If you’re following a healthy keto diet, lunch can be one of the hardest meals to plan and navigate. Luckily, there are numerous delicious and nutritionally dense options that will help keep you on track with your nutrition plan.
Make meal time convenient with these bacon cheeseburger lettuce wraps! Perfect for on-the-go meals.
Chicken Fajitas
Chicken Fajitas can be easily prepared at home in less than 20 minutes using this tasty marinade that’s rich in flavor while low in carbohydrates, making this meal idea ideal for keto diets.
This easy and delicious grilled chicken fajita recipe provides plenty of protein as well as colorful vegetables in one delicious meal! Perfect for busy days when meal prep is required!
To create this fajita recipe, cook chicken, onion and peppers over medium-high heat in a skillet until no longer pink and have developed some charring. Add remaining ingredients, mix well and continue cooking until fully done.
Chipotle chili powder is essential to this dish, adding an irresistibly smokey aroma and taste. However, if it’s unavailable to you, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper can serve as an adequate replacement.
Salmon roll-up is a quick and simple keto lunch option, full of garlicky and herb flavors for an impressively tasty experience. Plus, this recipe offers side of healthy steamed veggies for added nutrition!
Smoked Salmon Roll-Ups
Healthy keto lunches don’t need to compromise flavor or texture! Smoked salmon roll-ups offer a light and delicious alternative to traditional lunch sandwiches. For best results, use thinly sliced cold smoked Nova, Nova Scotia salmon (lox), lightly salted and seasoned with herbs, garlic and paprika. Enjoy these keto roll-ups whole with fresh salad or flaked over pasta, rice or vegetables. They make an ideal gluten free appetizer at garden parties, patio soiree spreads or tailgating football parties alike!
Well Plated offers another hearty keto lunch option with their succulent steak and broccoli dish, made up of tender, juicy marinated beef drizzled in an irresistibly aromatic chili powder, cumin, and paprika-spiked sauce. Perfect served over cauliflower rice to absorb all its umami-rich flavor!
Grain bowls have quickly become the go-to option for healthy, visually-appealing work lunch ideas. Iowa Girl Eats’ Low Carb Greek Chicken Bowl features tender grilled chicken with fresh Mediterranean veggies and tzatziki sauce – ideal for prepping ahead and taking to work for microwave-free heating!
Bacon Chips
As part of your keto diet, finding healthy lunch ideas may be challenging. Without planning, it can be easy to slip out of ketosis by snacking on carbohydrates or something bland – the best way to ensure adequate protein and low carb intake is by prepping lunches each day with these easy keto recipes – at home or on-the-go!
From delicious salads to hearty casseroles, there is a range of lunchtime options on this list. Most can be prepared ahead of time for easy transporting! Plus they provide an opportunity for daily fruits and vegetable intake!
Try switching up the classic club sandwich by layering ham, turkey and cheese between crisp lettuce leaves for a healthy and filling keto lunch option. Or enjoy an alternative BLT by wrapping bacon slices around tomatoes on cheese wraps before topping it all off with creamy guacamole for the perfect keto lunch option that will keep you full all day long! These tasty keto lunch options will surely keep you full and energized throughout your day.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Eggs are a tasty source of high-protein and low-carb food that are versatile in their preparation. Eggs also serve as an excellent source of choline, which plays an essential role in neuron formation and cell signaling processes. Eating eggs frequently will help you meet your nutrient and protein targets for the day.
Hard-boiled eggs provide another tasty way to add variety and texture to your diet, meeting both nutritional and dietary needs with one convenient package.
Making hard-boiled eggs yourself allows you to experiment with various cook times until you find what suits your personal preferences best – soft or firm? For optimal results, arrange your eggs in one layer in a large saucepan so there is less risk of cracking them when the water boils, cover them tightly, and let them cook for 12 minutes before placing in an ice bath to stop their further development.
This prevents overcooking of eggs and helps avoid that unattractive greenish ring around their yolks that forms when overcooked at too high a temperature, as well as making the eggs easier to peel.
Pre-Cooked Chicken Sausage
Precooked chicken sausage makes an easy, filling lunch choice that pairs well with veggies, whole grain mustard and other condiments. Grill or roast them – for best results use Taste of Home’s recipe which suggests scoring it first with a knife to ensure proper internal cooking to 165F degrees.
Use an air fryer to roast chicken sausages for an easy low-carb meal idea! Start by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper or spraying it with baking spray; toss vegetables in olive oil and Italian seasoning before arranging them on the baking sheet in an even layer before adding your sausages and baking for approximately 12 minutes or until all of them have reached desired tenderness and are fully cooked through.
The keto diet emphasizes high-fat proteins, fresh vegetables and leafy greens while restricting starchy foods like pasta and potatoes. With these convenient keto meals you can stay on track with your eating plan while still enjoying delicious and filling meals!
Chicken Quesadillas
Chicken quesadillas make an ideal keto lunch option if you love cheese-laden treats, with their protein and vegetable-packed filling being 100% make ahead friendly. Feel free to customize it however you like; popular filling options include cheese, cooked chicken, bell peppers and onions (bell peppers can also be added for an added heartiness), black beans as an additional heartier protein source and black beans as an extra protein boost if desired! Add the finishing touch by topping your quesadilla off with sour cream guacamole or salsa – the ultimate keto meal!
To create quesadillas, start by preheating your skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Place one flour tortilla in the pan, add both cheeses (if using), chicken slices, bell peppers and onions (optional) then fold half over onto itself until the bottom side turns golden brown before flipping and repeating for the other side.
Reheat your quesadilla for 10 minutes at 325deg F to revitalize it and fuel up for your day! Enjoy with your favorite sauce or condiment to help power through it all!
Zucchini Noodles
Zoodles, as they’re more affectionately called, are an enjoyable low-cal alternative to pasta that’s perfect for keto lunch ideas. A spiralizer makes quick work of creating these delectable vegetable noodles full of flavor – ideal as an afternoon snack idea!
Boiled zoodles make the perfect soft addition to soups, while sauteed ones add warmth and delicious flavor when used as part of oil-based pasta dishes such as Small Town Woman’s Garlic Mushroom Zoodles Recipe. Furthermore, they add a fresh touch to summer salads like this Zoodle Caprese Salad from Small Town Woman.
Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles from Ahead of Thyme features fork-tender zucchini noodles as an enticing substitute for pasta, while Well Plated by Erin’s Keto Enchiladas are packed full of flavor with zucchini “noodles” serving as tortilla replacements – making these perfect meal prepped options.
Avoid watery zoodles by salting and draining your noodles before starting to cook them, this helps draw out excess moisture that builds up during the preparation. Baking also allows you to speed up the process; just lay your zoodles on a large baking sheet in an even layer, sprinkle sea salt onto them and pat dry with two layers of paper towels before serving them!