50+ Whole30 Lunch Ideas
12 Comments
Updated Dec 15, 2023
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These Whole30 lunch ideas are fresh, satisfying, and will keep those hunger pangs at bay throughout the day! Eat through a rainbow of color with vibrant salads, hearty proteins paired with roasted or sauteed vegetables, and brightly flavored seafood recipes.
Best Whole30 Lunch Ideas
If you’ve been planning out your Whole30 foods, chances are you probably have breakfast and dinner ideas penciled in. But let’s not look past the lunch hour.
As I mentioned on my healthy habits video, the mindset that ANY food can be eaten at any time of the day is a biggie. Eggs are not just for breakfast and carne asada is not just dinner. So when it comes to lunch, remember that any food is fair game. Lunch is the meal that’s going to fuel you for the second half of your day, and these easy Whole30 lunch ideas are simply delicious!
Whole30 Salad Ideas
No grains? No problem. Salads are the perfect way to utilize leafy greens at their maximum potential. Toss them with flavorful proteins, roasted veggies, and even fresh cut fruit. The combinations are endless as there’s so many wholesome ingredients to choose from.
- Mandarin Chicken Salad
- Salmon Avocado Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Kale Salad With Apples And Chicken
- Israeli Salad
- Easy Cucumber Salad
- Pulled Pork, Cabbage, And Arugula Salad
- Smoked Salmon, Avocado, And Arugula Salad
- Shrimp, Asparagus, And Avocado Salad
- BLT Salad With Avocado And Sprouts
- Carrot And Zucchini Pasta With Avocado Cucumber Sauce
- Roasted Beet And Kale Salad
Whole30 Creamy Salads
Aside from leafy greens, let’s not forget about these deliciously creamy salads. Not only do they make for a refreshing side, but you can turn them into a complete meal by wrapping them with lettuce leaves and other chopped vegetables.
- Ultimate Chicken Salad or this Pesto Chicken Salad
- Salmon Salad
- Shrimp Salad
- Curried Egg Salad
- Tuna Salad
- Egg Salad
- Avocado Egg Salad
Whole30 Lunch One-Pan Recipes
One-pan recipes are always on rotation for busy weeknight meals. Not only are they easy to make, but they require less clean-up (which is my favorite attribute!). I have quite the selection of one-pan recipes, because I’m such a fan, so enjoy this wide variety of flavorful options.
- Shakshuka
- Chicken Fajitas or this Steak Fajitas
- Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake
- Orange Shakshuka
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
- Coconut Curry Chicken + Cauliflower Rice
- Zucchini Pasta With Lemon Garlic Shrimp
- Green Shakshuka
- Zucchini Noodle Spaghetti Bolognese
- Mexican Chicken Zucchini Noodles
- Parsnip Noodle Chicken Alfredo
Whole30 Vegetable Sides
Nothing beats a classic veggie and protein combo. You can take any of the recipes below and add a meaty protein (the next category below), or do what I always do… top an egg on it! Hard boiled eggs, soft boiled eggs, and poached eggs are great toppers on big bowls of veggies.
- Cabbage Steaks
- Spaghetti Squash, Brussels Sprouts, And Crispy Shallots
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Broccoli Rice
- Sauteed Cabbage or this Fried Cabbage (just swap butter for ghee)
- Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Butternut Squash
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Garlic Ginger Bok Choy
- Garlic Sauteed Swiss Chard
- Baked Sweet Potato
- Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh
- Spaghetti Squash With Broccolini And Truffle Oil
- Air fryer vegetables such as air fryer Brussels sprouts, air fryer carrots, air fryer asparagus, air fryer broccoli, air fryer green beans, or air fryer cauliflower.
Whole30 Meat Recipes
It’s amazing how a few spices, herbs, and sauces can make that chunk of meat insanely delicious. Choose from crispy chicken with earthy dried spices, to tender pulled pork in the slow cooker, to juicy carne asada on the grill. Meat has never tasted so good.
- Greek Sheet Pan Chicken
- Greek Chicken Kabobs
- Turkey Burgers
- Best Baked Chicken (or this Herb Baked Chicken)
- Carnitas
- Irish Lamb Stew
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Chicken Meatballs
- Apple Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash
- Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
- Greek Lemon Chicken
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Carne Asada
- Basil Chicken With Kumquats
- Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Grilled Chicken Souvlaki
- Pork And Fennel Meatballs
Whole30 Seafood Recipes
If you love seafood (as I do), you’re in luck. These healthy recipes jazz up the simplest baked salmon or canned tuna with effortless sauces and seasonings. And items like the tuna meatballs and salmon patties make great leftovers and meal prep for the week.
- Dijon Baked Salmon
- Mediterranean Cod en Papillote
- Cajun Shrimp
- Garlic Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Air Fryer Salmon or these Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Poached Salmon
- Baked Tuna Meatballs
- Scallops With Citrus Ginger Sauce
- Tuna Stuffed Avocados
- Salmon Patties
- Roasted Branzino With Citrus Pesto
If you try any of these recipes during your Whole30 journey, leave a comment on the recipe page and let the community know how you liked it!
50+ Whole30 Lunch Ideas
Description
Ingredients
- 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and finely diced
- 3 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp red onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp chives, chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- lettuce leaves, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Stir together all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Serve the avocado salad as is, or top it on bread, lettuce, or a salad.
Nutrition
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This is in regards to the whole30 January edition that was just emailed. Are we to assume that the recipes/meals are for one serving? This looks easy enough that I want to put my whole family on it (4 adults and 2 kids), so I want to calculate appropriately.
As stated in the intro, this meal plan is meant for one person, so you’ll need to quadruple (or more).
I haven’t really dabbled in Whole30 so far. You have a wonderfully explained comprehensive list and I love so many of them. I am definitely giving it a shot.
Glad this post was helpful on breaking down how to follow a Whole30 diet for lunch :)
Oooooh these are such great ideas! I love the orange shakshuka. That’s on my to-make list now (along with about 49 others!).
Glad you’re enjoying these lunch ideas! The orange shakshuka is definitely one to try :)
It’s funny, because I have always wanted to try whole 30, but didn’t because I didn’t think I could find enough recipes to keep me interested. This post came at the most perfect time! Saving this to try in the new year!!
Can’t wait for you to give these recipes a try Cathleen!
Yummy! I can’t wait to give some of these a try! My family is going to love them!
Enjoy these ideas Beth!
Such a great collection of lunch recipes. I tried shakshuka and it turned out so great!
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed the shakshuka :)