18 High-Protein Sandwiches That Are Perfect for Lunch By Leah Goggins Leah Goggins Leah Goggins is a journalist and an editor at EatingWell. She assigns and edits all kinds of news content, from delicious grocery roundups to new studies in health and nutrition. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 25, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, LD Reviewed by Dietitian Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, LD Christa Brown is a registered dietitian and business owner with a practice focus on diabetes management and content development for brands and fitness influencers. She is a licensed dietitian with a Master of Science in Nutrition Education and a certification in gut health by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close Credit: Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely Whether it's on a bun, a sandwich thin or some whole-wheat bread, we pile on the protein and flavor in these delicious sandwich recipes. Ingredients like pesto, pickled onions and fresh herbs crank up the yum factor in these lunches. And chicken, chickpeas and tofu help add at least 15 grams of protein to each serving. That protein can help you power through the day feeling satisfied, keep your blood sugar stable and even support your muscles and digestive system. Recipes like our Avocado Egg Salad Sandwiches and Caprese Sandwich are perfect for toting with you to work or enjoying at home. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 18 Chicken Pesto Panini View Recipe Save In this chicken pesto panini recipe, the extra-thin bread gets nice and crispy, the mozzarella melts beautifully and the arugula adds a fresh and peppery note to complement the pesto. It's a delicious and easy panini to throw together! 02 of 18 White Bean & Avocado Sandwich View Recipe Save White beans mash seamlessly into a creamy protein-packed spread for a satisfying healthy sandwich that makes for an easy lunch or dinner. Mix it up by trying it with canned chickpeas or black beans. This vegetarian sandwich recipe is also a fiber superstar: avocado, beans, greens and whole-wheat bread team up to give it 22 g of fiber, more than half of what most women should aim for in a day. 03 of 18 Avocado Egg Salad Sandwiches View Recipe Save Lighten up classic egg salad by swapping in creamy avocado instead of using mayonnaise. Sandwich it between toasted whole-wheat bread and you've got an easy, packable lunch ready for work or school. 04 of 18 Crispy Cod Sandwich View Recipe Save Skip frying but keep all the crunch with this healthy baked fish sandwich recipe. The wire rack ensures both sides of the baked cod get crispy. 05 of 18 Caprese Sandwich View Recipe Save Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely This caprese sandwich is fresh from the basil and hearty from thick, crusty ciabatta. The sun-dried tomatoes deepen the flavor. Topping the bread with a layer of basil leaves and using toasted bread helps to keep the sandwich from getting soggy if you need to make it a few hours ahead. 06 of 18 Chicken Caprese Sandwich View Recipe Save Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely This chicken caprese sandwich has all the classic flavors of a caprese salad with an added boost of protein from grilled chicken. Using store-bought grilled chicken makes assembly quick and easy. This sandwich, for one, is made in a skillet but would work equally well in a panini press if you have one on hand. 07 of 18 Chickpea Salad Sandwich View Recipe Save Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn This vegan chickpea salad sandwich is lemony, bright and surprisingly delicious. It's got all the flavors of a classic tuna salad sandwich—dill, lemon and a bit of garlic—but with chickpeas instead to add a vegan source of protein and a healthy boost of fiber. Celery brings a nice crunch. 08 of 18 Hot Turkey Pesto Sandwich View Recipe Save Victor Protasio This turkey pesto sandwich features fresh mozzarella cheese, which melts beautifully, creating a gooey, cheesy bite. Serve for lunch or dinner alongside a bowl of soup for a filling meal. 09 of 18 Mushroom French Dip View Recipe Save Jacob Fox Meaty portobello mushrooms have just the right amount of earthy, savory flavor and the perfect texture to replace beef in these vegetarian French dip sandwiches. 10 of 18 10-Minute Tuna Melt View Recipe Save Joy Howard This variation of a classic sandwich uses mayonnaise, but not where you'd think! Mayo is brushed on the outside of the sandwich in place of butter to make the sandwich golden and crispy as it heats in a skillet. Plain Greek yogurt takes mayo's place in the salad—along with crunchy celery, roasted red bell peppers and scallions—for a satisfying lunch with less saturated fat. 11 of 18 Crispy Smoked Tofu & Coleslaw Wraps View Recipe Save Johnny & Charlotte Autry Tossing the smoked tofu in cornstarch then pan-frying makes it super-crispy. Drizzle with hot honey or your favorite hot sauce to spice it up a little. 12 of 18 Egg Salad English-Muffin Sandwich View Recipe Save Brie Passano When you boil eggs ahead of time, it's easy to create a lickety-split and delightful lunchtime egg salad. And using the flavorful leafy carrot tops in it is like getting herbs for free. 13 of 18 Mushroom Melts View Recipe Save Antonis Achilleos This mushroom melt has both Gruyère and Swiss cheeses that work together with earthy mushrooms to create a delicious ooey-gooey vegetarian grilled cheese. Balsamic vinegar helps lighten the sandwich, and the thin slices of rye bread help keep the sodium in check. 14 of 18 The Ultimate Turkey Avocado Sandwich View Recipe Save This turkey avocado sandwich is the perfect way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers. Packed with leftover turkey, bacon, cranberry sauce and more, this sandwich is sure to satisfy. If you really want to do this sandwich up, chef Hugh Acheson suggests searing a slice of stuffing or bread pudding until it's nice and crispy and putting it between the turkey and avocado. 15 of 18 Roasted Buffalo Chickpea Wraps View Recipe Save This vegetarian riff on a Buffalo chicken wrap adds the spicy Buffalo tang you love to crunchy roasted chickpeas all tucked into an easy-to-make wrap with carrot, celery and blue cheese. Make and take a wrap for a healthy packable lunch or serve them up on game day for a protein-packed snack everyone will devour. 16 of 18 Chicken & Apple Kale Wraps View Recipe Save Using kale leaves instead of bread to wrap your filling makes this healthy chicken lunch recipe low-calorie and lower in carbs. If you can't find lacinato (aka Tuscan) kale, try cabbage for your wrap. 17 of 18 Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich View Recipe Save In this healthy chicken sandwich recipe, the avocado is mashed to create a healthy creamy spread. 18 of 18 Spanakopita Grilled Cheese Sandwiches View Recipe Save These grilled cheese sandwiches give you all the flavors of the Greek spinach pie, spanakopita, without dealing with fussy layers of phyllo—perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. The creamy flavor-packed filling works well in more than just a sandwich: try it in a calzone or on top of a roasted cauliflower steak too. Explore more: Healthy Recipes Nutrient-Focused High-Protein High-Protein Lunch Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit