27 Diabetes-Friendly Lunches That Are Perfect for Spring

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Updated on February 28, 2024

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

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As the vibrant days of spring approach, dive into these colorful and flavorful lunch recipes. These meals are packed with a rainbow of veggies, complex carbs, whole grains and are lower in saturated fats, so they’re suitable if you follow a diabetes-friendly eating pattern. Plus, these recipes star seasonal produce like leafy greens, carrots and strawberries. Recipes like our Open-Face Goat Cheese Sandwich with Tomato & Avocado Salad and our Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls are tasty and satisfying ways to celebrate the changing seasons.

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Open-Face Goat Cheese Sandwich with Tomato & Avocado Salad

Open-Face goat cheese sandwich with tomato & avocado salad

This simple lunch comes together in just 10 minutes, making it a great option for busy days.

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Falafel Pita Sandwiches with Tzatziki

Falafel Pita Sandwiches with Tzatziki

This delightful vegetarian sandwich boasts tons of flavor from the yogurt sauce and quick-pickled veggies, and it's only 400 calories! You can make the pickled vegetables, falafel mixture and tzatziki sauce ahead of time for easy meal-prep lunches or dinner later in the week.

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Cauliflower Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Cauliflower Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Turn a comfort food classic into a healthier low-carb version packed with veggies. We use cauliflower rice to make gluten-free toast that holds together this green chile grilled cheese sandwich for a delicious and healthy dinner.

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Stuffed Potatoes with Salsa & Beans

stuffed potatoes with salsa

Taco night meets baked potato night with this simple recipe for loaded baked potatoes with salsa, beans and avocado. This easy, healthy family dinner comes together with just 10 minutes of active time, so you can make it on even the busiest of weeknights. This recipe is just as delicious with sweet potatoes in place of russets.

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Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls

A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos by Carolyn Malcoun. To cut down on prep time for these healthy taco bowls, look for precut cauliflower in the produce department. You can also save time by using microwaveable quinoa pouches (you'll need one 8-ounce pouch for this recipe) instead of cooking quinoa.

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Vegetarian Italian Hoagies

Traditional Italian subs feature meat but this delightfully easy sandwich packs a punch with artichoke hearts, red onion and zesty pepperoncini instead. We love it for dinner as well as lunch. If you're packing the hoagies to take along, keep the ingredients separate and assemble right before eating to avoid soggy bread. Serve with tomato and cucumber salad.

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Farro Salad with Arugula, Artichokes & Pistachios

Precooked farro makes this dish come together in no time. And you can make it in the same bowl you serve it in, minimizing cleanup!

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Shredded Chicken & Avocado Nacho Salad

Shredded Chicken and Avocado Nacho Salad — Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Dinner doesn't get any easier than this five-ingredient salad. And it's bursting with Super Bowl Sunday potential.

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Spinach & Strawberry Meal-Prep Salad

One of our most popular salad recipes, Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta & Walnuts, gets a makeover in these simple yet totally satisfying meal-prep spinach salad bowls. They require minimal prep and can be customized to your taste. Swap in roasted salmon for the chicken thighs, and almonds or pecans for the walnuts, and use any fresh berry that looks good at your market.

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Vegan BLATs (BLTs with Avocado)

Vegan BLATs (BLTs with Avocado)

Roasted shiitake mushrooms doused in soy sauce with a dash of smoked paprika become a natural, vegan alternative to bacon. Try them in this vegan version of a classic BLT with creamy avocado and eggless mayonnaise or on top of a salad as a substitute for bacon bits.

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Crunchy Veggie Wraps

These vegetarian wraps pack perfectly for school or office lunches.

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Chipotle Ranch Egg Salad Wraps

Chipotle Ranch Egg Salad Wraps

Put a Southwest spin on easy-to-pack egg salad sandwiches with this healthy wrap recipe.

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Tofu, Snow Pea & Carrot Wild Rice Salad

Sesame oil and nori (dried seaweed) give this healthy grain-salad recipe Asian flair. Serve as a vegetarian main dish or as a side for grilled shrimp or baked chicken.

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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

This scrumptious and healthy salad combines elements of Caesar salad, pasta salad and chicken salad for an easy weeknight dinner that comes together in less than 30 minutes (and most of the prep can be done ahead). Use your blender to whip together the tangy buttermilk-based dressing, which would also be great on a salmon or chickpea salad.

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Seitan BBQ Sandwiches

Enjoy classic BBQ flavor with filling vegan seitan, or wheat meat. The sliced seitan needs time in a hot pan to turn brown and crispy; let it sear before coating it with the tangy ketchup mixture for the best texture. A side of sweet potato chips makes the perfect pairing for a fast weeknight meal.

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Anti-Inflammatory Beet & Avocado Wrap

a recipe photo of the Beet, Avocado & Hummus Wrap — Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Styling: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Packed with fiber and monounsaturated fats, avocados are one of the best foods to eat to fight inflammation. Combined with beets, which contain their own inflammation-fighting phytochemicals, you'll get a lunch that packs a healthy punch. The tahini-lemon mixture adds brightness and a nutty flavor to the wrap. To julienne beets, cut them into thin rounds, then slice the rounds into matchsticks. Or to save time, simply grate the beets on the largest holes of a box grater.

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Lemon Shrimp & Orzo Salad

Lemon Shrimp & Orzo Salad

Consider making a double batch of this easy pasta salad--it's delicious the next day. The orzo will absorb the dressing as it sits, so add a little more olive oil and lemon juice if you'd like.

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Red Cabbage-Apple Cauliflower Gnocchi

Tender cabbage and a vibrant applesauce-mustard pan sauce are the perfect pairing for pillowy low-carb cauliflower gnocchi. Add diced chicken-apple sausage for extra protein.

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Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls

A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos by Carolyn Malcoun. To cut down on prep time for these healthy taco bowls, look for precut cauliflower in the produce department. You can also save time by using microwaveable quinoa pouches (you'll need one 8-ounce pouch for this recipe) instead of cooking quinoa.

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Quinoa Deli Salad

This healthy version of a deli salad combines hearty quinoa and chickpeas with small amounts of ham and mozzarella, so you get all of the flavor without overdoing it on the sodium. This healthy quinoa salad is great as dinner and doubles as a delicious lunch the next day.

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Roast Beef, Arugula, and Pickled Onion Wrap

Quick-pickle some onions the night before to put a delicious twist on your healthy lunch wrap.

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Salmon Pita Sandwich

This quick lunch recipe is loaded with heart-healthy omega-3s thanks to the canned sockeye salmon. If you're bringing this sandwich for lunch, keep the salmon salad separate and stuff the pita just before eating.

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Lentil Salad with Feta, Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Olives

Lentil Salad with Feta, Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Olives — Jennifer Causey

This Mediterranean lentil salad, with chopped veggies, feta cheese and a light dressing, is perfect to have on hand for a quick lunch.

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Spicy Slaw Bowls with Shrimp & Edamame

containers with spicy slaw bowls with shrimp & edamame

The quick 10-minute Spicy Cabbage Slaw serves as the low-carb base in this veggie-packed lunch recipe. Topped with high-protein edamame and shrimp, this satisfying lunch will help you power through the afternoon.

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Roasted Veggie Pitas

Roasting brings out the sweetness of the vegetables in this vegetarian sandwich recipe, which is topped off with smoked provolone cheese.

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Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.

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Tuna, White Bean & Dill Salad

Take canned tuna to new heights by adding creamy cannellini beans, fresh dill and a tangy Dijon dressing.

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