Interesting post and a nice list of easy lunch ideas besides sandwiches.
Are you sick of the same old sandwiches for lunch? Do you want to eat something that is low in carbs, but still healthy? Do you want tasty easy lunches? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. Let me introduce you to my fast and easy lunch meal ideas…
Easy Lunch Ideas Besides Sandwiches
While sandwiches are perfect for days when we’re running late or have a hankering for a kid-like lunch again, take a step outside the (lunch) box and try a few non-sandwich lunch recipes once and awhile. You can create a more exciting, more satiating, and possibly healthier lunch with just a few tweaks here and there.
You’ll want to select a nice mix of easy-to-digest protein, some healthy fats, and some fiber when you create your lunch. This combination will ensure that your lunch fills you up without weighing you down. Start with some of the options below and turn lunch into a more exciting part of your day with these non-sandwich lunch recipes. Don’t worry, they’re still very easy to make, and many of these options can be made ahead of time just like sandwiches. You never know—you might just find a new favorite lunch recipe!
1. Avocado Egg Salad
Don’t limit your egg salad to mayo alone—opt for something just as filling but a little lighter with the almighty avocado. Packed with healthy fats, fiber and even a little protein, avocado can be a great addition to any lunch of your choice. Its creamy nature creates a delectable egg salad in this recipe by The Roasted Root. Enjoy it plain, top a bed of greens with it, or slather it on some toast or crackers for an easy meal in minutes.
2. Healthy Buffalo Chicken Wrap
Wraps may be similar to sandwiches, but they have the benefit of being able to be created out of any type of wrap you wish. There’s now whole grain, coconut, and even veggie-based wraps you can choose from. This Healthy Buffalo Chicken Wrap happens to use a whole grain wrap and is a healthier version of traditional Buffalo wraps you might be used to. Get the easy recipe from The Creative Bite and see what you think!
3. Pasta and Avocado Caesar Salad
Perhaps you just can’t give up all the carbs at lunch. Now you don’t have to since this recipe by Natasha’s Kitchen uses pasta for a quick and easy lunch salad recipe that’s filling yet still light too. Make it ahead, and whip it out when hunger strikes!
4. Superfood Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Salad should not be boring, especially at lunch where it’s the main meal of your mid-day eats. So take your salad up a few notches and add some light protein along with a fabulous salad dressing recipe. This Superfood Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette by Iowa Girl Eats has you covered.
5. Quinoa Chicken Bowls With a Mango Salsa
Bowls are all the rage right now, and the possibilities for quick combinations are limitless. Prepare a batch of chicken and quinoa ahead of time, along with the salsa, and use them in a variety of your meals throughout the week for quick and easy meals that contain healthy ingredients. These Quinoa Chicken Bowls With a Mango Salsa are the perfect option to start with!
6. Paleo Avocado Tuna Salad
Just like egg salad can be made with avocados, so can tuna salad. In fact, tuna salad made with avocado isn’t only nice and colorful, but it’s also more filling thanks to the extra fiber found in avocados. Here’s a fun fact: Both tuna and avocados pack heart-healthy fats, so you can feel especially good about noshing on this lunch recipe by Cook Eat Paleo each day!
7. Creamy Turkey Pinwheels
8. Avocado Toast With Eggs, Spinach and Tomatoes
Topped toast is also nice to enjoy at lunch, and it can be a little lighter than bread-heavy sandwiches. Use a whole grain or gluten-free toast of choice and top it with this protein-rich topping using eggs, spinach, and avocados created by Two Peas & Their Pod. Or, if you’re not into bread at all for lunch, just enjoy it without toast—it will still keep you full and taste just as great!
9. Pizza Pasta Salad
Pizza is a favorite of many for lunch, but you can lighten up your pizza and lunch with this Pizza Pasta Salad by Spend With Pennies. Plus, who wouldn’t love to dive into this recipe for lunch and not need a nap right after?
10. Spinach, Roasted Red Pepper, and Feta Turkey Wrap
Light, filling, and totally satisfying, this Spinach, Roasted Red Pepper, and Feta Turkey Wrap by NeighborFood makes for an easy lunch recipe that you can make ahead just like sandwiches. If you choose a whole grain wrap, you’ll even pack in some extra fiber too!
17 Creative Lunch Ideas (That Aren’t Sandwiches)
Ready to branch out from PB&J? It’s easy to shake up your lunch ideas with these kid-approved recipes! From homemade chicken nuggets to cobb salad, there are tons of ways to give sandwiches a break. Lunchtime is about to get way more interesting!
While your creative juices are flowing, don’t forget to pack something fun to drink! Did you know that 1 in 2 kids is under-hydrated*? Creative Roots is a plant-powered coconut water beverage with a taste kids love. With one gram of sugar, it’s a solution that both you and your kids can get on board with!
Meatballs and Veggies
This is protein-packed lunch doesn’t take too much time to pull together in the morning. Simply warm up meatballs (store-bought or homemade both work) and add their favorite veggies to the other spots in the bento box. See more great lunch ideas from One Lovely Life here.
Deep Dish Mini Pizzas
Pizza lovers, rejoice! With this idea from One Little Project, you can have itty bitty deep dish pizzas that are the perfect size for lunchboxes. Customize with your fave toppings for a truly magical lunch. Get the how-to here.
Peanut Butter and Banana Roll Ups
You can’t get more colorful (or yummy!) than this lunchbox idea from Damn Delicious! It’s packed with strawberries, pretzels, tangerines, and celery sticks, along with quick wraps that are—you guessed it—super quick to make. For the recipe, head here.
Baked Chicken Nuggets
Load up their lunchboxes with a healthy and homemade version of a fast food staple! These ideas will go over like gangbusters with kids who crave nuggets 24/7—and you’ll be surprised how easy they are to make. Snag the recipe here.
Homemade Lunchables
Step away from the store-bought Lunchables! You can totally whip up your own version of this lunchbox classic—and even add some healthy additions (hello, fruit!) while you’re at it. Get inspired to make your own over at Snap. Eat. Run.
Skip the juice and pair it with Creative Roots! This plant-powered coconut water beverage has a taste kids love. With one gram of sugar, it’s a happy hydration solution for all.
Pigs in a Blanket
Psst! Your fave party hors d’oeuvre is also an awesome lunch option for kids and grownups alike. And with just two ingredients and four steps, your little chefs can even help make these irresistible bites. Want the recipe? Head here.
Turkey Spinach Pinwheels Lunch Box
More pinwheels, please! These super healthy bites—along with a hefty dose of fruits and veggies—are customizable, easy to make, and utterly delicious. Plus, you can make them ahead of time and have lunch for the whole week.
Taco Salad Lunch Bowl
Turn your lunch into a fiesta with this creative idea from Kristine’s Kitchen! Filled with taco beef, lettuce, cheese, black beans, corn and salsa, these lunch bowls are bursting with flavor and healthy to boot. Score the recipe here.
Pepperoni Pizza Bites
Got thirty minutes? That’s how long it takes to make these four-ingredient bites from A Taste of Madness! Sporting some pepperoni and your fave cheese, they’ve got all the flavors of pizza and will fit just right in a lunchbox. Get the easy recipe here.
Mini Bagels with Cream Cheese
Bagels with cream cheese is a classic at any time! Let your kids pick their favorite flavor and fill a small container with cream cheese. They’ll have fun slathering their bagels, and you can throw in cheese and fruit or veggies to round out their lunch. See the details and get other ideas over at Chelseas’ Messy Apron.
Fruit and Cream Cheese Wraps
For a sweet but still healthy lunch, you’ve got to try these wraps from Healthy Seasonal Recipes. Pair them with fresh veggies for a light and delicious meal. To get the recipe, click here.
Kiddie Cobb Salad
Turn veggie-averse kids into salad eaters with this genius take on cobb salad from Mom’s Kitchen Handbook. You can customize it with toppings your littles will like, but we figure avocados, turkey and hard-boiled eggs are a delicious place to start. To get the recipe, click here.
Homemade Kraft Easy Mac
Mac and cheese is a surefire win for our kids, which is why we love this take on easy mac from Food Fanatic. The best part? It’s made entirely in the microwave and comes together in a flash. Click here to grab the recipe.
5 Non-Sandwich Lunch Ideas
When I was a kid, I used to hate sandwiches. My poor mom. Every morning, she’d go downstairs at the crack of dawn, and with the sound of flourescent lights buzzing overhead, she’d drink a cup of instant coffee and pack me (and my brother and sister) a non-sandwich lunch. That was back in the days of no internet, no Amazon, and no Walmart, so she’d have to come up with creative lunch ideas all on her own. Then she’d pack them in nothing but sandwich bags and thermoses in my super cool 1980’s denim lunch bag. (Actually, I don’t remember if I had a denim lunch bag, but it sounds very 80’s doesn’t it?)
Do you remember what you ate for lunch when you were in elementary school? I know I ate tons of crackers and cheese? And every once in awhile my mom would pack a hot dog in a thermos, and it was like I had won the lunch time lottery!
Since I still don’t love sandwiches, I tend not to pack very many in my 5 year old’s school lunches. Sandwiches are just, well.. they’re kind of boring? And these non-sandwich lunch ideas are… well, let’s just say that if someone was willing to make me any one of these recipes for lunch, I would throw down the dish towel, jump onto the coffee table, and break into song. And then they can do the dishes too while they’re at it. Any takers? No? Darn.
Apples and Cheese Wraps
Spaghetti Muffins
Mexican Pizza
Applewiches
Deep Dish Pizza Cupcakes
BLT Wraps
Apple and Peanut Butter Wrap
Cheeseburger Minis
