Weekly low-carb dinner menu planning uses up a lot of my meal-planning bandwidth. There’s not often enough left over for lunch.

I find it easier to just keep my favorite lunch staples on hand so I can always compile something simple and satisfying with minimal effort when my internal lunch bell rings.

Here are 4 quick and easy low-carb lunches (single-serving size) that will fit the bill over and over again when you need some no-nonsense nourishment in the middle of a busy day.

4 QUICK AND EASY LOW-CARB LUNCHES (YOU’LL MAKE AGAIN AND AGAIN):

1. Open-Faced Herbed Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich

Start with 1 cup of cooked (pulled, chopped) herbed rotisserie chicken in a medium bowl.

Thankfully these convenient little darlings are everywhere these days.

I love the organic ones found in Whole Foods, but just about every supermarket out there will have a stash. (You can even buy the chicken cooked and pre-pulled if you want to go all out with time management).  These don’t last long in my house, but are always good for at least a few lunches.

Mix in 1T avocado mayonnaise. (I use Primal Kitchen avocado mayo. The ingredients are cleaner and unlike regular mayonnaise, there are no soybean or other inflammatory oils inside.)

Add 1 tsp. Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon is my favorite), 1T chopped walnuts and sea salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Lay a few baby spinach leaves on top of a toasted slice of grain-free cinnamon raisin bread (I use the Base Culture brand.) Add the cheese slice, then top with the chicken salad mixture and a tomato slice.

No rotisserie on hand? Sub for a can of albacore tuna packed in water (drained) and a teaspoon of dill relish instead of the chopped walnuts.

Need some chip-like crunch on the plate with that sandwich? Try a few seasoned pork rinds.

No low-carb bread on hand? Make it a salad. Spoon chicken (or tuna) salad mixture on top of a cup of baby spinach or mixed greens. Add some avocado slices, cherry tomatoes and a hard-boiled egg if you have one handy.

Easy low-carb lunchtime WIN!

2. Ham or Turkey Rollups w/Dijon mustard

Looking for a lickety-split lunch that still satisfies? You have arrived. These are old-school, but they still get the job done well.

Take a few slices of ham or turkey from the deli (I opt for nitrate-free brands) and roll up with your favorite cheese slice. Baby Swiss is the one that does it for me when I make these. Optional, add a few roasted red pepper and/or sweet pepper pieces to each rollup for an extra pop of flavor.

I make three thick roll ups (using 3-4 slices for each one). Serve with a few teaspoons of Dijon mustard for dipping. (Add a little sour cream and granulated Swerve for a nifty honey mustard impostor dip).

Complement your rollups with a small baby spinach or garden salad.

Need a ranch dressing for that side salad without all of the yuck contained in store-bought? I gotta say, this one truly rocks and shows up regularly in my fridge. Make it when you have some free time, so it’s handy when you need it.

3. Mini Low-Carb Pizzas

Ahh. This quick and easy low-carb lunch had me at pizza. It’s definitely an all-time favorite.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it happen:

• 3 Outer Aisle Plantpower Sandwich Thins (these are also available at most Whole Foods Markets or on Amazon).
• 1.5 tsp. olive oil
• 6 tsp. no sugar added pizza sauce
• Italian seasoning to taste
• baby spinach leaves (handful)
• 3/4 cup whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 425F. Brush each sandwich thin with 1/2 tsp. olive oil.  For best results, place the sandwich thins directly on oven rack or on a baking rack for a crispier texture. Bake for 5-7 minutes.

Remove from oven. Add 2 tsp. of pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, baby spinach and 1/4 cup of mozzarella to each sandwich thin.

Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

Best news? All 3 of the mini pizzas in this serving have a total of 8.5 net carbs!

Quick and easy low-carb lunching at its best. 🙂

Hint: To save some carbs for later, enjoy two of the mini pizzas with a side salad instead of 3 for your serving. Or, for a meatier lunch, top off your mini pizzas with some pepperoni slices before the final bake.

And to enjoy with a friend, try using a few of Outer Aisle’s Italian-flavored pizza crusts which I’m also a big fan of. (You can check out my Low-Carb Tacos tip using them here.)

4. Strawberry Avocado Protein Smoothie

Listen. Sometimes you gotta shove lunch in between the meetings that should’ve been emails.

Sometimes you’re scarfing down that second meal a little later than planned as you move between stops A, B and C in mom or dad’s taxi.

And for those days, we have low-carb smoothies.

They work great for your quick make-or-take-in-a-hurry days, and being able to pour all of your quick and easy low-carb lunch nutrition into a glass or to-go cup is a big win in my book.

So let’s get after it.

Add the following ingredients to your blender:

• 1.5 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 4 frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup frozen avocado pieces
• 1 scoop no sugar added vanilla protein powder (I love Ancient Nutrition’s Bone Broth Vanilla (because of the joint pain relief it provides inside 20 grams of protein)!
• 1/2 cup ice (optional, add if you like a thicker consistency)

Blend well until smooth and serve.

Yum!

I hope you’ll find these lunches not just quick and easy, but delicious, and that you’ll reach for them regularly like I do, whenever you need a filling yet uncomplicated meal that doesn’t demolish your low-carb goals.