Our 18 Best High-Protein Salads for Lunch By Sadie Schulte Sadie Schulte See More Sadie Schulte is EatingWell's editorial apprentice. She attends Iowa State University, where she is a senior studying advertising and fashion communications. During her time at college, she has worked as a reporter at the campus newspaper, the Iowa State Daily, where she writes about culture and lifestyle. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 17, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is the senior nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco Bursting with nutritious ingredients and packed with protein, these 4- and 5-star-rated salads are a delicious option for lunch. With at least 15 grams per serving, these recipes can help you reap the benefits of protein like more sustained energy levels, better muscle recovery and feeling full for longer after meals. And if you’re taking the salad on the go, pack the dressing on the side for ultimate freshness. Recipes like our Chicken Caprese Salad and our Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing are tasty ways to stay fueled and satisfied throughout your day. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 18 This Chicken Caprese Salad Has 39 Grams of Protein Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco This chicken caprese salad has all the fresh bright flavors of a classic caprese plus a protein boost from simple quick-marinated chicken cutlets. For extra convenience, buy pre-sliced chicken cutlets to streamline your prep. On sunny days, take the cooking outdoors and grill the chicken for an extra layer of flavor. View Recipe Save 02 of 18 Chopped Power Salad with Chicken Jason Donnelly Enjoy this filling and colorful salad for lunch or dinner. The dressing gets made in the same bowl that the salad is tossed in, so the greens absorb every bit of flavor. View Recipe Save 03 of 18 Classic Cobb Mason Jar Salad Pack classic Cobb salad upside down in a mason jar for a healthy lunch that won't get soggy while sitting in the fridge all morning. Or pack it up the night before for an easy grab-and-go lunch in the morning. Choose the tangiest aged blue cheese you can find; its flavor will go a long way. View Recipe Save 04 of 18 Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing Deep-fried falafel can be a total grease bomb. But these pan-seared falafel still get crispy in just a few tablespoons of oil with equally satisfying results. Be sure to use dried, instead of canned, chickpeas in this healthy recipe—canned chickpeas add too much moisture. View Recipe Save 05 of 18 Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing These hearty kale salads hold up well for 4 days, making them perfect for meal-prep lunches. To keep the ingredients from getting soggy, dress this salad and top it with peanuts just before serving. For a delicious vegan option, swap in roasted tofu for the chicken breast (see Associated Recipes). View Recipe Save 06 of 18 Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad Bowls Pasta salad is a classic summer side dish, but adding protein (leftover grilled chicken is perfect here) and extra greens makes it a super-satisfying lunch. We use baby spinach, but arugula or baby kale works too. Top with a bright and tangy basil vinaigrette just before serving. The great news is that these easy meal-prep lunches take just 20 minutes to prepare—that's 4 days of lunches in less than 30 minutes. View Recipe Save 07 of 18 Greek Salad with Edamame Edamame adds protein to the classic Greek salad: romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, feta and olives. Serve with toasted pita brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with dried oregano or za'atar. View Recipe Save 08 of 18 Cabbage, Tofu & Edamame Salad Craving crunch? Bite into this salad loaded with crisp red cabbage, edamame, bamboo shoots, and chow mein noodles. This salad is slightly sweetened with baked tofu, mandarin oranges and sesame vinaigrette. View Recipe Save 09 of 18 Strawberry-Balsamic Spinach Salad with Chicken Blaine Moats A quick blender vinaigrette does double duty as dressing for this strawberry spinach salad and, with the addition of ketchup and strawberry preserves, as a barbecue sauce for the tenders. View Recipe Save 10 of 18 Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Mushroom Salad Shaving the vegetables for this easy salad recipe makes them deliciously tender-crisp without having to cook anything and helps them stand up to the bright homemade vinaigrette and salty Parmesan cheese. View Recipe Save 11 of 18 Taco Salad Caitlin Bensel A super-quick blend of reduced-fat sour cream and salsa serves double duty as salad dressing and seasoning for the meat in our updated version of Tex-Mex taco salad. Depending on the type of salsa you use, the salad will vary in heat. We keep this version light with lean turkey, but lean ground beef (about 95%-lean) would also keep the nutrition marks reasonable. Just hold the deep-fried tortilla bowl and instead serve this salad with baked tortilla chips and wedges of fresh lime. View Recipe Save 12 of 18 Copycat McDonald's Southwest Salad Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Annie Probst If you were a fan of the McDonald's Southwest Salad before it left the menu, this copycat recipe brings it all back with a few healthy twists. The creamy dressing keeps saturated fat and calories in check with reduced-fat sour cream combined with salsa to give it its signature spice. We loaded it up with plenty of veggies, but feel free to give it your own spin with chopped avocado or crushed tortilla chips for crunch. (Editor's note: The title of this recipe does not align with EatingWell's practices for naming and attributing recipes but gives proper credit to McDonald's menu, which called this dish "Southwest Salad.") View Recipe Save 13 of 18 Roasted Veggie Mason Jar Salad This vegan mason jar salad is easy to pack up and take for lunch. Layering the creamy cashew sauce into the bottom of the jar ensures that your big, bold power salad won't become wilted by the time you're ready to eat. View Recipe Save 14 of 18 Crab Louie Salad Abbey Littlejohn At the Bayside Cafe in Morro Bay, California, this classic West Coast salad is made with Dungeness crab caught in the coastal waters. Lump crabmeat is a good substitute. View Recipe Save 15 of 18 Green Goddess Salad This gorgeous green goddess salad combines fresh shrimp, cucumber, artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes with homemade dressing. View Recipe Save 16 of 18 Tangy Chicken Salad with Grapes Antonis Achilleos Sweet red grapes and crunchy celery make this chicken salad sing, and also balance out the slight tang from the yogurt and lemon. But go ahead and customize the mix-ins with whatever you desire (perhaps some chopped nuts or dried fruit) because this chicken salad recipe is easily adaptable. We use rotisserie chicken (look for unseasoned to keep sodium in check!) to simplify things, but any leftover cooked chicken will work. View Recipe Save 17 of 18 Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don't need to massage or cook it to make it tender. View Recipe Save 18 of 18 Anti-Inflammatory Chicken & Beet Salad PHOTOGRAPHER: JEN CAUSEY, FOOD STYLIST: MELISSA GRAY, PROP STYLIST: SHELL ROYSTER Tart cherry juice concentrate adds flavor and helps fight inflammation when teamed up with other anti-inflammatory foods like beets and walnuts in this quick salad. Buying packaged cooked beets cuts down on time (and mess!). Look for them in the produce section where other prepared vegetables are sold. View Recipe Save Explore more: Healthy Recipes Nutrient-Focused High-Protein High-Protein Salad Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit