These 10-Minute Healthy Lunch Recipes Make Keeping Your Resolutions a Cinch

Photo: Platings and Pairings
If you spent way too much of your paycheck on lunch at Sweetgreen in 2016, a BYOL resolution in 2017 is a smart move. Not only does food taste better when you cook it yourself, but you're also more likely to make healthier choices when you plan your dishes in advance. (#mealprep FTW!)

And if you're worried that packing your own lunch equals losing precious hours of sleep, don't—quick and easy healthy go-to's (think avocado, chickpeas, and zoodles) make filling those cute mason jars a no-fuss occasion.

These 10-minute lunch recipes (yes, I said 10) make sticking to your resolutions a breeze—and delicious, too. You can say sayonara to #saddesklunches and celebrate a healthier 2017 with a tasty stuffed sweet potato instead.

Keep reading for 7 healthy lunch recipes that are a cinch to put together.

Photo: Begin Within Nutrition
Photo: Begin Within Nutrition

1. Southwest Chickpea Avocado Smash Up

Mashing chickpeas in avocado? Talk about a genius way to fill up on healthy protein and fats. Cristina Cavanaugh of Begin Within Nutrition spreads the staple ingredients onto a whole-wheat wrap and tops it with veggies and herbs for a super-easy lunch, but you could pair the mash with crackers or veggie sticks for a healthy afternoon snack, too. This lunch is so mess-free that you can eat it with just one hand.

Photo: Wholesomelicious
Photo: Wholesomelicious

2. Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh

Grain bowls are delicious, but require a little more effort than an evening sometimes allows for. That's where cauliflower rice comes in: The nutritious grain-swap can be eaten as-is (and supermarkets are now selling pre-made packs of it, too). Wholesomelicious blogger Amy Rains subs cauli-rice into a classic tabbouleh recipe so that you can enjoy the veggie-loaded dish without spending extra time in the kitchen.

Photo: Waffle and Whisk
Photo: Waffle and Whisk

3. Sweet Potatoes with Curried Tuna and Feta

Not in the mood to prep lunch the night before? If your office has a microwave, you can bring all the ingredients to work and make your meal whenever hunger strikes. Rachel Clarke, the blogger behind Waffle & Whisk, refers to it (lovingly) as "lazy food," but IMO this is more like "genius food."

Photo: Platings and Pairings
Photo: Platings and Pairings

4. Chickpea Guacamole Salad

If you've been known to eat guacamole by the spoonful on occasion (just me?), you'll love Platings and Pairings blogger Erin Lynch' easy lunch recipe, which makes the habit totally acceptable. The classic combo gets a protein boost from the addition of chickpeas—meaning that you won't be hit by a case of the afternoon hungries.

Photo: Tastefulventure
Photo: Tastefulventure

5. Zucchini Noodles with Vegan Kale Pesto

No pans of boiling water necessary here! Substituting zucchini noodles for pasta means less cooking time—and more vitamin A. Bonus: This pesto is made with not just basil, but kale as well. Your colleagues might be green with envy over this delish dish.

Photo: This Rawsome Vegan Life
Photo: This Rawsome Vegan Life

6. Rawsome Wraps with Shredded Veggies and Mashed Avocado

Sushi lovers and sandwich lovers alike will go gaga over these raw veggie wraps. This Rawsome Vegan Life blogger Emily von Euw stuffs spinach wraps with raw cucumbers, beets, and zucchini and adds creamy avocado mashed with lemon for a lunch that promises to be super satisfying. Looking for something even more lush? Von Euw recommends a drizzle of tahini—yes please!

Photo: Kitschen Cat
Photo: Kitschen Cat

7. Couscous Salad in Avocado Boats

Quinoa and most other super-grains require a bit more cooking time, but couscous only needs five minutes—score! And if you're looking for an out-of-the-box (or, ahem, bowl) way to eat couscous, look no further than the beloved avocado. Once you remove the pit, the superfood can be used as a vessel to hold your grain salad. Jessie Van Slyke, the blogger behind Kitschen Cat, cooks her couscous in water and chicken broth to give it extra flavor, but you can easily swap for a plant-based broth if you're not a meat eater.

Equally as pressed for time in the evening? These 15-minute dinner recipes will come together without a hassle. And if you need some recipe inspiration to ring in the new year, these are some of our 2016 favorites we can't stop eating.

Healthy Lunches you can make in 10 minutes
Graphic: Abby Maker for Well+Good

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