Summertime brings with it fresh ingredients with bright flavors that make following a diabetes-friendly eating pattern simple and delicious. These easy lunch recipes with nutritious seasonal vegetables like cucumber, spinach and zucchini help you make the most of summer. Plus, each recipe is made with complex carbs, less saturated fats and sodium-conscious ingredients to meet our diabetes-appropriate nutrition parameters. In just 30 minutes or less, you can make our Open-Face Goat Cheese Sandwich with Tomato & Avocado Salad and Cucumber Salad Sandwich for a quick, easy and energizing midday meal.
30-Minute Roasted Salmon Tacos with Corn & Pepper Salsa
A honey-and-chipotle glaze gives this roasted salmon a sweet and spicy kick. If you have time, consider grilling or broiling the corn for a few minutes for additional flavor. Short on time? Thawed frozen corn can be used in place of fresh.
Open-Face Goat Cheese Sandwich with Tomato & Avocado Salad
This simple lunch comes together in just 10 minutes, making it a great option for busy days.
Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl
This flavorful burrito bowl features grilled chicken coated in a spicy chipotle glaze. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthier dinner.
Inspired by the viral TikTok trend, this salmon rice bowl makes for a tasty lunch or dinner. With healthy ingredients like instant brown rice, salmon and veggies, you’ll have a flavorful meal in just 25 minutes.
Who said you couldn’t put a salad on a sandwich? Flavor this creamy cucumber filling with your favorite fresh herbs, tangy feta cheese and lemon. Salting the cucumber then patting it dry removes some of the moisture from the cucumber so the filling doesn’t make the bread too soggy. If you like crispy bread, toast it first for extra crunch.
Who said you couldn’t put a salad on a sandwich? Flavor this creamy cucumber filling with your favorite fresh herbs, tangy feta cheese and lemon. Salting the cucumber then patting it dry removes some of the moisture from the cucumber so the filling doesn’t make the bread too soggy. If you like crispy bread, toast it first for extra crunch.
This scrumptious and healthy salad combines elements of Caesar salad, pasta salad and chicken salad for an easy weeknight dinner that comes together in less than 30 minutes (and most of the prep can be done ahead). Use your blender to whip together the tangy buttermilk-based dressing, which would also be great on a salmon or chickpea salad.
Try it once and we think you’ll agree: Topping avocado toast with an egg is a near-perfect breakfast.
Stuffed Potatoes with Salsa & Beans
Taco night meets baked potato night with this simple recipe for loaded baked potatoes with salsa, beans and avocado. This easy, healthy family dinner comes together with just 10 minutes of active time, so you can make it on even the busiest of weeknights. This recipe is just as delicious with sweet potatoes in place of russets.
Cucumber Sandwich with Cotija & Lime
This easy vegetarian cucumber sandwich draws flavor inspiration from elote, the Mexican street corn dish. Instead of corn, we flavor cucumber slices with cotija cheese, lime and cilantro for a tasty filling. Cotija cheese, a salty, crumbly Mexican cheese, is similar in flavor and texture to feta cheese, which can be used as a substitute. Arugula adds a peppery flavor, but any tender greens will work well here.
Southwest Black-Bean Pasta Salad Bowls
Meal-prep a week’s worth of delicious and satisfying high-fiber lunches with just 5 simple ingredients and 20 minutes. In this Southwestern-style pasta salad, we’re using pasta made with black beans to bump up the fiber to an impressive 14 grams per serving. Paired with seasoned chicken strips and a flavorful corn salad–shortcut ingredients you can often find at your local specialty grocery store–this meal-prep lunch is one you’ll get excited for.
Black Bean Wraps with Greens & Cilantro Vinaigrette
A simple salad tossed with a tangy vinaigrette packs these no-cook wraps with tons of bright cilantro flavor. The mix pairs well with mashed beans and avocado, which hold everything together.
This green goddess sandwich is a fresh and satisfying sandwich. The dressing packs a flavorful punch with capers and lemon juice. The cucumber and sprouts add nice crunch, and the seasoned avocado brings in the creaminess.
Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
This no-cook bean salad is a delicious way to use summer’s best cherry or grape tomatoes and juicy cucumbers for a light dinner or lunch. Fresh basil elevates an easy vinaigrette recipe that dresses up this simple salad into something extraordinary.
Who doesn’t love a BLT? In this Mexican-inspired version, we’ve added chicken and avocado and wrapped it in a tortilla, making it easy to eat.
Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy, omega-3-rich fish in your diet. Here, we combine it with avocados in an easy no-cook meal.
Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich
In this healthy chicken sandwich recipe, the avocado is mashed to create a healthy creamy spread.
Consider making a double batch of this easy pasta salad–it’s delicious the next day. The orzo will absorb the dressing as it sits, so add a little more olive oil and lemon juice if you’d like.
Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas
In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.
Sesame Peanut Noodles with Chicken & Zucchini
In this creamy peanut noodle recipe, we swapped half the pasta for zucchini noodles to reduce the carbs and calories, and bump up the vegetables. Zucchini noodles can be found in the prepped vegetable section of your grocery store, or grab your spiralizer and make them from scratch. Two medium or one large zucchini should give you 6 cups.