My favorite way to do sweet potatoes is as part of a salad: mixed greens plus a little vinagrette, add a few slices of roasted sweet potato and top with a bit of goat cheese. Noms! (PS- ATK has a *great* roasted sweet potato recipe in their archives)

This is a great post! I'm looking forward to making a bunch of these for lunches soon!

Looks delicous. And the civilized presentation helps.

@Kealoha -- haha, that's what I ate this week for lunch! Only I added a bit of chopped bacon. How funny! It was seriously good.

Those lentils look awesome. This is perfect for me; I'm just under 5'2" and the portion sizes displayed here are right on target.

I so appreciate this post. I've been begrudgingly counting calories to lose pounds put on through exactly what Faith mentioned - growing portion sizes and not knowing what appropriate caloric intake looks like. But the worst part is that I find myself actually drawn to packaged and fast food where the calories are right on the box or readily available online. And that's not at all how I want to be eating.

Seeing calories in terms of actual portions of meals that look appealing and filling, and are made with good ingredients, is so, so helpful. And, I think, a step toward not having to count every last calorie anymore.

Love the sweet potato idea, but I'm vegetarian. Can anyone suggest an alternate tasty topping? I never know what to pair with sweet potatoes.

Overall, a really good post. I like the concept of a photograph and calorie counts to visually reinforce it. Very nice! And, I like how you include a piece of fruit in most. But, a few of these are really low in protein (and high in carbs) making me think of them as a side dish rather than a meal (sweet potatoes, black beans). But no matter, some left over chicken (100 kcal) would round it out nicely.

@esnickers -- try sprinkling with brown sugar and tabasco sauce, and a dollop of sour cream. Great on sweet potato fries!

@esnickers try cranberries and goat cheese or black beans and plain yogurt. mmmmmm

@esnickers -- you could also try toasted nuts (pecans in particular are nice) to add some protein, if you're not allergic.

This is really wonderful! Your eating style is very similar to mine, and I'm also petite, so these ideas are perfect for me.

This is so great!! I'm always looking for easy, low cal and fast lunches i can make at work!!
Thank you!

@ilovebutter - I thought black beans were a decent source of protein. Do you just mean they don't provide enough protein to work for a main dish?

I'd eat all of this (not at all once ;P) except the cherry tomatoes and cantaloupe.

This is a great post. I have been strapped for time since the school year started and can feel my concern for nutrition succumbing to my laziness.
Does anyone else have any ideas for quick lunches (especially ones that keep well in the fridge for a couple of days)?

Thanks for the all the great feedback! A couple notes: A lot of our readers are vegetarian or vegan, so while I know some of these are starch-heavy, I also wanted to be veg-friendly. Second, most of the starches I used are whole grain and higher in fiber than, say, a piece of white bread. And yes, beans are a pretty great source of protein and fiber.

@esnickers I second all the great suggestions above, especially the nuts. Also, I actually wanted to do a vegetarian topping for the potatoes but ran out of time. I love topping sweet potatoes with braised greens like kale or collards. Try this recipe, sans bacon.

Keep the lunch ideas coming, too! I'd love to get more ideas for my own repertoire!

I love it! :)
If I have to spend more than 10 minutes making lunch (and that better be for a few days), I go out. These look so easy, I'm set for a couple weeks! Whew.

I was sad the lovely presentation of these meals wasn’t discussed in your post, since it is key to making a restricted calorie diet work--- and your photos are a great, attractive example!
I think part of why Americans over eat is there is no food for the eyes-- so there is still a hunger; we don't know how to recognize it for what it is for (aesthetic), and just eat vs preparing more nicely, or seeking out other beauty. French and Japanese cuisines in particular give due weight to the food of the eye, not just the food of the mouth.

I love the presentation of this post itself...excellent scroll-downing abilities, photos alongside description, no clicks involved, I really appreciate it!

And the lunches aren't too shabby either :) Really aside from yogurt on a sweet potato, I would happily chow down on all of these options!! Maybe some whole-wheat tortilla chips alongside the beans/avocado, maybe substitute a juicy mango for the nectarine...love the idea of simple brown rice and grilled chicken with sesame oil, I don't make nearly as much use of my sesame oil as I should, its a heavenly smell.

You didn't count the cilantro sprig in option one, cheater! :)
As a fellow non-calorie-counter, I found this interesting to read just for curiosity's sake. My lunches are definitely a little larger than this, and even if I scaled them down I think they'd be higher in calories. When I saw those lentils all I could think was how delicious they'd be cooked a bit more al dente, with toasted walnuts, tossed in coriander & paprika-spiced olive oil & lemon juice, with some garlic, parsley & shredded carrots maybe...
Maybe a slice of sourdough with that heavenly zucchini butter on the side!

Personally, I think I'd want to have more than 400 calories worth for lunch so it works out for me. And your number crunching experiment gives me a nice frame of reference. Also, as many have said already, you lunches are just plain cute. Beats eating out of a tupperware any day, that's for sure.

Oh hey, those are my dishes too.

Love the sweet potatoes, and I really need to start eating more lentils. And bananas. (Bananas are good!)

I am a calorie-counter, and I really love this post! It's so true that elegant presentation is crucial to sticking with a restricted-calorie diet. These lunches are so simple, nourishing, and inviting.

I think counting calories can be an excellent learning tool-- I've become so much more choosy (okay, picky) about how and when I eat since embarking on a diet. I know so much more about what satisfies me. I no longer want to eat in the car, in front of the TV, or even have a cup of coffee on the go. I don't want to eat out of Tupperware. I don't want a bunch of junk on the table. If I'm going to eat (or drink), I want to sit down and pay attention. If I don't, I won't be satisfied, no matter how much I eat.

I realize all this sounds terribly fussy, but I feel like I'm getting a lot more out of my meals now. I'm stopping just short of wanting to dress for dinner. But only just.

@matchbookhymnal that's awesome! Maybe we should start a movement to get back to dressing for dinner - haha!

These all look great, but a little heavy on carbs as their basis, for my taste (and I truly mean taste, not diet-opinion.) I just prefer a lot of veggies (the only non-starchy legume/tuber veggie in the photos is cabbage!) followed by the meat, carbs, fats. Like anyone else of a certain age (i.e. older than 20s!) I try to keep an eye on what I eat, and - more than portion control - I find carb control (in addition to no highly processed foods or sugars) with healthy fats to work best. At 5'9" I would need a little more than these to last me the day, though. I'd probably add some spinach and pour some extra virgin olive oil on the above meals to pump up their calorie content!

@esnickers my favorite vegetarian sweet potato preparation is basically:

pan-seared sweet potato cubes + black beans + cumin + parsley or cilantro + big ol' squeeze of lemon juice = party in my belly.

I'm totally with you home body, cut all the starches out of that for me and give me piles of veggies instead. I like lots of veg with lean meat and nuts. So delicious and satisfying.

Yay! I love this post. I am in grad school right now and guess what I'm writing my thesis on? You guessed it, expanding portion sizes :)

If you eat off a smaller plate (9") instead of the huge dinner plates most Americans have, it doesn't feel like a deprivation. Helps to get a more realistic idea of portion size for everything.

num num num!!!

@esnickers, try a bit of cheese (I like queso cotija) and a nice splash of chipotle hot sauce. The tangy cheese and the smoky sauce balance out the sweetness of the potato.

Those meals look a bit... bland. :( I guess I'm used to more spicier, seasoned meals. But anyway I do second eating on smaller plates. I have 8 inch ones that I regular use and they are just perfect except in the case of real saucy meal where I don't want the sauce to touch the other food. But that's rare.

faith, your lentils are so pretty! are you using a mix of types or colors? i usually just buy "lentils" at the supermarket, but i think they're maybe green lentils?
i need to learn more about them, i think lentils could be a comforting, healthy thing for the fall and winter.
great post!

Nice post-- these look like things I'd bring for lunch. However, not all calories are created equal; melons should be avoided because they'll spike your blood sugar.

By the way, I do a vegetarian version of the sweet potato using sliced green onions as a topping. So good!

@Emily D, I confess they are the pre-cooked lentils from Trader Joe's!

Bag of mixed steam in the bag veggies, 1 pouch of tuna, 2 tablespoons of EVOO. 1/2 lemon juice, spices. Mix. Profit.
Around 400 calories and a filling amount of tasty food for 5 minutes of your time.

I have to say that this post is an instant classic. Since first reading this post, I've been eating one of these meals once a day. They are so good and I can't wait to see more of your ideas.

I love the pre-cooked lentils from TJ's! They are a true convenience that is HEALTHY! I'm really starting to use my TJ's strategically-- for example, I made an eggplant parm casserole last night with the eggplant cutlets in the frozen section-- just enough of a time-saver on a busy night when I wanted a real meal.

I need to eat more lentils, I think this is the key!

I love chicken and brown rice, but throw in some steamed broccoli with it. More flavor and more vitamins!

those lentils just look SAD. here's a similar recipe i created with more PUNCH...and still low on the calorie count and healthy!

http://exclusivegenerator.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-go-to-lunch.html

Wowsers. This post made me sad. The pic of the chicken and brown rice looks so BORING and just reinforces for me why dieting doesn't work. It feels like i'm denying myself just looking at these pics, really. And 400 calories? Is that what we're supposed to be aiming for? That seems really low for what is supposed to be the biggest meal of the day. Assuming you have a light (or no breakfast if you're like me) breakfast of a yogurt or some fruit, you've killed 200 calories, plus the 400 for lunch listed here, you'll need another 700 for dinner just to get 1300 calories in one day. (btw i looked up the calorie intake on mayo clinic's website and for me personally trying to LOSE 10 pounds, they recommended 1,339 calories per day). Should dinner really be nearly TWICE as big as lunch? I don't think so.

I really like this post. I know I'm never going to be a calorie counter, but it is so helpful to be visually reminded of what a healthy sized meal looks like. I would love to see more posts like this, perhaps once a week reflecting the current theme? Even just one option (or one veg and one non-veg option) would be great.

I would have liked for this post not to be a recycled material from last year.

@mh330 see my entire first paragraph disclaimer on the whole topic of calories. And for the record, all these lunches were totally delicious. I was trying to keep them simple - not involved recipes.

@mariyaodessa every morning during these theme weeks we republish a popular piece from last year. But don't worry; there are still over 20 posts of brand new material each day. :)

Love it! I am a calorie-counter, I keep to around 400 calories per meal, AND I'm a vegetarian, so this was a perfect post for me! One question: where can you get those napkins/dishcloths in the photos?? I see them in restaurants all the time and I want to buy some but I can't find them anywhere!!

Those meals look nice but that amount wouldn't be satisfying for me. I got tired of counting calories, so I found a great solution: I run, bike, or do some other kind of vigorous exercise--and now I can eat whatever I want, in the portions I want. I love how exercising makes food taste so much better because I'm genuinely hungry more often (my tummy actually growls!)--plus I'm really happy with how fit I am, my clothes are never tight, and I have lots of energy. And being able to eat chocolate and rich cheese every day is such a joy!

WinterTraveler, why not just cook larger amounts of the dishes you already make, and bring leftovers for lunch? If I had to "make" lunch every day, I'd never do it! I just cook big batches of pasta, casseroles, or whatever on the weekend, then bring leftovers for lunch.

Even green salad keeps surprisingly well for three or four days in the fridge if you seed the tomatoes, use a sturdy lettuce like romaine, and don't add dressing until you eat it. I put some in a container the night before, add some cheese, meat, or beans, and that's my lunch (dressing goes in a little canning jar).

This is such a great, useful post that provides a springboard for many more lunch ideas. I love the simplicity of the dishes, not masking the flavor of the individual food items with lots of cooking/seasoning or adding prep time.
And such a great idea to make the "main" part of the lunch more filling/starchier/carbier (not an actual word..) and then include a fruit or vegetable on the side.
For me, the only thing I would change would be to accompany with more fruit or veg (but I'm a no-cal-counting vegetarian).
Thank you for giving such a great representation of a 400-cal lunch!

I"d love to see more of these suggestions - great post and I'll be trying all of these!

I'd add a small green salad with olive oil and vinegar to all those meals and it would fit in with what I already eat! :)

I'm happy you re-posted this article--so informative on calorie content. If I eat carefully at lunch time and plan delicious things to eat, I'm happy with less. A thought on the bacon topping the sweet potato: I really believe, excepting food allergies/sensitivities-that there are no "bad" foods. We humans can eat too much, which is bad, but a little bit of bacon crunch and savoriness is a gift!

@mandre1108 those napkins are actually IKEA TEKLA tea towels cut in half and hemmed. You get two napkins out of one 49 cent towel!

i plan on trying the sweet potato recipe with Fakin Bacon, organic smokey tempeh from Lightlife.

@MH330, a 400 calorie lunch would be a big one for me! I eat a lot of small meals during the day and try to stick to a 1200 calorie diet (I have a desk job and I'm petite so that is really all I should be eating). I'm a food lover and never feel deprived with my 300-calorie lunches. Even if I weren't counting calories I'd be eating something similar.

I've lost some weight recently by going gluten-free, so there are some good options here! I'm also a vegetarian. For lunch I usually eat a huge salad with lots of veggies and some diced "meat" and nuts/seeds. I also like sauteed zucchini with veggie "bolognese" sauce on top, quinoa stuffed squash, homemade veggie burgers wrapped in lettuce... all things that are easy to make in batches and freeze/reheat well.

How many times are you going to re-post this post? Why not do a new version? How about a gluten-free version? A vegan version?

I can't believe that two years ago no one notice that those are not cherry tomatoes but are in fact yellow plum tomatoes.

Also, a whole cup of lentils is quite a lot of food. But to me these look like they would be much better suppers than lunch/dinners. I wish American culture had kept the rural farming habit of big, hot dinners (at noontime, like "dinner" is supposed to be) and left the suppers small and light, like this. We'd probably burn our calories more efficiently, at the very least.

I love all the ideas that are "take to work" friendly!

Am I imagining this or has this post been recycled?

LOVE this post. Thanks for the ideas!

And you just convinced me to bring a plate to the office so that I don't have to eat out of the pyrex containers that I bring things in.

A lot of comments on these meals being bland, I have made the can o beans lunch before and it is not bland AT ALL! Things can be simple and delicious without dripping in butter and cream. As always, thanks for including a vegan option. The Kitchn constantly surprises me with it's veg friendliness :) A lot of similar foodie blogs are incredibly hostile to vegans so thank you thank you :)

These aren't very balanced recipes. How about throwing in a vegetable? Besides the sweet potato dish, obviously.

@mh330 Heard of breakfast? Three 400 calorie meals and 2 100 calorie snacks are a pretty good baseline, and neither hard to achieve nor overly meager.

I like these suggestions, just as a jumping off point- its nice to see SIMPLE, straightforward food, especially for lunch. Right now I'm bumming because I left my thrown-together lunch's leftovers at my internship where I won't be for another week- there was nothing of interest in my fridge this morning so a container of brown rice came out of my freezer, and into another container I put chopped spinich, chickpeas, feta cheese, and a splash of olive oil, wine vinegar and pepper. Two minutes in the microwave at work and it really hit the spot.

Another aspect of this to point out is that these kind of meals 'compete' with the Lean Cuisine etc of the world, for calorie count.

I like these simple lunch ideas. I keep thinking about the lentils with egg on top. I will make that a lunch reality soon! Thanks!

esnickers--There's a great recipe in the Moosewood Low-Fat cookbook for Indian Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. It's quick, delicious, and filling, and makes for good leftovers.

Also, I am a little surprised by the lack of green veggies in here. A recurring go-to for me is whatever I would normally put in a sandwich, but on mixed greens instead. (Trying to eat more protein/fewer carbs.)