Wellness Mind & Body 13 Delicious Twists on Classic Lunches Brown-bagging it doesn't have to be boring. Upgrade traditional lunch recipes with these easy tweaks. By Christine Mattheis Christine Mattheis Christine Mattheis is an editor and writer with specialties in pregnancy and parenting, wellness, health conditions, nutrition and fitness. Her work appears in What to Expect, Health, Prevention, Men's Health, and more. health's editorial guidelines Published on July 25, 2014 Share this page on Facebook Share this page on Twitter Share this page on Pinterest Email this page Turkey sandwich. Tuna sandwich. Ham sandwich. Sigh. If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then lunch may be the most boring. Put an end to ho-hum midday meals with these genius recipe upgrades. 01 of 12 Classic: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Ryan Benyi/MyRecipes.com Twist: Peanut Butter and Pear Sandwich Swap out sugary jelly for naturally sweet pears, raisins, and honey. Pears break up the monotony of traditional PB&J by adding crunch to every bite—and a dose of filling fiber and antioxidants. Ingredients: Peanut butter, whole-wheat bread, raisins, pears, cinnamon, honey Calories: 525 Try this recipe: Peanut Butter and Pear Sandwich 02 of 12 Classic: Reuben Health.com Twist: Pastrami-Spiced Tofu Reuben The average Reuben sandwich racks up nearly 800 calories. This vegetarian-friendly version swaps out beef pastrami for tofu, reducing the calorie count by nearly half. With 20 grams of protein per serving, you're sure to feel full until dinner! Ingredients: Firm tofu, reduced-fat mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickles, coriander, ground black pepper, garlic powder, salt, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, extra-virgin olive oil, sauerkraut, pickled jalapeno, unsalted butter, pumpernickel bread, Swiss cheese Calories: 454 03 of 12 Classic: Cobb Salad Health.com Twist: Cobb Salad Lettuce Wraps We get it: eating a salad every day is good for you. But does it get boring? Yes. These wraps—which you eat with your hands—are a finger-licking-good alternative that makes eating veggies feel fun again. Avocado and a touch of blue cheese add creaminess without fattening dressings. Ingredients: Reduced-fat mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, black pepper, cooking spray, Canadian bacon, iceberg lettuce, smoked deli turkey breast slices, tomato, avocado, red onion, crumbled blue cheese Calories: 177 Try this recipe: Cobb Salad Lettuce Wraps 04 of 12 Classic: Turkey Club with Mayo on White Bread Jim Bathie/Health.com Twist: Turkey Club with Pesto on Pumpernickel Bread Choosing pumpernickel bread over traditional white for your turkey club has two clear benefits: it gives your sammie a more complex nutty flavor, and it's a lot better for you. (A recent study revealed that frequent white-bread eaters are 40% more likely to become overweight than those who eat it less often.) And pesto not only adds flavor; the olive oil and pine nuts it's made from are known metabolism-boosters. Ingredients: Prepared pesto, pumpernickel bread, sliced turkey, turkey bacon, romaine lettuce, tomato, apple Calories: 390 Try this recipe: Pesto Turkey Club 05 of 12 Classic: Chicken-Noodle Soup Randy Mayor and Mary Catherine Muir/MyRecipes.com Twist: Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup Forget canned chicken soup. Ginger, garlic, Thai spices, mint, and cilantro give this homemade version an Asian twist. Make it ahead of time and package it to take to work for the rest of the week. Ingredients: Water, shallots, ginger, garlic, Thai fish sauce, salt, pepper, chicken broth, chicken thighs, vermicelli noodles, bean sprouts, green onions, cilantro, basil, mint, lime Calories: 346 Try this recipe: Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup 06 of 12 Classic: Ham Sandwich Jim Bathie/Health.com Twist: Ham, Sliced Pear, and Swiss Sandwich Here's another classic sandwich that features fiber- and antioxidant-packed pears. This ham sandwich also swaps out fattening mayonnaise for plain, low-fat Greek yogurt, which provides an additional punch of protein. Ingredients: Plain low-fat Greek yogurt, dill, pumpernickel bread, sliced lean ham, pear, Swiss cheese Calories: 390 07 of 12 Classic: Pizza Delivery Health.com Twist: Zucchini, Scallion, and Parmesan Pizza It's all too easy to call for pizza delivery for your officemates at lunchtime. Instead, why not impress your coworkers with this healthier, more exciting version? Whole-wheat pizza dough is topped with zucchini, scallions, and just a sprinkling of flavorful Parmesan. Ingredients: All-purpose flour and cornmeal, whole-wheat pizza dough, olive oil, scallions, zucchini, salt, pepper, Parmesan, fresh mint Calories: 325 08 of 12 Classic: Tuna Sandwich Health.com Twist: Mediterranean Tuna Melt Instead of mixing canned tuna with mayo (yawn), try a jar of heart-healthy oil-packed tuna topped with staples from the Mediterranean diet. Olives, chives, roasted red peppers, and melted Manchego will make you wonder why you ever ate tuna any other way. Ingredients: Multigrain boule, extra-virgin olive oil, Spanish tuna, lemon zest, lemon juice, roasted red peppers, Spanish olives, red onion, Manchego, chives, Marcona almonds Calories: 421 09 of 12 Classic: Grilled Cheese Sandwich with American Health.com Twist: Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Cheddar and Apples Grilled cheese is a treat, but you can make it healthier—and tastier—by swapping out American cheese for cheddar and adding apple slices and baby spinach leaves. Multigrain bread sets you up with two out of your three recommended daily servings of whole grains. Ingredients: Mayonnaise, whole-grain multigrain bread, Dijon mustard, cheddar, apple, baby spinach Calories: 325 10 of 12 Classic: Macaroni and Cheese Jim Bathie/MyRecipes.com Twist: Baked Two-Cheese Penne with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Mac and cheese soothes the soul, but nobody would ever call this comfort food healthy. You won't miss it with this upgraded version that swaps in whole-wheat pasta. The entire four-serving recipe uses just 3 ounces of flavor-packed fontina and Gouda cheeses, but is still creamy thanks to a secret ingredient: Greek yogurt. Ingredients: Whole-wheat penne, olive oil, all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, low-fat milk, Gouda, fontina, panko, roasted red bell pepper, low-fat Greek yogurt Calories: 433 11 of 12 Classic: Cheeseburger Health.com Twist: Guilt-Free Cheeseburger Sure, it's tempting to hit the drive-through for lunch—but the choices there are uninspired at best. Plus, fast food spikes your blood sugar, so within a couple hours you'll feel hungry again. Try this guiltless cheeseburger instead—it features lean sirloin, and is topped with heart-healthy avocado and a juicy tomato salsa. Ingredients: Lean sirloin, garlic, chili powder, kosher salt, cheddar, romaine, avocado, fresh salsa, sourdough bun Calories: 466 12 of 12 Classic: Cheese Quesadilla Health.com Twist: Sweet Potato and Spinach Quesadillas You've never had a quesadilla quite like this! This recipe uses less cheese than a traditional quesadilla, and instead ramps up the flavor with sweet potatoes and red onions. Spinach adds virtually zero calories but gives you 56% of your daily vitamin A needs, plus a host of other nutrients. Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, red wine vinegar, sugar, black peppercorns, red onion, kosher salt, black pepper, flour tortillas, baby spinach, shredded part-skim mozzarella, olive oil Calories: 391 Try this recipe: Sweet Potato and Spinach Quesadillas Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit