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High protein lunch ideas

9 recipes in this collection.

Two slices of grilled dark rye bread on a small cream-speckled stoneware plate on a white marble counter, each piled high with creamy cottage-cheese tuna salad showing visible flakes of tuna, small curds of cottage cheese, scattered bright green capers, finely chopped fresh dill, a thin slice of red onion, a few cracks of black pepper, and a flake of flaky salt. A small lemon wedge rests on the plate beside the toasts. A small clear glass jar of capers, a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel, and a small bunch of fresh dill sit on the marble beside the plate. Soft midday light from the kitchen window.

A good lunch shouldn’t leave you raiding the snack drawer at three. These are the high protein lunches I keep in rotation, built on cottage cheese, tuna, lentils, eggs, and feta rather than anything fussy.

A couple of them are make-ahead, so you can pack them for work and eat well all week. The cottage cheese tuna salad is the ten-minute one I throw together when I forgot to plan, and it’s somehow the one I crave most. When it’s a snack I’m after rather than a full lunch, I pull from my high protein snacks instead.

Two slices of grilled dark rye bread on a small cream-speckled stoneware plate on a white marble counter, each piled high with creamy cottage-cheese tuna salad showing visible flakes of tuna, small curds of cottage cheese, scattered bright green capers, finely chopped fresh dill, a thin slice of red onion, a few cracks of black pepper, and a flake of flaky salt. A small lemon wedge rests on the plate beside the toasts. A small clear glass jar of capers, a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel, and a small bunch of fresh dill sit on the marble beside the plate. Soft midday light from the kitchen window.

Cottage cheese tuna salad on grilled rye

Tuna salad with cottage cheese instead of mayo: lighter, brighter, and quietly delivering 35 grams of protein. Piled on grilled dark rye with dill, capers, lemon, and cracked pepper.

A 9x13-inch parchment-lined ceramic baking dish on a white marble counter, holding a finished spinach and feta egg bake: a thick fluffy custard cooked through, deep green wilted spinach folded throughout, generous crumbles of white feta scattered across the surface and browned at the edges, a snow of finely chopped fresh dill, sliced scallions, and a few cracks of black pepper. One corner has been cut into a tidy 3-inch square and slightly lifted. Beside the dish: a small cream-speckled stoneware plate holding one cut square, a small ceramic dish of more crumbled feta, a small bunch of fresh dill, a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel, and a halved lemon. Soft mid-morning kitchen light.

Breakfast50 min

Cottage cheese spinach and feta egg bake

A make-ahead breakfast bake with eggs, cottage cheese, wilted spinach, and feta. Forty minutes in the oven, six servings, and quietly 22 grams of protein per slice.

Three small cream-speckled bowls of crispy roasted chickpeas on a white marble counter, each a different shade: deep red smoky paprika, pale salt and vinegar, and golden honey cinnamon. A sheet pan with more roasted chickpeas sits softly behind, with small dishes of spices and a halved lemon on the marble. Soft natural light from the kitchen window.

Crispy roasted chickpeas, three ways

Shatter-crispy roasted chickpeas in three seasonings: smoky, salt and vinegar, and honey cinnamon. A vegan, high-fiber snack you can batch on Sunday and snack on all week.

A small cream-speckled stoneware plate piled with no-bake peanut butter protein balls rolled in oats on a white marble counter, a few flecked with dark chocolate chips. A glass jar holds more balls softly behind, with a small dish of honey, a spoon, and a scatter of rolled oats on the marble. Soft natural light from the kitchen window.

No-bake peanut butter protein balls

No-bake peanut butter protein balls with oats, flax, and a little protein powder. Make a batch on Sunday and you have a grab-and-go snack with real staying power all week.

A cream-speckled plate of smoked salmon cucumber bites on a white marble counter: thick cucumber rounds each topped with a swipe of cream cheese, a curl of orange-pink smoked salmon, a few green capers, a frond of fresh dill, and a crack of black pepper. A lemon wedge and a small bunch of dill rest beside the plate. Cool, bright natural light from the kitchen window.

Smoked salmon cucumber bites

Cool cucumber rounds topped with a lemony cream cheese, smoked salmon, and dill. A no-cook, low-carb, high-protein snack that looks like a party and takes ten minutes.

A shallow cream-speckled bowl of silky whipped cottage cheese dip on a white marble counter, the smooth surface swirled and drizzled with olive oil, flecked with chopped chives and dill, and finished with cracked black pepper. Around the bowl, a fan of cucumber spears, red and yellow pepper strips, halved radishes, and a few seeded crackers for scooping. Soft natural light from the kitchen window.

Whipped cottage cheese dip with crudites

Cottage cheese blended smooth with lemon, garlic, and herbs into a high-protein dip for crunchy vegetables. No cooking, five minutes in a blender, about 12 grams of protein a serving.

A single assembled beef burrito meal-prep bowl in a wide cream-speckled stoneware bowl on a white marble counter: a scoop of cilantro-lime rice, savory seasoned ground beef, black beans, charred corn, diced red pepper, shredded cheddar, slices of avocado, a spoon of salsa, a lime wedge, and a scatter of fresh cilantro. Soft natural light from the kitchen window.

Beef burrito meal-prep bowls

Seasoned ground beef, cilantro-lime rice, black beans, corn, and peppers packed into four bowls. A high-protein, gluten-free meal prep that reheats like a dream.

A single assembled Greek chicken meal-prep bowl in a wide cream-speckled stoneware bowl on a white marble counter: golden lemon-oregano chicken pieces, herby rice, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, slivered red onion, a generous crumble of feta, a dollop of garlicky yogurt sauce, a sprinkle of chopped dill and parsley, and a lemon wedge on the rim. Soft natural light from the kitchen window.

Greek chicken meal-prep bowls

Lemon-oregano chicken, herby rice, cucumber and tomato, feta, and a quick garlicky yogurt sauce, portioned into four containers. High-protein meal prep that tastes good all week.

A wide cream-speckled stoneware bowl on a white marble counter, sectioned into a generous meal-prep bowl: a pile of warm cooked French green lentils glossy with olive oil and lemon zest, a section of cubed roasted sweet potatoes with caramelized edges, a small handful of thinly sliced cucumber rounds, a generous crumble of white feta, scattered chopped fresh parsley, a small wedge of lemon, a drizzle of pale-green herb-yogurt dressing, and a few cracks of black pepper. Beside the bowl: 4 glass meal-prep containers each holding a portion (ready for the week ahead), a small glass jar of more dressing with a tiny wooden spoon, a small bunch of fresh parsley, a small lemon, and a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel. Soft mid-morning kitchen light.

Lentil and feta meal-prep bowl with lemon herb dressing

A Tuesday-through-Friday meal-prep bowl: warm lentils, roasted sweet potatoes, crumbled feta, cucumber, parsley, and a bright lemon-yogurt dressing. Twenty-three grams of protein, no sad lunch.