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Lunch can be a big challenge when you’re trying to lose weight and get healthy. I’ve had many folks on Weight Watchers ask me for easy lunch ideas.
For many of us Weight Watchers, lunch is the meal most likely to be eaten away from home, at work, squeezed into an already overcrowded day.
With so many unhealthy quick and easy options – from tacos, pizza, burgers and super-sized subs and sandwiches, to all you can eat Chinese buffets – tempting us from every angle, it can be hard to stay on track. If you are not careful, it’s easy to blow your whole day’s worth of calories or points on a double cheeseburger, fries and soda.
That’s where these healthy and easy lunch ideas for weight management come to the rescue.
A healthy balanced lunch should include lots of fiber to fill you up and lean healthy protein to keep you satisfied for hours. Think whole grains, beans, low fat cheese, fish, chicken, turkey and lean ham or beef with lots of vegetables and fruit.
To get you started here are some of my favorite healthy lunches for weight loss to get your creative juices flowing…
My Latest Easy Healthy Favorite Lunches
Low Carb Tortilla Pizza for One
A low carb tortilla (affiliate link), such as Xtreme Ole Brand is the base for this quick and easy satisfying pizza for one.
English Muffin Spicy Chicken Pesto Pizza
2-Ingredient Canned Tuna Ceviche
Easy 5-Ingredient Asparagus Minestrone
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Sandwich
Open-Faced Salmon Salad Sandwich for Two
23+ Healthy Lunch Ideas for Weight Loss
Chopped Salad
Chopped mixed greens, chopped veggies of your choice and 6 chopped walnuts, tossed with 4 ounces of salmon, turkey or chicken breast with low fat balsamic olive oil dressing. Well constructed salads are one of the best healthy lunch ideas for managing your weight.
More Chopped Salads for Weight Watchers
Greek Turkey Feta Salad in a Jar
The last time I made a salad, I made an extra one for the mason jar and put it in the fridge so it would be ready and waiting when I needed a quick and easy lunch. The cool thing is that these salads-in-a-jar will stay fresh for several days.
Chicken Salad with Apples and Cranberries
This is by far one of the most popular WW friendly recipes of all time here on Simple Nourished Living having been shared hundreds of thousands of times! It’s a winner on its own, stuffed into lettuces leaves or spread onto your favorite whole grain crackers or bread. If you are a fan of chicken salad here are 9 More WW friendly recipes for chicken salad to tickle or tastebuds!
More Light and Healthy Soups for Weight Loss
Hearty broth based vegetable soup and a simple tossed salad. Add 3 or 4 whole grain crackers and an ounce of reduced fat cheese if you like.
Simply Filling Slow Cooker Bean and Cabbage Soup
Oh So Simple Chicken and White Bean Salsa Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Vegetable Soup
Veggie Black Bean Burger on a toasted whole wheat English muffin with mustard, salsa or a little tomato sauce, lettuce, tomato and onion. Add a side of baby carrots and celery sticks with a healthy low fat dip if you want.One of the quickest, easiest healthy lunch ideas for weight loss around. I love many of the frozen veggie burgers available in the supermarket.If you prefer, here’s a yummy black bean burger you can make yourself.
Crunchy Tuna Salad on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato with 1 cup chopped cucumber and tomato salad with a splash of balsamic vinaigrette.
Easy Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup with 3 or 4 whole grain crackers.
1/2 Turkey Sandwich on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato, 2 ounces turkey and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard with a side salad and 1 tablespoon low fat dressing.
Large Spinach Salad with 2 ounces feta, goat or blue cheese, 3 ounces grilled chicken, 1/4 cup chickpeas, 1/4 cup sliced grapes and 1 tablespoon low fat dressing and 2 pieces of whole grain crispbread.
Easy Baked Bean Soup with 3 whole grain crackers, 2 ounces of lean ham and baby carrots.
Baked Potato – microwave (affiliate link) a medium (6 ounce) baked potato and top it with unlimited vegetables such as broccoli, chopped tomatoes, sauteed spinach and mushrooms or 1/2 cup pinto beans and 1/4 cup reduced fat cheese with a small tossed salad. Or one of my personal favorite healthy lunch ideas that I learned at WW decades ago – baked potato with cottage cheese and salsa.
Vegetarian Chili with 1 serving baked tortilla chips and fruit. Another great make ahead meal that just needs reheating.
Crispy Pita Pizza
Top a small whole grain pita with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, 1/4 cup grated mozzarella and grilled/raw vegetables of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese bubbles, 5 -10 minutes. Or get fancy with this Hawaiian english muffin pizza.
- Easy Healthy Sausage, Spinach and Wild Rice Soup
A hearty satisfying meal in a bowl you can make over the weekend and enjoy for a quick and healthy lunch during the week. - Quick and Healthy Nachos
Spread 1-1/2 ounces whole grain tortilla chips on an oven/microwave (affiliate link) safe plate and top with 1/2 cup beans and 1 ounce shredded low fat cheese. Bake at 300F degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or microwave 30 seconds until the cheese melts. Top with 1/4 cup salsa and 2 tablespoons guacamole. Perfect when a craving for Mexican food strikes.
Tuna Pasta Salad
Combine 1 cup whole wheat pasta, 1/2 cup drained canned tuna and 3 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise stirred together with finely chopped green onion, red pepper and celery.
Rice and Beans
Stir 1 cup cooked brown rice, 1/2 cup black beans, 1/2 cup chopped avocado together with salsa and a sprinkling of reduced fat cheese. Or for a lower carb version, check out this recipe for Cauliflower Rice and Beans that can be made ahead and then reheated for a quick and easy low point lunch.
Greek Salad
Combine 2 cups baby spinach leaves with 2 ounces feta cheese, 1/2 chopped tomato, 1/4 chopped cucumber, 1/4 chopped green pepper 3 black olives and 2 tablespoons low fat dressing.
Mozzarella Wrap
Top 1 whole grain tortilla with 2 ounces shredded part skim mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup roasted sliced red peppers, chopped tomatoes and spinach. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon pesto and roll into a sandwich wrap.
Nut Butter & Jelly
Spread 1-1/2 tablespoons your favorite nut butter and 2 teaspoons jam between 2 slices of whole grain bread. Add an apple and some baby carrots. Or get fancy with a peanut butter banana strawberry wrap!
Chicken Vegetable Quesadilla
Spread a small whole grain tortilla with 1 ounce cooked chopped chicken, 1 ounce low fat shredded cheese, chopped tomato, chopped green onion and 2 tablespoons salsa. Top with another tortilla. Grill, bake or microwave until the cheese melts.
Open-Faced Easy Egg Salad Sandwich
On 1 slice of whole grain bread with 1 cup chopped tomato, celery and cucumber salad and 1 ounce dark chocolate. Or try this skinny curried egg salad for something different.
Jamie Oliver Vegetable Soup with Beans and small mixed green salad with low fat dressing.
Ham and Cheese Sandwich
2 ounces ham, 1 ounce cheese, 1 teaspoon mustard or mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato on whole grain bread with 1 cup raw sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes. Or try this fancied up WW Prosciutto Pear Blue Cheese Sandwich
Weight Watchers BLT
A classic made lighter and healthier. Perfectly paired with this Simple Chunky Tomato Soup
Cottage Cheese and Fruit
Such as canned pineapple or peaches, fresh or frozen berries, bananas, etc. This was one of my college roommate’s go go lunches for years. I probably don’t need to tell you she never has had a weight problem!
If you’re still feeling hungry, add more non-starchy vegetables and fruit till until you’re satisfied.
More Healthy Lunch Ideas for Weight Loss
- Best Healthy Lunch Ideas – from EatingWell (affiliate link)
- Smart Lunch Ideas with SmartPoints – from my WW friend Alisha at Meal Planning Mommies
Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 93.3 million adults in the USA had obesity in 2015–2016.
While I love the recipe ideas, I’m often stumped by how to figure my daily points with free style, and how to calculate, from recipes, reasonable portion sizes. I know that I can allegedly eat lots of the free foods and still lose, but for many of us, that isn’t realistic and portion control is the biggest issue. Any suggestions for combining our need with your suggestions and recipes? THANKS!!!
The 1/2 sandwiches are dumb. I’m sorry but I have eaten a whole sandwich on mute grain bread with low sodium tuna fish with plenty of lettuce and tomatoes with a side of celery sticks and it still stays under 400 calories and fills me up. Bottle of water with it. I’ll even add chopped celery in with the tuna and lite mayo
Thanks! I get so bored with my lunches, in a rush it’s hard to think outside the box, but this list will come in handy!