Zoom Meetings All Morning? Make One of These Energizing Lunches

After a long, seemingly-endless morning of staring at my computer, what I really crave is something easy and energizing. I want it to feel fresh and light, but substantial enough to fuel the rest of my day, and I don’t want it to take a whole lot of time to make. Most of all, I don’t want to feel compelled to take a nap after. These healthy lunch recipes nail all of those requirements with great flavors to boot.

1. Nutty Green Veggie Crunch Salad by Blissful Basil

Edamame may be the protein powerhouse in this salad, but it’s the savory crunch of the nuts and the satisfaction of a deeply flavorful dressing made with nut butter, rice vinegar and tamari, that raises this recipe right into my regular rotation of lunches. The dressing may, at first blush, seem a little heavy. It isn’t at all.

Photo Credit: The Recipe Critic

2. Honey Lime Quinoa Fruit Salad from The Recipe Critic

This is such an enjoyable and simple recipe. You can use leftover quinoa or pre-cut fruit, but if I’m working from home, I’m happy to get up and l make some fresh quinoa, go back to my desk, and return 20 minutes later, ready to go. I enjoy adding the fruit while the quinoa is still warm so the fruit soaks in quickly. This fruity, protein-rich lunch could have felt a little sweet, but the citrus offers a zippy counterpart, making it a great choice.

Photo Credit: Damn Delicious

3. Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Sandwich from Damn Delicious

A chicken salad with no mayo? This creamy version uses protein-rich Greek yogurt, which gives the chicken salad a bright dimension and still keeps you feeling light.

Photo Credit: How Sweet Eats

4. Green Goddess Tuna Melt Tartines from How Sweet Eats

I’m a big fan of open sandwiches, or as the French call them, tartines. This quick and light recipe features a garden’s worth of herbs, avocado and some mayo to make a creamy dressing. It works equally well with leftover or canned salmon.

Photo Credit: Gourmande in the Kitchen

5. Thin Green Spinach and Herb Omelettes from Gourmande in the Kitchen

This recipe is an intriguing example of what a little technique can do to improve anyone’s cooking. Here the thick, creamy, classic French omelette is reimagined as a thin, delicately crisp crepe that’s fast as can be to cook. You can fill these with spinach, as written, or with leftovers. Delicious, healthy, innovative and easy to riff on? I am so on board.