15 Cold Lunch Recipes Ready in 10 Minute or Less

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Published on March 8, 2024

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Overhead photo of Green Goddess Tuna Salad with tortilla chips — Photo:
Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Whether you want to avoid the office microwave or need something easy for lunch, these meals are just the solution. In 10 minutes or less, you can have one of these delicious salads, wraps, smoothie bowls and more ready to throw in the refrigerator for later or eat right away. Recipes like our Chickpea Salad Sandwich and Green Goddess Tuna Salad ensure lunchtime is a quick, healthy and refreshing experience.

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Tomato Sandwich

a recipe photo of the Tomato Sandwich — Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Anna Kelly, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman

This classic tomato sandwich features a lovely combination of sweet juicy tomatoes and herby cream cheese. You can make a big batch of the cream cheese mixture and have it on hand to spread on bagels or crackers. For a boost of protein, add smoked salmon or sliced turkey or chicken.

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Cucumber-Chicken Green Goddess Wrap

Cucumber Chicken Green-Goddess Wrap on a plate with a side of Green Goddess dressing in a small jar with a spoon — Brie Passano

This quick and easy wrap rolls up and is ready for a casual, stationary lunch or a meal on the go, with protein from chicken to keep you going. The green goddess dressing is creamy with cheese and avocado and bright from lemon and herbs. Cucumber and carrots add color and crunch to this healthy, robust whole-wheat wrap.

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Chia Smoothie

a recipe photo of the Creamy Strawberry-Peach Chia Seed Smoothie — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

This fiber-rich chia smoothie is sweet and tangy, with a velvety texture thanks to nutritious chia seeds that expand as they combine with liquid.

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Green Goddess Tuna Salad

Overhead photo of Green Goddess Tuna Salad with tortilla chips — Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Canned tuna makes this recipe convenient and pantry-friendly while also offering an impressive punch of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon, sardines or mackerel would work just as well in this quick recipe. Use the remaining herb sauce as a dressing for salads or grain bowls, as a spread on sandwiches or as a dip for vegetables. This recipe is easily doubled to make a big batch to meal-prep for the week. Serve on bread or in a wrap, over a bed of greens or scooped up with your favorite chips, crackers or cucumber slices.

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Spinach Salad with Quinoa, Chicken & Fresh Berries

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/8061003/spinach-salad-with-quinoa-chicken-fresh-berries/

If you're packing this grain bowl for work, combine the dressing ingredients in a small container. When you're ready to eat, shake the dressing well, add it to the salad and toss. If you don't have time to make a homemade dressing, use 3 tablespoons of store-bought olive oil vinaigrette. Keep prep time short by using rotisserie chicken (or leftover chicken) and a pouch of microwavable quinoa.

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Chickpea Salad Sandwich

a recipe photo of the High-Protein Tuna & Chickpea Salad Sandwich — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

This vegan chickpea salad sandwich is lemony, bright and surprisingly delicious. It's got all the flavors of a classic tuna salad sandwich—dill, lemon and a bit of garlic—but with chickpeas instead to add a vegan source of protein and a healthy boost of fiber. Celery brings a nice crunch.

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Cucumber Sandwich with Cotija & Lime

a recipe photo of the Cucumber Sandwich with Cotija and Lime — Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman

This easy vegetarian cucumber sandwich draws flavor inspiration from elote, the Mexican street corn dish. Instead of corn, we flavor cucumber slices with cotija cheese, lime and cilantro for a tasty filling. Cotija cheese, a salty, crumbly Mexican cheese, is similar in flavor and texture to feta cheese, which can be used as a substitute. Arugula adds a peppery flavor, but any tender greens will work well here.

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Cream Cheese & Veggie Roll-Up

Cream Cheese & Veggie Roll-up — Jacob Fox

With sliced vegetables, a whole-wheat tortilla and baby spinach, these roll-ups make the perfect healthy lunch for your kids to take to school.

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Strawberry-Chocolate Smoothie

Strawberry-Chocolate Smoothie

This creamy, rich strawberry-chocolate smoothie will satisfy any chocolate cravings. It's so decadent you might want it as a dessert, too.

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Black Bean-Avocado Wrap

recipe photo of the Black Bean Wrap — Sara Haas

Plain yogurt is a great base for dressing. Pairing it with prepared salsa is an easy way to add flavor to canned black beans, which can be a bit bland. An added boost of herby cilantro and slightly spicy pepper Jack cheese ensures this healthy, five-minute lunch idea packs plenty of flavor.

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Antioxidant-Packed Black Forest Smoothie Bowl

a recipe photo of the Black Forest Smoothie — Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

Celebrate the classic combo of chocolate and cherries with this spoonable smoothie bowl. Tangy dark cherries provide a tart blunt to sweet bananas and creamy whole-milk yogurt. Unsweetened cocoa provides all the earthy goodness of chocolate without any additional sugar. Plus, cocoa and cherries are both rich with antioxidants, which may improve heart health and support healthy aging, respectively. Top with dark chocolate curls for a beautiful topping, or sprinkle on cocoa nibs for a faster finish.

12 of 15

Fig & Goat Cheese Salad

Fig & Goat Cheese Salad

The sweet-and-savory combination of the figs and earthy goat cheese will surely satisfy the palate. If you can't find dried figs, try swapping in dried apricots.

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Shrimp Niçoise Meal-Prep Bowls

This low-carb meal-prep version of the classic composed salad comes together in about 10 minutes thanks to a handful of shortcut ingredients, like pretrimmed green beans and prepared olive tapenade. With a whopping 41 grams of protein per serving, these bowls will keep hunger at bay all afternoon. To switch things up, feel free to swap in canned tuna or leftover roasted salmon for the shrimp. We love going to Trader Joe's for fast shortcut ingredients--see Tip (below) for our product recommendations.

14 of 15

Low-Carb Chicken & Cheddar Lettuce Wraps

Low-Carb Chicken and Cheddar Lettuce Wraps on a cutting board — 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). The hardest part of this 10-minute recipe is rolling the sandwich, but our parchment paper trick makes it infinitely simpler.

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High-Fiber Matcha Green Smoothie Bowl

a recipe photo of Almond-Matcha Green Smoothie Bowl — EatingWell

Matcha powder and spinach give this healthy smoothie bowl a beautiful green hue. If you don't have spinach on hand, try swapping in another dark leafy green like kale.

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