21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (2024)

Need a low-key lunch for your busy workdays? These sandwiches, salads, bowls and wraps will do the trick. These delish dishes are perfect for packing up, so you can have a satisfying lunch at your desk and still meet your daily nutritional goals. Recipes like our Veggie & Hummus Sandwich and Meal-Prep Turkey Cobb Salad will give you a tasty, low-calorie midday boost without the mess.

01of 21

Spinach & Mushroom Quiche

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (1)

This healthy vegetarian quiche recipe is as simple as it gets. It's a quiche without the fussy crust! It's filled with sweet wild mushrooms and savory Gruyère cheese. Enjoy it for breakfast or brunch, or serve it with a light salad for lunch.

02of 21

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (2)

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.

03of 21

White Bean & Veggie Salad

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (3)

This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables.

04of 21

Vegan Superfood Grain Bowls

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (4)

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.

05of 21

Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (5)

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.

06of 21

Chickpea, Artichoke & Avocado Salad with Apple-Cider Dressing

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (6)

This delicious 400-calorie salad is a helpful tool for weight loss because it provides a good balance of fiber, protein and healthy fats from loads of veggies and beans, all tossed in a tangy apple cider vinaigrette. To meal-prep these for lunch throughout the week, pack the dressing and the salad separately and make sure your veggies are thoroughly dried before packing them together.

07of 21

Meal-Prep Turkey Cobb Salad

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (7)

Cubed deli turkey takes the place of chicken, while Cheddar replaces blue cheese in this easy Cobb-inspired salad. The protein-rich turkey and cheese, plus eggs and bacon, gives the salad staying power, so you won't get hungry an hour after you eat. Feel free to swap out the turkey for cooked chicken or chickpeas to mix things up. Serve the salad right away or pack it up in individual containers, and you'll be set for lunch for days.

08of 21

Lemon-Roasted Vegetable Hummus Bowls

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (8)

Brimming with colorful roasted vegetables, these plant-based meal-prep lunch bowls are high in fiber to keep you full through the afternoon. Feel free to use your favorite store-bought hummus to cut down on prep time, or make a batch of your own. You can also sub in an 8-ounce microwaveable quinoa pouch to minimize cooking.

09of 21

Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (9)

In this healthy chicken sandwich recipe, the avocado is mashed to create a healthy creamy spread.

10of 21

Whole-Wheat Veggie Wrap

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (10)

Use whichever veggies you have on hand to fill up this veggie wrap. The avocado and hummus help hold the wrap together—and provide heart-healthy fat and fiber.

Mediterranean Broccoli Pasta Salad

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (11)

We've loaded this healthy pasta salad with vegetables and flavors of the Mediterranean. Sun-dried tomatoes and a touch of lemon zest jazz up the dressing, while tender-crisp broccoli florets cook alongside the pasta, making assembly (and cleanup!) a breeze.

12of 21

Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (12)

A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos. To cut down on prep time, look for precut cauliflower in the produce department. You can also save time by using microwaveable quinoa pouches instead of cooking quinoa.

13of 21

Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (13)

White beans mashed with ripe avocado and blended with sharp Cheddar and onion make an incredibly rich, flavorful filling for this wrap. The tangy, spicy slaw adds crunch. A pinch (or more) of ground chipotle pepper and an extra dash of cider vinegar can be used in place of the canned chipotles in adobo sauce. Wrap these up to take as a healthy and portable lunch for work.

14of 21

Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (14)

Chicken satay, originally from Indonesia and popular throughout Southeast Asia, is served with a crunchy savoy cabbage slaw and creamy peanut sauce in this easy meal-prep recipe.

15of 21

Cream Cheese & Veggie Roll-Up

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (15)

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.

16of 21

Spinach & Strawberry Meal-Prep Salad

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (16)

One of our most popular salad recipes, , 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.

17of 21

Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut Dressing

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (17)

Prep four days' worth of high-protein vegan lunches using just four easy ingredients from your local specialty grocery store, including a veggie-heavy salad mix as a base. Because this salad mix is hearty, you can dress these bowls up to 24 hours before serving to allow the flavors in this healthy chopped salad to marry. If you can't find a hearty mix, go with broccoli slaw or shredded Brussels sprouts.

18of 21

Spicy Slaw Bowls with Shrimp & Edamame

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (18)

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.

19of 21

Turkey-Apple-Brie Sandwiches

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (19)

Hollowed-out baguettes hold a satisfying combo of tart apples, creamy Brie and protein-rich, shredded turkey.

20of 21

Vegetarian Italian Hoagies

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (20)

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.

21of 21

Open-Faced Egg Salad Sandwich

View Recipe

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (21)

This egg salad recipe is spiked with dill and lemon zest. Crisp pancetta adds texture and flavor. If you don't want to go with the pancetta, try a few capers sprinkled on top instead.

21 400-Calorie Lunches You Can Eat at Your Desk (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Sen. Ignacio Ratke

Last Updated:

Views: 6199

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (76 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Sen. Ignacio Ratke

Birthday: 1999-05-27

Address: Apt. 171 8116 Bailey Via, Roberthaven, GA 58289

Phone: +2585395768220

Job: Lead Liaison

Hobby: Lockpicking, LARPing, Lego building, Lapidary, Macrame, Book restoration, Bodybuilding

Introduction: My name is Sen. Ignacio Ratke, I am a adventurous, zealous, outstanding, agreeable, precious, excited, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.