Healthy Recipes Mealtimes Healthy Lunch Recipes 19 Heart-Healthy Vegetarian Lunch Recipes By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 9, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food stylist: Annie Probst, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco You won’t want to miss out on these lunch recipes. Each dish is brimming with nutritious, vegetarian foods like beans and legumes, whole grains and leafy greens. Plus, they earn our heart-healthy nutrition tag for having low amounts of sodium and saturated fats. Make our Veggie & Hummus Sandwich for those days when you’re crunched for time. Or, try our Curried Sweet Potato & Peanut Soup as a convenient and flavorful make-ahead option for busy weeks. 01 of 19 Veggie & Hummus Sandwich This mile-high vegetable and hummus sandwich makes the perfect heart-healthy vegetarian lunch to go. Mix it up with different flavors of hummus and different types of vegetables, depending on your mood. View Recipe 02 of 19 Strawberry-Blueberry-Banana Smoothie A smoothie with strawberries, blueberries and banana is delicately sweet and entirely kid-friendly, even with a boost of protein from hemp seeds. Freeze the fruits ahead of time for an extra frosty texture once blended. View Recipe 03 of 19 Curried Sweet Potato & Peanut Soup In this flavorful soup recipe, sweet potatoes simmer in a quick coconut curry, resulting in a creamy, thick broth punctuated by notes of garlic and ginger. We love peanuts for their inexpensive price and versatile flavor. They're also a great source of protein--1 ounce has 7 grams. View Recipe 04 of 19 Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty and healthy salad recipe. View Recipe 05 of 19 Vegan Superfood Grain Bowls Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey This nutrient-packed grain bowl recipe comes together in 15 minutes with the help of a few convenience-food shortcuts like prewashed baby kale, microwavable quinoa and precooked beets. Pack these ahead to keep on hand for easy meal-prep lunches or dinners on busy nights. View Recipe 06 of 19 Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one! View Recipe 07 of 19 Curried Cauliflower Salad Sandwiches Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food stylist: Annie Probst, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco The creamy cauliflower mixture in this vegetarian sandwich was inspired by the flavors of Indian raita. A combination of yogurt, cashews and mustard round out the spices in the curry powder, with pomegranate arils adding a juicy pop of sweetness. Buy cauliflower florets in a bag instead of the whole head and look for containers of pomegranate arils to keep prep simple. View Recipe 08 of 19 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. View Recipe 09 of 19 Chickpea & Quinoa Grain Bowl It seems grain bowls have as many variations as there are stars in the sky, and there is no wrong way to build one! But we prefer to keep things classic and simple with hummus, quinoa, avocado and loads of veggies! View Recipe 10 of 19 Roasted Vegetable & Black Bean Tacos These hearty vegan tacos are quick and easy to make, perfect for busy weeknights. They are so tasty no one will miss the meat or dairy. View Recipe 11 of 19 Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This vibrant and wholesome soup recipe helps support your well-being. It’s packed with a variety of colorful vegetables, like tomatoes, which contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help reduce inflammation. The base of the soup is prepped ahead of time and stored in separate containers. Simply add the broth and heat it in the microwave when you’re ready to eat. If you don’t wish to travel with vegetable broth or don’t have access to a microwave, you can use reduced-sodium bouillon instead and just add hot water. View Recipe 12 of 19 Vegetable and Tofu Soup Tofu has a reputation for being bland, but when marinated in Italian seasoning for up to four hours, it's anything but in this veggie-packed soup. View Recipe 13 of 19 Green Goddess Wrap Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf A soft and silky green goddess dressing blends with crunchy fresh cucumber and tender greens in this easy wrap. If you prefer, you can ditch the wrap and enjoy the filling as a salad instead. View Recipe 14 of 19 Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas Greg DuPree A crisp, citrusy slaw contrasts nicely with the enchiladas' creamy squash filling. View Recipe 15 of 19 Meal-Prep Roasted Vegetable Bowls with Pesto Your co-workers will be jealous when you pull out this healthy lunch of roasted veggies and brown rice. Put together 4 lunches when you have time and you will have packable lunches (or ready-to-eat dinners) for several days--just grab a container on your way out the door in the morning. View Recipe 16 of 19 High-Fiber 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. View Recipe 17 of 19 Root Vegetable & Greens Salad with Red Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette Greg DuPree Red pepper jelly is the key ingredient in this piquant yet sweet salad dressing. If you prefer more heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. View Recipe 18 of 19 Lemon-Roasted Vegetable Hummus Bowls Brimming with colorful roasted vegetables, these plant-based meal-prep lunch bowls are high in fiber to keep you full through the afternoon. The easy roasted veggies are based on a popular recipe from our sister magazine (see Associated Recipes). Feel free to use your favorite store-bought hummus to cut down on prep time, or make a batch of your own (see Tip). You can also sub in an 8-ounce microwaveable quinoa pouch to minimize cooking. View Recipe 19 of 19 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. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit