Good Healthy Lunch Ideas for Work Whether you’re a student or a busy office worker, finding the time to cook a healthy meal can be hard after a long day at work. What’s the key to healthy eating? Mixing up your meals is a great way to ensure you are getting a variety of nutrients. Here are some healthy lunch ideas for work that will help you stay nourished and energized throughout the day.
Healthy lunch ideas for work can help you stay fit. Keeping a healthy diet is not an easy task at times especially if you have tight work deadlines that interfere with your nutritional plans. If that’s the case, below are some good healthy lunch ideas for work and tips to make your meal preparation more convenient while making sure you get to eat the right food.
Good Healthy Lunch Ideas For Work
Pack your lunchbox full of nutritious ingredients and look forward to a midday meal that not only tastes great, but is good for you too. Read on for all the inspiration you need for the perfect packed lunch. For top storage solutions, see our reviews of the best meal prep containers and lunchboxes.
1. Pasta salads
Pasta is a portable lunch staple and is equally delicious served cold in a pasta salad or quickly reheated in a microwave. Cook once, eat three times with our easy meal prep pasta ideas, allowing you to make three different dishes – salmon pasta, chicken pasta and aubergine pasta – in one go, ready to pop in the fridge when you need some midday fuel.
2. Rice salads
Choose high-fibre brown rice to keep you feeling satisfied all afternoon. Our easy meal prep rice recipes are designed to give you two delicious lunches in just one prep session.
If you’re cooking your rice from scratch (instead of using a pre-cooked rice pouch), make sure you cool it quickly and refrigerate, following the FSA’s food safety tips.
3. Exotic salads
Salads are one of the quickest and easiest lunches to throw together – just pop everything in a bowl, give it a mix and go. With almost endless flavour combinations, they’re also a great way to mix up your midweek menu and stave off lunchtime boredom. Experiment with using different leaves, grains or pulses as your base, layer up the toppings with colourful fruit and veg, protein-rich meat, fish, tofu or eggs, then amp up the flavour and texture with nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and dressings. Be inspired by our favourite healthy salad recipes
4. Protein pots
Protein is an important part of a balanced diet. If you’re looking to increase your protein intake from time-to-time, our homemade protein pots make for a perfect snack or light lunch, and all contain around 30g protein:
5. Homemade wraps
Flatbreads and tortillas make a great alternative to bread, or you could use crisp lettuce leaves if you’re looking to cut the carbs. Protein-rich chicken and fish make great filling options, or pile on the veggies for a lunchtime nutrient hit.
6. Sandwich ideas
Forget soggy sarnies – our filling pittas, club sandwiches and toast toppers are packed with delicious, nutrient-dense ingredients that are sure to hit the spot. Pack up the ingredients separately and assemble at your desk for a super fresh open sandwich.
7. Portable soups
To avoid leakage, pop in a thermos flask with a tight seal. If you can make use of a microwave during your lunch break, you could batch-cook soup, freeze in Tupperware (that’s suitable for the freezer and the microwave), then thaw and reheat when you want to eat.
8. Hummus Collard Wraps
Trust me, if you really want to get a health kick started strong, a collard wrap is the way to do it!
9. Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Bowl
Even the word mediterranean peaks my cravings for a healthy meal! This quinoa bowl is nutrient dense and will leave you satiated with it’s high amounts of fiber. You can meal prep these for the week and have a week’s worth of lunches in about 30 minutes.
10. Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies Bowl
Sheet pan meals are an absolute favorite of mine! It’s as simple as a pop in the oven and you’re all set. These meal prep bowls are going to be a definite favorite for you. You’ll feel like you’re eating a gourmet meal without spending hours in the kitchen.
11. Keto Proscuitto Egg Cups
Are you jumping on the keto bandwagon? Then these egg cups are definitely for you! The high protein and satiating fats will keep your cravings at bay. You’ll forget how healthy you are even eating with this keeper of a recipe.
12. Low-Carb Pad Thai
Have you tried Shiritake noodles yet? If not, you definitely should! These impressive noodles are made primarily of a specific type of yam soaked in water. The end product is a delicious 0-calorie noodle.
Pad Thai has long been a favorite of mine, and these noodles make it possible to keep my blood sugar balanced while enjoying an old time favorite. Definitely give it a shot!
13. Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
These chicken enchilada stuffed peppers pack a good serving of nutrients and protein while making meal prep simple. The great thing is, packing it is simple and reheating the meal is not a problem. Definitely add this amazing meal to your meal prep list.
14. Poke Bowl
Have you jumped on the Poke Bowl bandwagon? If not, you are about to discover a new favorite! Picture sushi in a bowl. This incredible is perfect for a day of relaxing.
15. Chicken Hummus Sushirrito
If you are wondering what on earth a sushirrito is, then let me help you out, it’s a blend between a burrito and sushi. Of course, this one takes on a bit of a twist.
24 Healthy Meals To Bring To Work – Salad
Here are some great healthy meals to bring to work. A lot of people think that eating healthy foods at work is difficult. While this can be true, it doesn’t have to be.
To make meal preps super easy, it is loaded with sprouts, chicken, hummus, and veggies. The preparation literally takes minutes, and it’s a fun new twist if you find yourself getting bored of salads.
1. Asian Quinoa Salad
This salad’s not only delicious, but it’s pretty, too. If the number of ingredients in the dressing overwhelms you (understandably), pick up something similar to this Sesame Soy Ginger Vinaigrette.
2. Avocado Chicken Salad
This chicken salad has four ingredients. Four! Plus avocado. Point made. You can also make it into a sandwich or a wrap, which makes this quite the versatile recipe.
3. Smashed Avocado Chickpea Salad
A vegetarian twist on the salad above, this one uses chickpeas instead of chicken, so you can still get a great source of protein. Smash away!
4. Brussels Sprouts Salad With Apples, Pecans, and Manchego
Brussels sprouts are a great alternative to lettuce for a greens-based salad (maybe because they look like tiny heads of cabbage). And as someone who studied abroad in Spain, I can tell you that Manchego cheese is the best. Want a hack for this salad? Many stores sell sprouts that are already chopped and bagged, meaning you can just open and dump into a bowl.
5. Cherry-Almond Farro Salad
Farro’s a grain with a ton of fiber and will help to fill you up (so you aren’t ravenous and stealing from the office candy drawer 30 minutes later). And the cherries are the perfect sweet and tart addition.
6. Chopped Kale, Farro, and Chickpea Salad
This combination of foods is the perfect protein and fiber powerhouse. While the recipe calls for red miso paste, you can easily substitute another dressing for that (because who has red miso paste?). But if you do have it, go for it!
7. Chorizo and Tomato Salad
A reminder that simple doesn’t always equal boring. The chorizo adds some smoke and spice to really make this salad pop.
8. Lentil Salad With Goat Cheese
You had me at goat cheese.
9. Soba Salad With Honey Ginger Dressing
It’s a salad made with—wait for it—noodles. Plus, if you want, you can reuse that dressing you bought for the Asian Quinoa Salad.
10. Strawberry Fields Salad
Go ahead. Tell me you aren’t singing the Beatles’ song right now. (Straw-BER-ry Fi-iields For-EV-ah.) It’s not a requirement to listen to it while you’re eating this scrumptious salad. But it should be.
11. Succotash Salad
This salad’s fun to say and yummy to eat. Don’t stress about shaving the kernels of corn from the actual cobs. You can use frozen or canned corn to expedite your way to a tasty dish.
Apple Sandwiches With Almond Butter and Granola
Talk about non-traditional. You’ve probably spread peanut butter (or almond, or cashew, or [insert nut here]) on your apple slices before, but have you ever thought of making your apple into a sandwich? Yep, mind blown. But this is the perfect lunch if you’re craving something sweet but don’t want to crash later.
16. Avocado Tea Sandwiches
How cute and simple are these? Plus, it’s OK to bring fish to the office if you’re not microwaving it, right? Report back.
17. Crunchy Peanut Butter Wrap
Need I say more? You’d be nutty not to try this one. (Someone requested dad humor, right?)
18. Hummus and Veggie Sandwich
The combination of vegetables (and fruit—ahem, avocado) in this sandwich provides a variety of textures to keep your palate excited.
19. Peanut Butter, Pickle, and Potato Chip Sandwich
Yes, you read that right. I did not accidentally write “pickle” instead of “jelly.” These flavors actually do work together, and the chips are a crunchy bonus.
20. Pear-Walnut Sandwich
Cinnamon-raisin bread for a sandwich? Yep.
21. Red Pepper, Goat Cheese, and Fresh Mint Wraps
This wrap has four ingredients (not including some extra salt) and the contents have strong and complementary flavors. Plus, it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.
22. Smoked Gouda and Apple Butter Sandwich
So simple, yet so tasty. And yes, cheese and apples go together. Perfectly.
23. Southwest Hummus Wrap
Hummus is the perfect ingredient to really tie the ingredients of this wrap together and make every bite the perfect fusion of flavors.
24. Sweet Potato, Chickpea, and Quinoa Veggie Burger
Sure, these may take a little extra time to prepare. But if you prepare a bunch of them at once, all you have to do is grab one out of the freezer or fridge and throw it in your bag with a bun and some toppings!