Not sure what to have for lunch? Deciding what to cook for yourself in the middle of the day can be a challenge, but our easy lunch recipes are here to help.

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Try one of our fresh salad ideas, like leafy green salads, quinoa salad and vegetarian salad. Or, try one of our quick soup recipes, or plan ahead with our slow cooker soups.

Our pasta recipes offer a wide range of lunch ideas, from pasta salad to healthy pasta. Our bowl recipes are a great way to use up leftover proteins and veggies.

For even more lunch inspiration, see our healthy lunch recipes, vegetarian lunch ideas and our high-protein lunch collection.

Quick and easy lunch ideas

Soup

Lentil soup

Lentil soup

This simple lentil soup requires just five ingredients: stock, red lentils, carrots, leeks and a handful of parsley. It's low in calories and fat, and delivers three of your five-a-day.

Cauliflower soup

Cauliflower Soup

This top-rated cauliflower soup is creamy and comforting, perfect for a midday pick-me-up. It's delicious topped with parsley and served with crusty bread.

Rustic vegetable soup

Rustic vegetable soup in a serving pot

This low-fat veggie soup is made with carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, lentils, celery and tomato, to provide you with three of your five-a-day. If you want to bulk up this riot of colour even more, why not try adding borlotti beans or chicken breast? For an injection of wholesome, healthy goodness, look no further.

Meatball & tomato soup

Meatball Stew

Our highly rated meatball & tomato soup is super-filling, with chunky meatballs and giant couscous. Get three of your five-a-day in one serving with this healthy, low-calorie tomato soup.

Mexican bean soup with guacamole

MexicanGuacamoleSoup

This healthy spiced soup is low in calories and fat. It's a great way to use up storecupboard ingredients like canned tomatoes, beans and bouillon powder.

Orzo & tomato soup

orzo soup

Make our simple, budget-friendly tomato, orzo and chickpea soup in just 30 minutes. This easy vegetarian family meal is healthy and low in fat.

Carrot & lentil soup

carrot soup

Our five-star carrot & lentil soup is highly rated for a reason. This healthy soup is packed full of iron and low in fat. It's simple to put together, and can be made in a slow cooker.

Butternut squash soup with chilli & crème fraîche

Butternut Squash Soup

Celebrate autumn with this creamy, warming soup. Blend butternut squash with onions, garlic and chilli, then top with a dollop of crème fraîche.

Curried squash, lentil & coconut

squash soup

This vegan soup is loaded with Indian-inspired spices. Get ahead of a busy week by making a large batch and freezing for meals to come.

Courgette, pea & pesto

courgette soup

Another healthy soup, this one is loaded with fibre, vitamin C and folic acid. It's packed with chunky ingredients, like courgette, cannellini beans and peas.

Salad

Lentil salad with tahini dressing

lentil salad

Pack four of your five-a-day into each portion of this healthy lentil and sweet potato salad, which provides calcium, iron, folate, vitamin C and fibre.

Chicken satay salad

Satay Salad

This top-rated salad makes for a super-filling lunch on a busy weekday. It's a healthy dish that's low in calories and fat, and high in protein.

Avocado panzanella

Avocado Salad

This light vegan salad comes together in just 20 minutes for super-speedy lunch. It's perfect for a quick working-from-home meal.

Halloumi with lemony lentils, chickpeas & beets

Halloumi salad

This gluten-free salad is a great way to use up storecupboard ingredients. It's topped with golden-brown halloumi and quick, homemade pickled red onion.

Epic summer salad

epic summer salad

Make a big batch of this glorious summer salad to plan for the week ahead. It's packed with avocado, spinach, black beans, sweetcorn, feta cheese and mango, and topped off with a minty dressing.

Green goddess chicken salad

Green Goddess salad

Treat yourself to this chicken salad – it's bursting with colours and flavours, including basil, jalapeño and lime. It also boasts four of your five-a-day.

Guacamole & mango salad with black beans

Black Bean and Mango Salad

Get four of your five-a-day with this healthy salad of mango, avocado and beans. It's a nutritional powerhouse that's also vegan and gluten-free.

Tuna, avocado & quinoa salad

Tuna Salad

Put canned tuna to work with this storecupboard salad recipe. Combine tuna with filling avocado, quinoa, cherry tomatoes, baby spinach and feta cheese crumbles.

Crunchy bulgur salad

Bulgar Salad

This vibrant summer salad is loaded with radishes, edamame beans, peppers, almonds and herbs. Finish with a drizzle of homemade citrus dressing.

Miso brown rice & broccoli salad

Prawn salad

Miso adds an extra-savoury umami flavour to this hearty salad. Use brown rice as a base, and toss with edamame beans, broccoli, spicy prawns and the miso dressing.

Sandwiches & wraps

Beetroot, hummus & crispy chickpea sandwich

Beetroot Pesto Sandwich

Load up a sub with homemade hummus, beetroot, chickpeas and salad to make this filling vegan sandwich. This colourful sandwich is vegan-friendly for those on a plant-based diet.

Rice paper wraps

ricepaper wraps

Customise these rice paper wraps with whatever fillings you have on hand. Try dipping in a sweet chilli sauce, or make your own satay peanut sauce instead.

Green club sandwich

Club sandwich with avocado, tomato, hummus and rocket

You can't go wrong with a classic sandwich filled with nourishing ingredients. Top wholegrain or rye bread with hummus, avocado, rocket and cherry tomatoes.

Healthy tuna lettuce wraps

lettuce wraps

Try using lettuce in place of a tortilla for a low-carb lunch idea. These high-protein wraps are packed with omega-3-rich tuna, and boast three of your five-a-day.

Crispy chicken & smashed avocado baps

Chicken and Avocado Baps

Pack these healthy chicken, avocado and lettuce sandwiches to enjoy a lunch on the go. The chicken has a crispy coating made from flour, almonds and sesame seeds.

Hummus rainbow wraps

Houmous Rainbow Wrap

Make these colourful rainbow wraps, with hummus, beetroot, carrot, feta and baby spinach for a quick and easy veggie lunch for the whole family.

Falafel wrap

falafel wrap

Make our five-ingredient falafels to create these ultimate veggie wraps. They're packed with the falafels, some avocado and herbs, and topped with a delicious tahini sauce.

Veggie olive wrap

veggie wraps

Raid the fridge and assemble this easy wrap with leftover ingredients. We used red cabbage, spring onions, courgette, basil and green olives.

Roasted chickpea wraps

Roasted Chickpea Wraps

This super-healthy vegetarian supper packs in four of your five-a-day, with avocados, roasted red peppers and spiced chickpeas.

Rainbow baguette

baguette

Fill a baguette with hummus, pesto and colourful veggies, such as beetroot, red pepper, carrot and green leaves, to make this vegetarian rainbow sandwich.

Bowls

Prawn & grain poke bowls

Prawn and grain poke bowls

Poke bowls are a great option for a light lunch that's easy to throw together. Quickly marinate prawns in a chilli & lime dressing, then serve with grains, mango, radishes, avocado and spring onions.

Chicken hummus bowl

Hummus Bowl

This chicken hummus bowl is another great recipe for using up those leftovers. We've loaded ours with hummus, mixed grains, baby spinach, avocado, sliced chicken breast, pomegranate seeds and toasted almonds.

Sesame & ginger sushi bowl

sushi bowl

This vegan lunchbox is full of goodness, including fibre-rich wholegrain rice and protein-rich edamame beans, plus a tangy tamari & sesame dressing.

Peanut butter chicken rice bowl

Satay Chicken Rice Bowl

Make your own homemade satay sauce with peanut butter, sesame oil and soy sauce. Use chicken thighs for a budget-friendly lunch idea.

Burrito bowl

Burrito Bowl Chipotle Black Beans

This healthy burrito bowl is full of veggies and greens, perfect for a filling lunch. This is one vegetarian meal that tastes just as good as it looks.

Bulgur & quinoa lunch bowls

Quinoa salad

These meal-prep grain bowls are made with one base and two deliciously different toppings. Choose from avocado, olives and rocket, or chickpeas, beetroot and orange.

Chicken burrito bowl

burrito bowl

Whip up a simple chicken burrito bowl for a satisfying lunch for two. Pile on avocado, sweet potato wedges and tortillas for an easy, filling meal.

Coconut curry noodle bowl

noodle bowl

Make a big batch of these coconut curry noodles to eat later in the week. We used pok choi, green beans, carrots and udon noodles in our stir-fry.

Quick sushi bowl

Sushi Bowl

This speedy lunch contains a tasty mix of salmon, sushi rice, carrots, radishes and pickled red cabbage. It's a simple dish packed with loads of flavour.

Roasted cauli-broc bowl with tahini hummus

cauliflower bowl

This vegan lunch bowl is healthy and gluten-free. Roast a pack of cauliflower and broccoli florets, then assemble your bowl with quinoa, beetroot, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli and walnuts.

Pasta

Pasta with salmon & peas

Salmon Pasta

This top-rated salmon pasta is a great option for a filling midweek lunch. It's low in calories and rich in fibre and omega-3 fatty acids.

Creamy pesto & kale pasta

Kale and tomato pasta

Enjoy our creamy pesto and kale pasta for a tasty and nutritious lunch. Make it with just a handful of ingredients and storecupboard staples.

Ratatouille pasta salad

pasta salad

Use up leftover ratatouille to make a substantial vegetarian lunch that's quick to prepare and also super-healthy, providing all five of your five-a-day.

Mexican penne with avocado

Mexican Penne

Get all five of your five-a-day in this mildly spiced, healthy pasta dish. It's rich in iron, fibre and vitamin C, as well as being low-fat and low-calorie.

Salmon pasta salad

Salmon Pasta

Use frozen, skinless wild salmon fillets for a cheap and filling lunch on the go. This low-calorie, healthy dish couldn't be easier to whip up.

Pesto pasta salad

pesto salad

Make a big batch of this pasta salad to enjoy throughout the week. It's loaded with cucumber, peas, cherry tomatoes and basil.

Tomato, courgette & prawn pasta

courgette pasta

This healthy pasta dish is low in fat and full of fresh ingredients. It's packed with courgettes, cherry tomatoes, juicy prawns and leafy basil.

Asparagus & lemon spaghetti with peas

Asparagus Spaghetti

This healthy vegan pasta dish is ready in under 20 minutes. It's low in calories and provides three of your five-a-day, along with fibre, vitamin C and iron.

Charred broccoli, lemon & walnut pasta

broccoli pasta

Make this quick broccoli, lemon and walnut pasta with simple storecupboard ingredients. It’s healthy, low in fat and calories, and full of texture and flavour.

Enjoyed these easy lunch ideas? Discover more inspiration...

Top 10 energy boosting lunches
Top 10 working from home lunches
Easy vegan lunch ideas
10 easy sandwich filling ideas

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