Your stomach’s growling. Your brain is sending you all sorts of images of your favorite cravings: desserts, junk food, takeout…all the things you know you shouldn’t be eating. You need something to fill you up, but you don’t want to regret it afterward—neither physically nor mentally. But all those healthy recipes you know sound so…unappetizing. 

At Fuel For Fire, we believe you shouldn’t have to sacrifice taste for nutrition. We’ve curated a few of our favorite guilt-free lunch ideas to help you get a healthy meal:

Salad with Farro, Lentil, Goat’s Cheese, and Avocado Dressing

People who think salads are boring and tasteless just haven’t found the right combo. There are a million ways to spruce up salads. It’s really all about the texture. Try adding some protein to make it more filling. You can add meat like chicken and some goat’s cheese. Or for a dairy-free, plant-based option, you could use lentils and farro. 

Nuts are another great option for some healthy fat. And don’t forget about the dressing—it’s what literally holds everything together! Avocado dressing is not only delicious but full of healthy fats. Now you have a yummy, filling salad that won’t taste even remotely boring in your mouth.

Cauliflower “Fried Rice” 

Craving some chicken or egg-fried rice? It’s one of the classic, easy-to-make lunch recipies that everyone loves. Unfortunately, restaurant versions are often too high in carbs and unhealthy fats. But it’s easy to make a low-carb, healthy lunch version of this meal. Swap the rice for cauliflower “rice.” It tastes almost the same, and is faster to cook! 

For protein, you can add ham, egg, or chicken like normal, or swap it out for some tofu and edamame to make it plant-based. And don’t forget to add veggies! These will fill you up instead of the rice you’re used to. Our favorite mix-ins are mushrooms, onions, squash, and broccoli.

Spelt Pasta with Broccoli and Walnuts

Who doesn't love pasta? If only it wasn’t so refined or ultra-processed, loading on the carbs and deriving you of the nutrients you need. Fortunately, there are several easy swaps available for you to try that taste incredibly similar to regular pasta. Spelt is one of our favorites, but there are also red and yellow lentil pastas, brown rice, and other gluten-free options. 

Like salads, good pasta is all about texture. Add in those veggies so you don’t overdo it on the carbs in the pasta, like broccoli. Nuts are surprisingly a great option too—walnuts are one of our favorites for a crunchy, sweet addition to a savory meal. And you can saute it all in olive oil for some extra flavor and healthy fat!

Plant-Based Protein Smoothies

Although usually seen as a breakfast food, protein smoothies are great for any healthy meal, including lunch! There are a million and one ways to make them with all sorts of ingredients. We recommend starting with a base of fruits or vegetables. Fruits are some of the healthiest, most fulfilling carbs on the market, and contain natural sugars to satisfy your cravings. Berries like blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are some of our favorites. For our vegan and vegetarian friends, plant-based protein smoothies are some of the easiest vegan recipes to make. 

It’s also easy to add protein to your smoothies. You can add some scoops of protein powder which will easily blend in, or you can chop up some nuts or seeds for some added texture. Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are another great source of protein to use in smoothies.   

Healthy Smoothies to Go