Carbs might be getting a bad rap lately, but — just like protein and fats, their fellow macronutrients — they're a key part of a balanced diet, important for building muscle and keeping your energy up. That being said, going overboard every meal, every day isn't to your benefit, either. You don't need to cut carbs out altogether, but current dietary guidelines recommend you keep starchy carbs in particular to about a quarter of your plate, according to Michele Fumagalli, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian with Northwestern Medicine. "A lower-carb diet is really just a regular, normal diet," she told POPSUGAR. "It's just that a lot of people see it as low-carb because it's only a fourth of your plate."
If you're looking to cut back on carbs, lunch is a great time to do it. Pack your lunch the night (or weekend) before, load it into the work fridge in the morning, pull it out at noon, and presto: you have a pre-made, low-carb meal to power you through the day. Prep these 14 options for a delicious deskside lunch that curbs your cravings and keeps you full and energized until dinner.
Packed with tofu and Swiss chard, this vitamin-packed dish is easy to whip up after work or on a weekend. Divide it into portions (the recipe makes about four) and pack it in containers to refrigerate and tote to work in the morning.
Caesar salad might not seem like the healthiest salad choice, but this recipe takes your favorite dressing taste and makes it lighter and healthier. The addition of your favorite leafy green, kale, doesn't hurt either. Whip up the dressing (made with lemon juice, mustard, anchovies, and garlic) and store it separately, then toss the kale with it just before lunch. For more protein, add a lean chicken breast on top.
Sub in nonfat Greek yogurt to keep the same texture and tang of chicken salad you love while cutting the calories and fat of the traditional in half. Skip the bread and serve your salad over a bed of lettuce for a light and satisfying lunch.
This delicious pizza crust is gluten-free and packed with veggies in the form of freshly-grated cauliflower. Deck it out with your favorite toppings, set it in the oven on Sunday, and and enjoy reheated leftovers for the rest of the week.
Riced cauliflower is the low-carb secret behind this decadent "risotto," giving it some veggie-fueled vitamins and cutting prep time down to 25 minutes. Win-win. This recipe makes six servings, so you can have it for dinner on Sunday and enjoy it for lunch the rest of the week.
High in protein, low in carbs, and made in just one pan: it's hard not to love this easy vegan meal, especially when the garlicky, cumin-tinged flavor is so rich, too. Enjoy the roasted veggies and protein-packed tofu for lunch by simply reheating and chowing down.
This meal-prep-ready salad, a take on a Trader Joe's classic, can be made even more low-carb by replacing the dressing's sugar witha low-calorie sweetener, or leaving it out altogether. Buy pre-shredded cabbage mix to save on prep time and toss in the dressing right before you're ready to eat.
Served with a refreshing pico de gallo, cauliflower rice, cheese, and creamy sour cream, these delicious meatballs will curb your meat cravings and keep you full all afternoon. They're made of lean ground beef and are perfect to meal prep the night or weekend before, then pack up in bowls for the rest of the week.
Prep your chicken beforehand and separate the ingredients in this fresh, gorgeous salad into different containers to bring in for a healthy, filling lunch. Combine the avocado, chicken, avocado, and pine nuts with your arugula and drizzle it with hearty pesto for a luscious salad lunch.
Tomatoes, cucumbers, bacon, chickpeas, and fresh mozzarella cheese combine with grilled chicken and vinaigrette for a simple, wholesome, and colorful lunch salad. Serve your chopped goodies on a bed of fresh romaine lettuce, but store them separately to increase the shelf life and enjoy this easy dish all week long.
These meal prep bowls are so simple, you could whip them up on a weeknight if you missed meal prep Sunday. Once you've chopped up your veggies — peppers, cucumbers, olives, and onions — it's just a matter of cooking some diced chicken and throwing it all together. Top with tzatziki sauce right before lunch and pair with a small slice of pita bread for just a few carbs on the side.
Besides being low in carbs, this simple shrimp salad is brimming with protein — 23 grams in all. You can serve it on a bed of romaine lettuce or even in the hollow of an avocado for some healthy, filling fats. It only keeps for about a day in the fridge, so prep it on a Sunday for a work lunch to beat your Monday blues.
Ripe strawberries and creamy feta cheese make this pack-ahead lunch the perfect salad for people who don't like salad. Toss together the ingredients and homemade dressing just before serving to keep the dish crisp and satisfying.
Whether you're Whole30-ing or not, these simple wraps are a healthy dish to refresh your lunchtime meal habits. Mix together baked chicken, homemade mayo, bacon bits, tomatoes, and avocado, then wrap up a spoonful in your favorite leafy green to serve. The lemon juice in the filling keeps your avocados from going brown, which means this salad is good to store for a few days in the fridge.
