Healthy Lunch Ideas for Work, Ranked by Score

A healthy work lunch gives you at least 15 to 20 g of protein, a good dose of fiber and no more than about a third of the day’s sodium, for roughly 400 to 600 kcal. On our scores, the strongest dishes for that job are ceviche (score 77, 25 g protein per plate), menemen (72), chili con carne (59, 8.1 g fiber per bowl) and chicken tagine (51, 43 g protein). A packed box of tuna, chickpeas, carrots and spinach comes to 423 kcal, 44 g protein and 14.8 g fiber with only 428 mg sodium. The tables below compare the options portion by portion.

What makes a work lunch healthy?

Four numbers do most of the work. Protein and fiber make a meal filling, and a lunch that keeps you full means fewer trips to the snack drawer at 4 pm. Calories set the size: around 400 to 600 kcal suits most adults at midday. Sodium is the one that trips people up, because restaurant and takeaway food is often salty. The Daily Value is 2,300 mg, so a lunch above about 800 mg uses up more than a third of the day.

Every number below is computed from USDA FoodData Central values on each dish or food page, for the first portion listed on that page. The score is our HowHealthyIs Score out of 100, which rates nutrient density per calorie.

Which dishes make the best work lunch?

These are dishes from our database that reach at least 10 g of protein per portion and work as a main meal, sorted by score.

Dish	Score	Portion	kcal	Protein	Fiber	Sodium
Shakshuka	79	2 eggs, 400 g	312	16 g	7.3 g	1,093 mg
Ceviche	77	1 plate, 270 g	208	25 g	2.7 g	701 mg
Menemen	72	half a pan, 280 g	263	15 g	3.5 g	540 mg
Palak paneer	71	250 g	338	17 g	4.1 g	1,067 mg
Chili con carne	59	1 bowl, 300 g	345	20 g	8.1 g	763 mg
Chana masala	58	1 bowl, 250 g	305	13 g	9.0 g	706 mg
Karnıyarık	57	1 eggplant, 230 g	292	10 g	5.4 g	419 mg
Kung pao chicken	53	250 g	515	40 g	3.4 g	782 mg
Mapo tofu	51	250 g	378	22 g	1.7 g	745 mg
Chicken tagine	51	350 g	511	43 g	5.7 g	772 mg
Chicken tacos	49	3 tacos, 270 g	437	35 g	7.9 g	892 mg
Chicken souvlaki	49	2 skewers, 170 g	352	46 g	0.5 g	682 mg

Two patterns stand out. Bean and lentil dishes such as chili con carne and chana masala carry the most fiber, while the chicken dishes carry the most protein. Several of the lighter dishes, such as ceviche and menemen, sit near 200 to 260 kcal, so add a slice of bread or a portion of rice if you need a bigger meal. Shakshuka and palak paneer score high but come close to half the day’s sodium, so keep the rest of the day lighter on salt.

Is soup enough for lunch?

On its own, usually not. A bowl of soup is filling for its calories, but most soups are low in protein.

Soup	Score	Portion	kcal	Protein	Fiber	Sodium
Minestrone	68	1 bowl, 350 g	182	7 g	5.1 g	720 mg
Borscht	67	1 bowl, 400 g	200	13 g	4.2 g	655 mg
Turkish lentil soup	54	1 bowl, 250 g	185	9 g	4.8 g	476 mg
Dal tadka	54	1 bowl, 250 g	220	10 g	7.6 g	622 mg
Miso soup	47	1 bowl, 240 g	96	10 g	1.1 g	928 mg

All five land under 225 kcal. Pair a lentil soup with two hard-boiled eggs (13 g protein together, 143 kcal) or a container of Greek yogurt (17 g protein, 100 kcal), and the meal is complete.

Which takeaway lunches should you limit?

Popular takeaway lunches often bring a full meal’s worth of sodium, and sometimes most of the day’s.

Dish	Score	Portion	kcal	Protein	Sodium
Chicken shawarma	36	1 wrap, 325 g	647	40 g	1,576 mg
Pho	31	1 bowl, 700 g	392	30 g	1,896 mg
Burrito	27	1 burrito, 235 g	458	19 g	1,271 mg
Margherita pizza	23	half a pizza, 285 g	752	28 g	1,373 mg
Tonkotsu ramen	12	1 bowl, 830 g	1,046	38 g	2,625 mg

Pho is the interesting case: it is moderate in calories with plenty of protein, but a 700 g bowl holds 1,896 mg of sodium. Drinking less of the broth is the easiest way to cut it. A bowl of tonkotsu ramen alone passes the Daily Value for sodium.

What should you pack in a lunch box?

A lunch box gives you the most control, especially over sodium. Here are four combinations built from foods in our database.

Lunch box	kcal	Protein	Fiber	Sodium
1 can tuna, 1 cup chickpeas, 1 carrot, 1 cup spinach	423	44 g	14.8 g	428 mg
1/2 cup tofu, 1 cup edamame, 1 cup brown rice, 1 carrot	551	36 g	14.0 g	74 mg
2 eggs, 2 slices whole wheat bread, half an avocado, 1 apple	519	23 g	13.2 g	440 mg
1 container Greek yogurt, 1 apple (light lunch or snack)	195	18 g	4.4 g	63 mg

The tuna and chickpea box gives the most protein per calorie. The tofu and edamame box is fully plant-based and has almost no sodium, because nothing in it is salted; a dash of soy sauce adds sodium quickly, so measure it. If you cook on Sunday, a pot of lentils (1 cup cooked: 230 kcal, 18 g protein, 15.6 g fiber) covers the base for several boxes. Compare chickpeas and lentils side by side if you are choosing one.

Quick rules for any lunch

• Aim for 20 g of protein or more. Our foods high in protein list helps you find it.
• Add a vegetable or legume for fiber. See foods high in fiber and legumes.
• Check sodium on takeaway food. Above 800 mg, keep dinner low in salt.
• Match the size to your day. A desk day and a day on your feet need different portions.

General nutrition information, not medical advice. If you manage a condition such as high blood pressure or diabetes, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian what fits you.