Healthy Recipes Nutrient-Focused Diets High-Protein Recipes High-Protein Lunch Recipes 25 High-Protein Lunches for Spring By Sadie Schulte Sadie Schulte Sadie Schulte is EatingWell's editorial apprentice. She attends Iowa State University, where she is a senior studying advertising and fashion communications. During her time at college, she has worked as a reporter at the campus newspaper, the Iowa State Daily, where she writes about culture and lifestyle. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 27, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia Reviewed by Dietitian Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia Maria Laura is EatingWell's senior nutrition & news editor. As part of the nutrition team, she edits and assigns nutrition-related content and provides nutrition reviews for articles. Maria Laura is a trained dietitian, almond butter lover and food enthusiast with over seven years of experience in nutrition counseling. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Nicole Hopper, Prop Stylist: Tucker Vines Say hello to springtime with these delicious and energizing lunch options that will help keep you fueled and feeling your best. Each of these dishes contains at least 15 grams of protein per serving, which helps slow down digestion, keeping you feeling satisfied for longer. Plus, protein can support muscle growth and repair, bone health, healthy blood pressure and more. From hearty salads to nourishing bowls, each recipe is bursting with seasonal produce like crisp cabbage, sweet peas and tender asparagus. Recipes like our Roasted Chickpea & Cauliflower Pitas with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and our 5-Ingredient Brie and Blackberry Jam Grilled Cheese are nutritious and delicious options perfect for welcoming the warmer weather. 01 of 25 Roasted Chickpea & Cauliflower Pitas with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Nicole Hopper, Prop Stylist: Tucker Vines Inspired by a trend made popular by Catherine Perez (@plantbasedrd), these pitas are piled high with roasted veggies for a satisfying vegetarian dinner. Be sure to dry the chickpeas well or they won’t crisp up in the oven. Wet chickpeas will also create steam that may prevent the cauliflower from getting nicely browned. Bibb lettuce works well with these pitas, but a handful of arugula leaves would be just as nice. If you have it, a garam masala or shawarma spice blend can be used in place of the spices. View Recipe 02 of 25 Green Goddess Tuna Salad 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. View Recipe 03 of 25 5-Ingredient Brie and Blackberry Jam Grilled Cheese Photography: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco This irresistible sandwich pairs creamy Brie cheese with a sweet-and-savory blackberry jam spread for the perfect ultra-quick lunch or dinner option. You can easily double the recipe using a medium pan, or use a sandwich press if you have one on hand. View Recipe 04 of 25 A Bowl of Harira Is Like a Hug from Morocco during Ramadan Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco Harira is a tomato-based soup featured at the center of many Moroccan tables during the month of Ramadan. It’s often enjoyed as part of iftar, or the meal served to break the fast each evening, along with dates, milk, hard-boiled eggs, semolina pancakes and chebakia (sesame cookies). This version features chickpeas, lentils, beef and noodles in a fragrant tomato broth, but there are endless variations on the soup. View Recipe 05 of 25 Creamy Pesto Shrimp with Gnocchi & Peas Is a 20-Minute Dinner Photographer: Greg DuPree, Prop stylist: Shell Royster, Food stylist: Emily Hall This speedy dinner recipe combines shrimp with pillowy gnocchi, pesto and peas in a creamy sauce. Feel free to substitute the peas with other veggies such as broccoli or asparagus. For a bit of heat, sprinkle in some crushed red pepper, or garnish with grated Parmesan cheese to enhance the savory flavor. View Recipe 06 of 25 Quick & Easy Baked Feta & Tomato Chickpeas (Packed with 20 Grams of Protein) Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell This simple baked feta casserole recipe turns cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and chickpeas into a hearty, protein-rich vegetarian meal. After baking, it creates a savory-sweet tomato–olive oil sauce ideal for slathering on pita bread. Feta cheese in brine melts more readily compared to dry, crumbled feta, so it’s worth seeking out. For a different take, replace the chickpeas with creamy white beans. View Recipe 07 of 25 Crustless Spinach & Asparagus Quiche with Gruyère Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Styling / Emily Nabors Hall / ulia Bayless This light but filling crustless spinach-and-asparagus quiche features plenty of spring vegetables baked with richly flavored Gruyère cheese. Enjoy a slice for dinner with a salad on the side or as part of a simple spring brunch. View Recipe 08 of 25 Chicken Caesar Salad Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle This timeless chicken Caesar salad features a zesty dressing made with Greek-style yogurt. Our dressing calls for anchovy paste, which adds that signature savory flavor Caesar salad is known for. Any leftover anchovy paste can be used to enhance vinaigrettes, dips or sauces. You can use whole anchovies, if you prefer, but you’ll need to blend them or mash them with the flat side of a large chef’s knife before adding them to the dressing. View Recipe 09 of 25 Chicken Fajita Quesadillas Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco These 5-ingredient quesadillas take just 10 minutes to make. Using pre-sliced onions and peppers plus a taco seasoning blend helps keep the ingredient list (and prep time) short. If you like a little heat, use pepper Jack cheese in the filling. View Recipe 10 of 25 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! View Recipe 11 of 25 3-Ingredient Salmon & Veggie Sandwich Photographer: Carson Downing, Food stylist: Annie Probst, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek This 3-ingredient salmon sandwich recipe is a great way to use up leftover cooked veggies and salmon (you can also use canned salmon). Pulling out the insides of the bread makes a nice pocket for the filling. Use those bread pieces to make breadcrumbs or croutons. View Recipe 12 of 25 Chicken & Cabbage Bowls with Sesame Dressing Photographer: Rachel Marek, Prop stylist: Holly Dreesman, Food stylist: Gabriel Greco Four convenience products are all you need to prepare these tasty bowls. A bag of shredded coleslaw serves as the base that’s topped with seasoned chicken strips, crunchy flavored almonds and a drizzle of sesame dressing. Leftover chicken can easily stand in for the chicken strips. Traditional cabbage coleslaw works well, as does broccoli slaw for a slightly different look and flavor. View Recipe 13 of 25 Sweet Potato Grilled Cheese Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle The crispy golden exterior of this sweet potato grilled cheese is thanks to mayonnaise, which spreads easily and browns more evenly than butter or oil. Roasted red onions and sweet potato rounds make up the filling, but you can roast the onion separately and use leftover roasted sweet potato if you have that on hand. View Recipe 14 of 25 Chicken, Spinach & Feta Wraps Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco This chicken, spinach and feta wrap recipe is elevated by the convenience of rotisserie chicken and the scrumptious flavor of sun-dried tomatoes. Whisk together the easy dressing, toss with the chicken, add spinach and wrap it all together for a delicious lunch or dinner. Using rotisserie chicken speeds up the process, but you can also reach for this recipe if you have leftover cooked chicken on hand. View Recipe 15 of 25 These Tajín Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw Are Ready in 15 Minutes Greg DuPree Tajín, a Mexican chile-lime seasoning, adds a spicy and acidic punch to sweet and mild shrimp. Opt for a low-sodium chile-lime seasoning, or improvise by combining chili powder, a little lime zest and a healthy squeeze of lime juice. Look for pineapple that’s already been peeled and cored for speedier prep. View Recipe 16 of 25 This Crustless Caprese Quiche Is Ready in 2 Easy Steps Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell This light and fluffy crustless quiche is dotted with tomatoes, little bites of melty mozzarella and savory pesto. And the best part—it’s mixed, assembled and baked in a pie plate for easy cleanup. Enjoy as an easy breakfast or brunch option or serve for lunch or dinner with a mixed green salad on the side. View Recipe 17 of 25 Smoky Black Bean & Pepper Soup Unlike many black bean soups, this Cuban-inspired one is pepper-packed and leaves the beans intact for a more interesting texture. It's equally delicious served on its own or over rice. View Recipe 18 of 25 Citrus Lime Tofu Salad This veggie-packed salad has plenty of protein and fiber, so you'll feel full and satisfied. Prep the ingredients ahead of time for an easy vegan lunch idea to pack for work. View Recipe 19 of 25 Grilled Blackened Shrimp Tacos Give juicy shrimp tacos a Cajun flavor spin with spices and a quick sear on a hot grill. An easy avocado mash adds creaminess to cool off the spicy kick. View Recipe 20 of 25 Braised Lentils & Kale with Fried Eggs Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster These braised lentils are cooked with tender kale and bathed in a fire-roasted tomato broth with an egg on top to pack in the protein. Microwaveable lentils need just a short time in the pan to finish cooking. If you have cooked or canned lentils on hand, you can use them in their place, but you may have to shave a few minutes off the cooking time so they don't get too soft. We like how the soft, runny yolk coats the dish. If you want a harder yolk, cover the pan and add 2 or 3 minutes to the cooking time. View Recipe 21 of 25 High-Protein Tuna & Chickpea Salad Sandwich Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle This zesty tuna sandwich gets an extra boost of protein from chickpeas. Smashing some of the chickpeas into the tuna enhances the texture and helps hold the filling together. The combo of garlic and Sriracha adds a delightful kick, but feel free to opt for an alternative hot sauce of your preference or skip it altogether for a milder flavor. View Recipe 22 of 25 The Best Chicken Salad Recipe for Sandwiches Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster What’s the key to the best chicken salad? Use punchy, flavorful ingredients that pack in the flavor, like zesty herbs, acidic lemon juice, sharp onion or shallots. This herbaceous chicken salad recipe is perfect sandwiched between two slices of whole-wheat country bread, but don’t stop there! Enjoy it with crackers, in a wrap or serve it on top of greens. View Recipe 23 of 25 Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top. View Recipe 24 of 25 Cabbage, Tofu & Edamame Salad Craving crunch? Bite into this salad loaded with crisp red cabbage, edamame, bamboo shoots, and chow mein noodles. This salad is slightly sweetened with baked tofu, mandarin oranges and sesame vinaigrette. View Recipe 25 of 25 High-Protein Tex-Mex Chicken Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Make this grab-and-go Tex-Mex–inspired soup when you have leftover chicken, or use rotisserie chicken for this easy meal-prep soup. The frozen pepper-onion mix adds flavor and saves time in the kitchen, while the black beans add fiber and protein. Combine everything but the broth ahead of time, then add it and heat it in the microwave when you’re ready to eat. If you don’t wish to travel with liquid broth or don’t have access to a microwave, you can use reduced-sodium bouillon instead and just add hot water. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit