34 High-Protein Lunches That Are Simple, Satisfying and Scrumptious

All the essentials of the savory filling, minus the fried shell. The recipe calls for ground pork, but you can easily substitute ground turkey or chicken.

Canned tuna to the rescue! Odds are you already have the ingredients you need in your fridge and pantry for this creamy, spicy handheld.

Store-bought rotisserie chicken just might be our favorite shortcut in the book. It’s affordable, lasts a long time and can be easily shredded and transformed into a ton of different dishes. Case in point: a 35-minute bowl of ramen, complete with a jammy egg.

Meat is most definitely not a requirement when it comes to high-protein lunches. In this vegetarian stunner, red lentils and Greek yogurt hold down the fort.

This picnic-ready side follows suit by bulking up on protein with canned black beans, diced avocados and corn instead of meat or fish.

Sure, you could slap some deli meat and cheese between two slices of bread and call it lunch. But don’t these pinwheel wraps look a million times more appetizing? We’ll take extra pepperoncini with ours, please.

Not only is this recipe impressively filling (shoutout to you, fried egg), but it’s also lower in carbs than the original, thanks to cauliflower rice.

Grilling a few flank steaks at your next barbecue? Save a few ounces for the next day, so the simple salad will take no more than five minutes to assemble.

Once you have the chicken breast and produce on hand, the rest is all pantry staples. Serve it atop a bed of steamed white rice with an extra sprinkling of sesame seeds and cilantro.

How is it possible, you ask? Chalk it up to your magical microwave. Just combine the basics in a big mug, nuke it until the pasta is tender, then stir in the sauce ingredients until melted.

It can double as a stunning centerpiece, but that doesn’t mean it’s tough to pull off. You can even blanch the asparagus and snap peas a day ahead, so all you have to do before lunchtime is assemble them with peaches, plums, cherries and cheese.

Good-for-you veggies. Juicy ground turkey. Your favorite marinara sauce. All the Parmesan cheese. Any questions?

The dipping sauce is sweet, zingy and creamy, so even your kids won’t mind finding all those veggies in their lunchbox as long as they can dunk their hearts out.

Shrimp is a total weekday warrior when it comes to making fast, filling meals. It cooks up in mere minutes, is super versatile and is basically pure, low-calorie protein.

Whether you pop the slabs of salty halloumi cheese on the outdoor grill or a grill pan, this simple, summery dish will win your heart at first bite. Ditch your laptop and enjoy your lunch alfresco—you deserve it.

These cuties are equal parts hearty, refreshing and creamy. Might we suggest upping the vinegary ante by crowning each pita with a mound of pickled red onions?

If there’s guac on it, we want it in our bellies, stat. Nutritious quinoa, canned black beans and crisp romaine lettuce are a much healthier vehicle for it than tortilla chips.

Tinned fish does it again with this lightning-fast dish that looks way more complicated than it is. Once the couscous is fluffy and cooked through, all that’s left to do is toss together the mix-ins, like briny capers and juicy cherry tomatoes.

Using diced store-bought rotisserie chicken makes assembly a breeze. If you’re a fan of meal prep, slice the meat, toss it in the buttery Buffalo sauce and store it in the fridge to add to wraps, pasta, salads and more throughout the week.

Personally, we never show up to a cookout without these vibrant gems in hand. The chicken salad is mayo-free but still just as creamy: Greek yogurt and Dijon mustard get the job done on their own.

Store-bought hummus is our go-to on days when we don’t have spare time to cook, since it’s made from protein-rich chickpeas. But TBH, it’s way cheaper to make it yourself, and it’ll only take you 15 minutes—fresh pita chips included.

Our twist on the traditional Vietnamese sandwich stars fried tofu instead of roast pork. It’s dredged and coated in sesame seeds for extra crunch. (Oh, and you’ll want to save the pickled carrots, cukes and radishes to put on *everything*.)

Our favorite thing about salmon: It doesn’t take much to make it ridiculously tasty. This mind-blowingly easy recipe is proof, since it only calls for EVOO, fresh garlic, lemon juice and herbs.

Prosciutto can be so much more than just part of a cheese board. Put it front and center in this chewy, summery sammy that pairs the cured meat with pillowy fresh mozz and smoky grilled peaches.

Serve the beef with white rice and it’s a guaranteed hit. But you could also use this dish as the base for an Asian-inspired quesadilla, burrito or fajitas.

We substitute some of the traditional mayo with tangy Greek yogurt, zingy Dijon mustard and a whole avocado, which make the salad just as creamy and a million times more flavorful.

A creamy dressing can totally elevate basic veggies. But if you’re vegan or dairy-free, you don’t have as many options. Enter the cashew dressing that’ll change your salads forever with just four basic ingredients.

This recipe wants to prove that chicken salad doesn’t need to be boring. It’s made with lots of fresh tarragon, egg, Dijon mustard and vinegar, but the tastiest part is the finishing touch: a combo of quick-pickled onions and peppery arugula.

Quick enough to make on a weeknight, impressive enough to serve to guests. They’ll never guess the mix of rice noodles, ground pork, bean sprouts and peanuts only took you 15 minutes.

You can thank extra-firm tofu and peanut butter for the protein content. But what we’re really in love with is the savory, spicy coconut milk broth, spiked with red curry paste.

Bring on the butter, baby. This citrusy, garlicky meal is always good to have in your back pocket (that’s why there’s always a bag of frozen shrimp in our freezer, BTW). Feel free to swap zoodles for pasta if you’d like—we won’t judge.

You might not know it yet, but your food processor is a miracle worker. Just pulse cauliflower and garlic into a fine meal, add cheese, egg and herbs, then press the mixture onto a sheet pan and bake until crispy.

Forget waiting for the spaghetti to cook in its own pot of water. This recipe saves a ton of time by boiling all the ingredients together, then finishing the pasta off with fresh lemon juice and Parmesan.

When all else fails, you can always lean on old faithful. We’re suckers for creamy peanut butter and tart black raspberry jam, but there are endless tasty combinations to explore.