Keto Lunch Ideas

By Debra Mitchell July 30, 2023 3 mins read 97 Views

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Over the shoulder view of a woman sitting on a bench holding a lunch box filled with assorted vegetables, olives, and half a sandwich.

One of the biggest complaints about keto is that meals aren’t exactly quick to prepare. Lunch can feel especially tricky. Before keto, you might have made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or grabbed a quick sub on your lunch break. Keto-friendly lunches aren’t quite so simple.

But that doesn’t mean keto lunches are hard. Lunch can be as easy as grabbing last night’s leftovers or throwing together a quick salad with a can of tuna and your favorite Primal Kitchen dressing. You can even still have your favorite savory sandwiches; you just have to be more creative with the bread options.

Here are some of our favorite easy keto lunch ideas and recipes to prep ahead to make low-carb lunches a breeze.

Easy Keto Lunch Recipes

Mini Smoked Salmon Hand Rolls

These hand rolls are essentially rice-less sushi you can make at home in just a few minutes. They also make a great appetizer for your next get-together.

Three smoked salmon hand rolls on a white plate with nori, fresh avocado, and Primal Kitchen Mayo.

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Mark’s Big-Ass Keto Salad

You can’t go wrong with a big salad made with tons of greens (which have virtually no net carbs), healthy fats from avocado, nuts and seeds, and salad dressing made with olive or avocado oil. Add any protein, and voila, a complete (and completely satisfying) meal.

Big-ass keto salad, Primal Kitchen Caesar Dressing, fork.

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Buffalo Ranch Chicken Stuffed Peppers

Creamy loaded chicken salad in bell pepper “cups” are a tantalizing low-carb alternative to a sandwich—easy to eat with your hands! Use Hot Buffalo Sauce to turn up the heat.

Buffalo chicken stuffed peppers next to bottle of Primal Kitchen ranch dressing.

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TikTok Inspired Salmon Rice Bowls

Cauliflower rice, of course. This make-at-home take on a poke bowl is endlessly adaptable.

Salmon rice bowls with carrots, avocado, radishes, and Primal Kitchen Teriyaki.

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Keto Bread and Sandwich Recipes

Garlic, Dill & Cheddar Keto Bread

Many low-carb breads you find at the store contain ingredients that a Primal eater wouldn’t want to consume. (Wheat gluten and canola oil? Pass.) This savory bread contains only Primal-friendly ingredients and is worth the effort.

Loaf of bread sliced with ramekin of butter and a knife.

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Keto Completo Hot Dogs

Did the Internet ever decide whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich? Guess it is now. This recipe uses the bread recipe above to make keto-friendly hot dog buns, but you can also enjoy these loaded hot dogs without a bun. They’re great either way.

Four loaded hot dogs in a try with Primal Kitchen Mayo.

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Philly Cheesesteak (with Optional Primal Cheddar Cheese Sauce)

Serve these cheesesteaks with a lettuce wrap, on the hot dog buns from the previous recipe, or even atop a salad.

Philly cheesesteak served on lettuce with cheese sauce.

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Keto Cubano (Cuban Sandwich) Sliders

This sandwich features mouthwatering pork and ham paired with Swiss cheese, salty pickles, and mustard in a combo that’s more than the sum of its parts. It’s an ideal way to use up leftover shredded pork.

Cuban sandwiches on a white plate, skewered with cocktail toothpicks, Primal Kitchen Dijon Mustard in the background.

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Collard Green Tuna Wraps

This one’s for the tuna salad sandwich lovers out there.

Tuna collard wraps skewered with toothpicks and piled on a plate.

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Keto Lunch Meal Prep Recipes

If you pack a lunch to take to work or school, you need pre-made keto lunch recipes. Here are some things you can prepare the night before, or in a big meal prep blitz on the weekend. Pack them in individual portions in the fridge so they’re easy to grab on your way out the door.

Primal Sloppy Joes

This recipe also includes low-carb buns that you can use for sandwiches and burgers, too! Pack the bun and meat separately, then heat up the meat and assemble when you’re ready to chow down.

Sloppy joes sandwiches on blue plates with pickles and a side of cole slaw.

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Turmeric and Kale Soup with Ground Lamb

If you’re not big on lamb, this soup is equally delicious with ground turkey.

Turmeric and kale soup with ground lamb in a bowl with spoon and half a lemon.

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Ginger Turmeric Chicken Soup

This is one of the most popular recipes on the blog, and for good reason. This soup is everything you want soup to be.

Overhead shot of a large bowl of ginger turmeric chicken soup with fresh parsley.

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Wonton Soup

This is our take on the Chinese restaurant staple. All of the flavor but none of the noodle wonton wrappings that wouldn’t work on keto.

Overhead shot of wonton meatballs in broth with spinach, green onions, white spoon.

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Healthy Chicken Salad

Every keto eater should have a basic chicken salad recipe in their back pocket. Use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken to make meal prep even easier. Serve wrapped in lettuce or collard greens, over a big mixed salad, or just eat it with a fork.

Four lettuce cups filled with chicken salad on a wooden serving tray. Bowl of chicken salad with a scoop.