When you think about foods that will keep you full, carbs might be the first thing that come to mind. Protein has a similar power of keeping you full and is better to reach for when you’re feeling hungry. This is especially the case midday when you need a meal to keep you full and energized until dinner.
Why does a high-protein meal do this? Protein meals make us feel fuller because they reduce a hunger hormone called ghrelin. It also boosts peptide YY, which reduces hunger. In addition to grehlin and peptide YY, proteins take longer to digest.
Wondering what meals will help make this happen? Look no further than our five high-protein lunch recipes to keep you full until dinner.
High-Protein Lunch Recipes
Slow Cooker Quinoa Chili
Ingredients
2 red onions, thinly sliced lengthwise, plus more, finely chopped, for serving
1 medium sweet potato, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 dried ancho chile, crushed (or 2 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes)
1 medium jalapeño, finely chopped, plus more for serving
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 15-ounce can of kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 15-ounce can of pinto beans, drained, rinsed
10 ounces of frozen corn
6 ounces of tomato paste
3 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth or water
2 cups of chopped cauliflower florets
1 cup of tri-colored quinoa
3 tablespoons of reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons of neutral oil
4 teaspoons of dried oregano
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon of cayenne (optional)
Kosher salt
Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped avocado, and chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
Chop your veggies. Add your veggies to the slow cooker followed by your quinoa, chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto beans, tomato paste, soy sauce, seasonings and vegetable broth. Fill one of the bean cans with water and pour into your slow cooker, cover and cook on high for three hours. Once those three hours are complete, test your firmer veggies like carrots and potatoes for preferred softness, which may require an hour more of cooking. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Egg Salad
Ingredients
8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of finely sliced chives
2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoon of whole-grain mustard
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Paprika and crackers, for serving
Start off by boiling your eggs, allowing them to cool and then removing their shells. Once the shells are removed, chop the eggs and then slightly smash the eggs with a fork. The yolks need to be broken up before adding your chives, celery, mayo, lemon juice and mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with paprika for flavor and color, and serve with crackers.
Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowl
Ingredients
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ¾ cups water
1 cup white quinoa
½ cup prepared basil pesto
Thinly sliced fresh basil for garnish
Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Place a layer of foil on your cookie sheet, which is where your combo of cleaned and seasoned chicken, zucchini, tomatoes, oil and the Italian seasoning mixture will go. Set your timer for 20 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the chicken is brown/fully cooked. While that’s baking, boil some water for your quinoa.
After you remove the tray from the oven and it cools for about 10 minutes, shred the chicken. It’ll be hot to touch so do it with two forks in a bowl on the side. Add juices from the cookie sheet to the boiling water, adding in extra seasoning to your preferred taste. Cook for about 15 minutes, and then remove from heat. Transfer the quinoa, chicken and the roasted vegetables to a large bowl before adding pesto. Garnish with basil.
Chickpea Tuna Salad
Ingredients
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon nonpareil capers, rinsed and chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 15-ounce can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed
1 6.7-ounce jar oil-packed tuna, drained
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup thinly sliced English cucumber
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups baby spinach
Stir lemon juice, capers and shallot in a bowl, adding salt and pepper to taste. Let that sit for about five minutes before tossing the chickpeas, tuna, tomatoes, cucumber, feta and dill together in a large bowl. Add oil to the lemon juice mixture, and add about five tablespoons of the dressing into the chickpea mixture. Save a bit of the lemon juice mixture for your spinach, which you can toss in it before pouring the chickpea mixture over and creating your salad.
Cucumber Chicken Green Goddess Wraps
Ingredients
1 ounce cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ medium avocado, mashed
1 teaspoon lemon juice or rice vinegar
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, dill and/or basil
1 8-inch whole-wheat tortilla
¼ cup shredded cooked chicken
2 tablespoons shredded carrot
6 thin slices cucumber
½ cup mixed salad greens
Stir cream cheese, avocado, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a small bowl, followed by adding in the herbs and blending well. Spread the mixture evenly all over one side of the tortilla. At the center, add your chicken, carrots, cucumber and greens. Roll together.
These high-protein lunch recipes are a must-try if you’re looking for filling flavors. Which of them will you try first? Let us know what’s easiest and yummiest.
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