Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Make yourself a lunch that’s filling and helps support healthy digestion. These meals are packed with at least 15 grams of protein per serving to help you promote satiety, healthy bones and muscle recovery. Plus, they feature probiotic-rich foods like yogurt and kefir and prebiotic-rich ingredients like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. In a balanced eating pattern, these foods can help you maintain healthy bacteria in your gut microbiome to help lower your risk of chronic diseases and inflammation.
Get a taste of our highly-rated Chickpea & Quinoa Grain Bowl for a midday meal packed with plant-based protein. Or, keep our Best Chicken Salad on hand for delicious sandwiches, wraps, crackers and more.
Gut-Healthy Miso Cup Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
This miso soup is packed with gut-healthy ingredients like miso, a fermented paste that may improve digestion plus reduce gas and bloating. The base of the soup is prepared in advance and stored in separate containers. When you’re ready to enjoy it, simply add the broth and heat it in the microwave. 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. Cover and let the soup stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Berry-Kefir Smoothie
Ana Cadena
Get a probiotic boost at breakfast when you add kefir to your smoothie. Feel free to use any berries and nut butter you have on hand in this healthy smoothie recipe.
Chickpea & Quinoa Grain Bowl
Robby Lozano
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!
Salmon-Stuffed Avocados
Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy, omega-3-rich fish in your diet. Here, we combine it with avocados in an easy no-cook meal.
Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl
Photography: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco
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.
Best Chicken Salad Recipe
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.
Spicy Ramen Noodle Cup Soup
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
In just 15 minutes, you can make three jars of vegetarian ramen cup soup that you can bring to work or school. These cup soups are not only a time saver, but are also packed with protein from hard-boiled eggs, which will help keep you satisfied until your next meal.
Spinach, Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie
Peanut butter and banana is a classic combo that’s even more delicious with the addition of tangy probiotic-rich kefir. Plus, this peanut butter banana smoothie helps you up your veggie servings for the day with a bit of mild-flavored spinach mixed in.
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.
Red Beans and Rice with Chicken
Fiber-rich red beans, whole-grain brown rice and skillet-cooked chicken breast are ready in just 20 minutes.
Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich
In this healthy chicken sandwich recipe, the avocado is mashed to create a healthy creamy spread.
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.
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.
Green Salad with Edamame & Beets
This big salad is a feast for the eyes and an everyday way to incorporate nutrient-rich beets and plant-based protein from edamame (green soybeans). If you’re not a fan of cilantro, mix in freshly chopped basil or dill instead.
Fish Taco Wraps
These quick-and-easy fish tacos are full of chili-crusted halibut, crunchy cabbage and fruity salsa. Using prepared salsa and coleslaw mix means this recipe is on the table in just 20 minutes.
Raspberry-Kefir Power Smoothie
Keeping ripe peeled bananas in your freezer means you’re always just one step away from a healthy smoothie. Kefir, peanut butter and flaxmeal add protein, probiotics and healthy fats.
Cucumber–Tuna Salad Sandwich
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco,
Cucumber adds a refreshing crunch to the creamy tuna salad in this easy sandwich. We opted for Greek-style yogurt to reduce fat and calories and add some tanginess to the dressing. Add some relish, chopped celery or pickled peppers to the tuna mixture to boost the flavor even more. Serve with potato chips, chopped fresh veggies or with bagel chips on the side.
White Bean & Avocado Sandwich
White beans mash seamlessly into a creamy protein-packed spread for a satisfying healthy sandwich that makes for an easy lunch or dinner. Mix it up by trying it with canned chickpeas or black beans. This vegetarian sandwich recipe is also a fiber superstar: avocado, beans, greens and whole-wheat bread team up to give it 15 grams of fiber, more than half of what most women should aim for in a day.
Chicken & Spinach Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing
Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
The creamy feta dressing steals the show in this protein-rich salad that makes a perfect lunch or quick and easy dinner. While you can buy feta cheese already crumbled, we like crumbling our own fresh from the block for this salad. While we prefer the slightly sharper flavor of sheep’s-milk feta, cow’s-milk feta works just as well.
Avocado Tuna Salad
Jazz up a can of tuna with this easy avocado tuna salad recipe. Silky avocado adds creaminess that’s cut with a hit of acidity from lemon and a briny punch from feta cheese. Romaine hearts and cucumber offer refreshing crunch.
Bean & Veggie Taco Bowl
Simple brown rice and black beans serve as the backdrop for sautéed veggies and taco toppings!
Anti-Inflammatory Cherry-Spinach Smoothie
This healthy smoothie is not only delicious–it also boosts your daily dose of anti-inflammatory foods. It starts with a base of creamy gut-friendly kefir and includes cherries, which can lower the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein. Heart-healthy fats in avocado, almond butter and chia seeds deliver additional anti-inflammatory compounds to the body, while spinach offers a mix of antioxidants that sweep up harmful free radicals. Fresh ginger adds zing, plus a compound called gingerol, which preliminary studies suggest may improve inflammatory markers of heart disease if consumed daily.
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!
Roasted Veggie & Tofu Brown Rice Bowl
A healthy and satisfying vegan lunch for one, featuring roasted butternut squash, broccoli, peppers and onions with simple brown rice, lime-marinated tofu and creamy cashew tahini sauce.
Rainbow Grain Bowl with Cashew Sauce
This vibrant bowl is packed with nutrients to keep you full for hours. Look for precooked lentils in the refrigerated section of the produce department.
Tempeh “Chicken” Salad
Eating probiotics–live bacteria in raw fermented food, such as tempeh and miso–can rev up the good bacteria in your body, which may help you with weight loss. Look for tempeh near the tofu in the produce section. Try vegan mayo for a completely plant-based lunch.
Read the original article on Eating Well.