Wednesday, March 19, 2025

15+ Easy 5-Ingredient Lunch Recipes That Aren’t Sandwiches

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If you’re tired of making sandwiches for lunch every day, these tasty recipes can help you switch things up! There aren’t any sandwiches in this collection; instead, you’ll find veggie-packed salads, frosty smoothies and hearty grain bowls. Each of these delicious lunch recipes features no more than five ingredients, excluding staples like salt, pepper and oil. They’re simple but full of flavor, with tasty options like our Cacio e Pepe Kale Salad or our 3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad to keep you satisfied until dinnertime.

Cacio e Pepe Kale Salad

Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley

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If you love the peppery, cheesy flavors of cacio e pepe, then you’ll enjoy this Cacio e Pepe Kale Salad. We give the dish a spin by using those same flavors with kale, a nutrient-rich vegetable that can help fend off chronic inflammation.

Berry-Green Tea Smoothie

Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley


This vibrant smoothie combines antioxidant-rich berries, green tea and omega-3-rich chia seeds with the natural sweetness of dates, blending into a delicious, healthy drink.

3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Carolyn Hodges

We put a flavor twist on the classic chicken salad by using a lemon-herb mayonnaise. Try other mayo varieties, like roasted garlic or chipotle lime, in this fast, no-cook lunch recipe. Serve this rotisserie chicken salad recipe with whole-grain crackers.

Orange-Mango Smoothie

Ali Redmond


The vitamin C from the oranges helps support immune health, making this smoothie a great staple during cold and flu season. Plus, it tastes just like a creamsicle. If you don’t have almond milk, any other dairy or nondairy milk will work.

Spinach & Artichoke Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette

Ali Redmond


Inspired by the classic warm party dip, this simple salad can be served up right away or divided into small lidded containers for a week of delicious lunches. To keep the hard-boiled eggs tasting fresh, we suggest adding them to your salad just before serving or in the morning before packing your lunch to go.

Cauliflower Rice Bowls with Grilled Asparagus & Chicken Sausage

To save on carbs, we’re swapping in riced cauliflower for regular rice and adding pregrilled asparagus, which bulks up these bowls and adds fiber. At lunchtime, just reheat to steaming then top with a bit of pesto.

Berry-Mint Kefir Smoothies

Kefir is similar to yogurt, full of gut-friendly probiotics. But it has fewer carbs and a more drinkable consistency–perfect for smoothies.

English Muffin Pizza with Tomato & Olives

Ted & Chelsea Cavanaugh

This pizza-inspired English muffin topped with tomato, cheese, olives and oregano does triple duty—it’s great as part of a delicious lunch.

Roasted Veggie Mason Jar Salad

This vegan mason jar salad is easy to pack up and take for lunch. Layering the creamy cashew sauce into the bottom of the jar ensures that your big, bold power salad won’t become wilted by the time you’re ready to eat.

Strawberry-Pineapple Smoothie

Blend almond milk, strawberry and pineapple for a smoothie that’s so easy and delicious. A bit of almond butter adds richness and filling protein. Freeze some of the almond milk for an extra-icy texture.

Chicken, Quinoa & Veggie Bowl

With a whopping 19 grams of protein, this one-dish meal will keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours.

Couscous & Chickpea Salad

Cooked couscous and canned chickpeas come together in this quick lunch salad. The basil vinaigrette makes it taste anything but basic! When in season, we recommend adding fresh chopped tomatoes for a spin on tabbouleh.

3-Ingredient Chickpeas with Kale & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes pull double duty in this chickpeas and kale recipe. Use the oil from the jar to cook the kale, then stir in the sun-dried tomatoes to add flavor and texture to the dish.

Strawberry-Chocolate Smoothie

This strawberry-chocolate smoothie is so creamy and rich, you might want it as a dessert, too.

Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna

This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don’t need to massage or cook it to make it tender.

Sesame Instant Ramen Noodles with Broccoli & Soft-Boiled Egg

Jazz up basic ramen noodles with toasted sesame oil, quick-cooked broccoli and a jammy soft-boiled egg. To cut back on sodium, look for ramen varieties with less than 600 mg sodium per serving or use less of the seasoning packet.

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