greens-based varieties are boring you out. Crunchy coleslaw mix and dried ramen noodles (swap in crunchy rice noodles for a healthier option) are tossed with avocado for healthy fats, edamame for protein, and mango for vision-protecting beta carotene.
Leftover chicken finds a new home in this quick burrito. Mix it with avocado and cheese—we’d take it one step further and toss in some peppers, onions, and maybe some greens—and cook in a pan. Bonus: Make a few at once and freeze the extras for an even faster lunch next time.
Bored with tuna salad? Try canned salmon mixed with creamy, slightly nutty cannellini beans, veggies, and fresh herbs for a super easy meal that’s as delicious on its own as it is in a pita, or with whole-grain crackers.
If you always reach for the wings during game day, this is the lunch quesadilla for you. It’s spicy, creamy, and loaded with flavor. Black beans add extra fiber and protein, and green onions add a little extra zest. Feel free to scale back on the sour cream or sub Greek yogurt instead.
Not only good for guacamole, moist desserts, and rich smoothies, avocados are designed to be stuffed! Remove the pit and fill the center with a mixture of tomato, feta, onion, and herbs, and it’s a filling meal that’s pretty enough to serve at a brunch—after all, not every breakfast-meets-lunch recipe should take hours to prepare.
Stuffed with tasty, healthy ingredients, quesadillas are an easy way to get a quick lunch on the table. This Tex-Mex version pairs black beans and corn with salsa, cheese, and red pepper flakes in a flour tortilla for a filling, fiber-packed meal, especially if use whole-wheat tortillas.
Italian and Mexican favorites team up for a mashup that’s better than anything mixed by a DJ. The how-to is pretty obvious: Fill a tortilla with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil; cook until the cheese is melted; then drizzle with balsamic glaze for the final, flavor-loaded touch of the salad.
While this recipe uses liquid eggs, substitute two whole eggs instead since the cholesterol and fat from the real thing aren’t bad for you. Add whatever herbs—fresh or dried—appeal, since all have different flavors and health benefits. Like pizza and mashed potatoes, frittata tastes just as good cold as it does hot, so go ahead and double the recipe and have the other half for breakfast.
This is not just another turkey sandwich. Smear heart-healthy avocado and mayo on a tortilla and roll up with lettuce, provolone, and tomato. This recipe is soft, creamy, and crunchy, but view it as a starting place and play with other fillings.
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