# 3 Easy Low-Carb Lunches That Won’t Leave You Hungry > Three easy low-carb lunches: steak and avocado salad, egg salad lettuce wraps and a Greek chicken thigh bowl. 4 to 8.5g net carbs, up to 39g protein. Source: https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/easy-low-carb-lunches/ [Recipes › Lunch](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/keto-and-low-carb-recipes/) ## 3 Easy Low-Carb Lunches *That Won’t Leave You Hungry* A steak salad, egg salad wraps and a Greek chicken bowl. Each one is built on protein first, so it holds you through the afternoon. Between 4g and 8.5g net carbs a serving. ![Ania](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/ania-founder.jpg) **Recipes by Ania**October 2026 · 2 servings each [Jump to the recipes ↓](#steak-avocado-spinach-salad) ![Three low-carb lunches: a steak, avocado and spinach salad, egg salad in butter lettuce leaves with cucumber, and a Greek chicken thigh bowl with feta, olives and tomatoes, with a jar of dressing](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/images/articles/recipes/easy-low-carb-lunches.webp) Low carb ## Lunch is where the afternoon slump starts. A sandwich or a wrap puts most of the meal’s carbohydrate in the bread, and there isn’t much protein to slow it down. These three easy low-carb lunches flip that. Each one starts with a real serving of protein, adds vegetables and some fat, and keeps the carbohydrate small. The [CDC notes](https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/healthy-eating/diabetes-meal-planning.html) that eating carbs with protein, fat or fiber slows how quickly blood sugar rises. How your own body responds will still vary. All three make two servings, so you can eat one today and pack one for tomorrow. | Lunch | Net carbs | Protein | Calories | Time | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Steak, Avocado and Spinach Salad](#steak-avocado-spinach-salad) | 5.5g | 37g | 442 | 10 min | | [Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps](#egg-salad-lettuce-wraps) | 4g | 20g | 388 | 22 min | | [Greek Chicken Thigh Bowl](#greek-chicken-thigh-bowl) | 8.5g | 39g | 455 | 25 min | All figures per serving, half the recipe. ## Why these three? Each one fits a different kind of weekday, so there’s always one that works. - **The steak salad is for leftovers.** Cook an extra steak at dinner and lunch takes ten minutes the next day. - **The egg salad wraps are for days with no time to cook.** Boil the eggs ahead and there’s nothing to heat at lunch. - **The chicken bowl is for cooking once.** Thighs reheat without drying out, so one batch on Sunday covers two lunches. They share the same build. A real serving of protein comes first: steak, eggs or chicken, with 20g to 39g a serving. The carbohydrate comes from vegetables, not bread, which keeps every lunch between 4g and 8.5g net carbs. All three use ingredients from an ordinary grocery store, and all three pack well with the dressing kept separate. ## 1. Steak, Avocado and Spinach Salad The most filling of the three, and the easiest if you have steak left over from dinner. The avocado is where most of the fat comes from, and most of its carbohydrate is fiber. ![A bowl of baby spinach topped with sliced medium-cooked sirloin steak, a fan of avocado, cherry tomatoes and red onion, with a jar of dressing and a fork](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/images/articles/recipes/easy-low-carb-lunches-steak-salad.webp) Prep **10 min** Cook **None** Total **10 min** Serves **2** Scale With steak that is already cooked. If you cook it fresh, add about 15 minutes. ### Ingredients - 225 g cooked top sirloin steak (8 oz ), sliced thin, weighed after cooking - 90 g baby spinach (3 packed cups ) - 1 medium avocado (about 140 g flesh ), sliced - 150 g cherry tomatoes (1 cup ), halved - 30 g red onion , sliced thin - 1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (20 g ) - 1 tbsp lemon juice (15 g ) - Salt and black pepper to taste , not included in the nutrition ### Instructions 1. 1 Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. 2. 2 Divide the spinach between the plates or containers. 3. 3 Add the tomatoes and red onion. 4. 4 Lay the steak on top. 5. 5 Add the avocado just before eating, so it doesn’t brown. 6. 6 Pour over the dressing and serve. ### Nutrition per serving **442** calories **36.7 g** protein **28.2 g** fat **5.5 g** net carbs One serving is half the recipe. Scaling changes the batch, not the serving, so these figures stay the same. Total carbohydrate 12.4g minus fiber 6.9g. Also 3.4g sugar, 114mg sodium, with no salt added. **Cooking the steak fresh?** Season it, sear it in a hot pan for 3 to 5 minutes a side for a steak about 1 inch thick, then rest it for a few minutes before slicing. Weigh it after cooking, because the nutrition is worked out on the cooked weight. ## 2. Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps No cooking on the day if the eggs are boiled ahead. This is the lightest of the three on carbs, and three eggs a serving keeps it from feeling like a snack. ![Four butter lettuce leaves filled with chunky egg salad dusted with paprika, with cucumber slices on a speckled plate](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/images/articles/recipes/easy-low-carb-lunches-egg-salad-wraps.webp) Prep **10 min** Cook **12 min** Total **22 min** Serves **2** Scale The cook time is for boiling the eggs. ### Ingredients - 6 large eggs (about 300 g ), hard-boiled and peeled - 3 tbsp regular mayonnaise (41 g ) - 1 tsp yellow mustard (5 g ) - 1 celery stalk (40 g ), finely diced - 8 butter lettuce leaves (about 60 g ) - 100 g cucumber , sliced, on the side - Salt, black pepper and a pinch of paprika to taste , not included in the nutrition ### Instructions 1. 1 Chop the eggs roughly and put them in a bowl. 2. 2 Add the mayonnaise, mustard and celery. 3. 3 Mash with a fork until it’s as smooth or chunky as you like. 4. 4 Season with salt, pepper and paprika. 5. 5 Spoon the egg salad into the lettuce leaves, four leaves a serving. 6. 6 Serve with the cucumber slices. ### Nutrition per serving **388** calories **20.1 g** protein **31.5 g** fat **4 g** net carbs One serving is half the recipe. Scaling changes the batch, not the serving, so these figures stay the same. Total carbohydrate 5g minus fiber 1g. Also 3.2g sugar, 362mg sodium, with no salt added. **To boil the eggs:** cover them with cold water, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat, cover and leave for 12 minutes. Move them to cold water before peeling. ## 3. Greek Chicken Thigh Bowl Thighs stay juicy when you reheat them, which makes this the best one to cook on Sunday and pack for the week. Feta and olives bring most of the salt, so taste before adding more. ![A bowl of chopped romaine with sliced seared chicken thigh, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, black olives, feta and red onion, with a lemon wedge](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/images/articles/recipes/easy-low-carb-lunches-greek-chicken-bowl.webp) Prep **10 min** Cook **15 min** Total **25 min** Serves **2** Scale ### Ingredients - 340 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs (12 oz ), raw weight - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (27 g ), divided - ½ tsp dried oregano , not included in the nutrition - 100 g chopped romaine lettuce (2 cups ) - 150 g cucumber , diced - 150 g cherry tomatoes (1 cup ), halved - 40 g pitted black olives (about 10 olives ) - 50 g crumbled feta (⅓ cup ) - 30 g red onion , sliced thin - 1 tbsp lemon juice (15 g ) - Black pepper to taste ### Instructions 1. 1 Rub the chicken with half the olive oil, the oregano and black pepper. 2. 2 Cook it in a skillet over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes a side, until a food thermometer reads 165°F (74°C). 3. 3 Rest the chicken for 5 minutes, then slice it. 4. 4 Divide the romaine between the bowls. 5. 5 Add the cucumber, tomatoes, olives and red onion. 6. 6 Top with the chicken and the feta. 7. 7 Whisk the rest of the olive oil with the lemon juice and pour it over. ### Nutrition per serving **455** calories **39.2 g** protein **28.5 g** fat **8.5 g** net carbs One serving is half the recipe. Scaling changes the batch, not the serving, so these figures stay the same. Total carbohydrate 11.4g minus fiber 2.9g. Also 4.6g sugar, 604mg sodium, with no salt added. Most of the sodium in this bowl is the feta and olives. ## How the numbers were worked out Net carbs here means total carbohydrate minus fiber. None of these recipes has sugar alcohols, so nothing else is subtracted. It’s a practical way of counting, not a label term, and it won’t predict exactly how your own blood sugar responds. Every figure was calculated per ingredient from USDA FoodData Central, at the weights listed. Salt, pepper, herbs and spices are left out. Nutrition is calculated from ingredient data and will vary with brands, sizes and how much of the dressing ends up on the plate. Treat it as close, not exact. ## Swaps **Steak salad.** Ground beef or leftover roast beef work the same way. Chicken thigh instead of steak keeps the carbs the same. Leave out the onion to drop about 1.2g net carbs a serving. **Egg salad.** Greek yogurt in place of half the mayonnaise lowers the fat and adds a little carbohydrate, so the card no longer applies. Romaine leaves hold up better than butter lettuce if you’re packing it. **Chicken bowl.** No feta makes it dairy-free and takes out about 1g net carbs. Skip the olives to cut the sodium. Steak works here too. ## Packing and storing ![Two stacked glass meal-prep containers of Greek chicken thigh bowl on a wooden kitchen counter, with a small jar of dressing in front of each](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/images/articles/recipes/easy-low-carb-lunches-packed-wide.webp) One jar of dressing per container, added at lunchtime. - Keep the dressing separate until you eat, so the greens don’t wilt. - Add avocado on the day. - Cooked steak, cooked chicken and the egg salad keep in a covered container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, in line with [USDA leftovers guidance](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/leftovers-and-food-safety). - Eat the chicken cold or reheat it until steaming hot, to 165°F. ## If you take insulin or another medicine that lowers blood sugar Swapping a sandwich lunch for one of these cuts the meal’s carbohydrate a lot. NIDDK lists [insulin and sulfonylureas among the causes of low blood glucose](https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/low-blood-glucose-hypoglycemia), and not eating enough carbohydrate as one trigger. Talk with the doctor who manages your medication before you make the switch, and don’t adjust doses yourself. ## Common questions ### What is a good low-carb lunch to take to work? Any of these three. Pack the dressing and the avocado separately, and the chicken bowl or steak salad will hold until lunchtime. The egg salad travels best with the lettuce leaves packed on the side. ### Will these keep me full until dinner? They’re built to. Each one has 20g to 39g of protein plus fat from olive oil, avocado or eggs. Hunger varies from person to person, though. If you’re hungry by 3pm, add more of the protein before you add bread. ### Can I make all three on Sunday? Yes. Cook the chicken and steak and boil the eggs on Sunday. Mix the egg salad, chop the vegetables and keep the dressings in small jars. Everything except the avocado is ready by Monday, and it all keeps 3 to 4 days. ## Pick one for tomorrow. Choose the lunch you’d actually look forward to and make it twice this week. Keep the carb count cheat sheet nearby while you shop. If you want the whole plan on paper, the [Leave the Carbs planner](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/leave-the-carbs/) is there for that. [Get the free carb count cheat sheet →](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/free-cheat-sheet/)[**Work out your own numbers**](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/free-keto-calculator/) ## Why the order you eat in matters The protein-and-vegetables-first idea behind these lunches is explained in [how to lower blood sugar after eating](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/how-to-lower-blood-sugar-after-eating/). For breakfast in the same pattern, try the [low-carb turkey breakfast bowl](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/low-carb-turkey-breakfast-bowl/). For dinner, see [blood sugar friendly meals](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/blood-sugar-friendly-meals/). *General information, not medical advice. If you take medication for diabetes or blood pressure, talk to your doctor before making a big change to how you eat.* ![Ania, founder of Low-Carb Diet Solutions](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/ania-founder.jpg) ## Real food. Fewer complications. I share practical low-carb meals and clear guidance for people who want more stability without turning food into another full-time job. [Read my story →](https://www.lowcarbdiet.solutions/about-low-carb-diet-solutions/) ## More low-carb meals. 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