Healthy Lunch Ideas Australia

Healthy lunch ideas Australia is a collection of health and fitness blogs dedicated to providing people with healthy recipes, fitness tips and other resources to help you live a healthy lifestyle.

So maybe you’re thinking, healthy lunch ideas? Well we’ve got you covered over here at Healthy Lunch Ideas Australia. Our range of delicious recipes are quick and easy, with no fuss and minimal cleanup. That means that when it comes to healthy lunch ideas, we’ve really got your back.

Table of Contents

Healthy Lunch Ideas Australia

Brighten up your lunchbox with these bright, healthy lunches. These filling salads and wraps are sure to give you the energy you need to get through the afternoon.

The key to making healthy and nutritious lunch is balance. The following lunch recipes have been nutritionally checked to be classified as ‘healthy’, are made with fresh wholesome ingredients and contain serves of vegetables, wholegrains, starchy vegetables, legumes and protein ensuring your body gets the nutrients it needs to keep you full till dinner time.

Our recipe for roasted pumpkin, ricotta and spinach toastie transforms your average toastie with simple gourmet ingredients like roasted mashed pumpkin, capsicums and ricotta for a fast and tasty lunch!

Try our tomato, chicken and ricotta pasta salad is packed with fresh veggies and wholemeal pasta to help keep you full.

Chicken salad with yoghurt and lime dressing

Roasted pumpkin, ricotta and spinach toastie

Lentil hash with poached eggs

Tomato, chicken and ricotta pasta

Anna’s salmon Buddha bowl

Avocado and quinoa vegie wrap

Garlic prawn pasta salad with tomatoes and herbs

Herbed chicken, lemon and almond roll

Potato, spinach and chicken salad

Chickpea and vegetable noodle soup jars

Chopped chicken, roasted capsicum, walnut and rocket salad

Tuna and chickpea salad with orange and cumin dressing

Pesto pasta with tuna and tomatoes

Moroccan beef and lettuce bowl

Chicken and black bean salad

Allspice turkey skewers with eggplant salad

Tofu, rice and shredded vegetable salad

Spicy vegetarian chickpea and veggie bowl

Guacamole beans on toast

Breakfast slice

Lentil salad with poached eggs

Healthy lunchboxes

Looking for information on how to pack a healthy school lunchbox that kids will love? Look no more!

Pick’n’Mix 1-6

For a healthy lunchbox pick & mix something from each food group 1 – 6!

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Pick & Mix 1-6 poster provides a range of ideas and practical tips to inspire families to create healthy school lunchboxes

Pick and mix one tasty option from each of the five core food groups to create a healthy lunchbox every day:

Fruit (e.g. fresh, frozen, pureed and canned in natural juice
Vegetables, legumes and beans
Milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives
Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans
Grain (cereal) foods
Plain water

Click here to download your free copy of the Pick & Mix 1-6 poster to give away or display.

Pick and Mix 1-6 healthy lunchbox poster page 1

Pick and Mix 1-6 healthy lunchbox poster page 2

What goes in a healthy lunchbox?
		What’s for lunch? and Packing a school lunchbox Nutrition Australia Two handy fact sheets on packing a nutritious school lunchboxes, plus tips for storing food safely.
		Healthy Lunchbox Week Nutrition Australia Visit this website for a wide range of healthy lunchbox tips, videos and recipes.
		Lunchbox tips Better Health Channel Practical tips for packing a healthy school lunchbox, with helpful advice for parents on food refusal, peer pressure and more.
		Healthy lunchboxes Better Health Channel Advice on what to include in a healthy lunchbox, and tips for food safety.
		Healthy lunchbox snacks Healthy Kids Association Offers tips for healthy lunchbox snacks and easy snack ideas.
		Healthy lunchbox builder Cancer Council NSW An fun and interactive website to build a healthy lunchbox by mixing and matching items. Plus recipes and advice on food safety, involving children, and time saving tips.
		Healthy lunchboxes made easy Healthier QLD Stuck for ideas for the kids school lunches? Try these combos for inspiration.
Lunchbox planners
		Lunchboxes – healthy menu planner Better Health Channel A Monday-to-Friday guide on what to pack for morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack, plus drinks.
		10 great lunchbox ideas Healthy Kids Association This pictorial resource shows 10 different lunchboxes made with foods from the five food groups.
		Healthy lunchbox planner GenR8 Change Use the Pick ‘n’ Mix sheet to plan your lunches for the week, then fill this out and keep it you on your fridge to make packing healthy lunches easy!
Video clips
		Healthy lunchbox combos (video) Décor, Nutrition Australia and Dairy Australia Mix-and-match something from every food group to create colourful combinations that your kids will love.
		Lunch boxes – healthy shopping ideas (video) Better Health Channel Victorian State Public Health Nutritionist, Veronica Graham, takes us shopping for the right foods to include in your child’s lunchbox.
		Lunchboxes – how to make them healthy (video) Better Health Channel Victorian State Public Health Nutritionist, Veronica Graham, shares three healthy and delicious lunchbox examples for the kids and provides some great food preparation tips to save you time throughout the week.
Resources and posters
		Pick’n’Mix 1-6 (PDF) Healthy Eating Advisory Service Pick and mix a tasty option from each of the five core food groups to create a healthy lunchbox every day.
		Build your own healthy lunchbox (PDF, CALD) DPV Health A four page resource with useful tips and easy ways to pack a healthy lunchbox. Also available in Arabic and Hindi.
		Tucker talk tips 4 kids: Healthy lunchbox ideas (PDF) Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) A simple two-page resource with lunchbox ideas for each of the five food groups.
		Healthy, deadly lunch boxes!: Deadly ideas for a healthy lunch box Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) A new book filled with lots of healthy, deadly lunch box ideas for Koori families, including healthy eating and oral health tips.
		Lunchbox checklists (CALD) NSW Multicultural Health Communication Simple lunchbox checklists to help children and adults understand which foods make up a healthy lunch box. Available in English, Hindi, Arabic, Spanish, Serbian, Somali, Macedonian, Vietnamese and Traditional Chinese.
		The ABCD of packing healthy lunchboxes (CALD) Western Australia School Canteen Association Pictorial resources available in Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Dinka, Farsi, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Karen, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Swahili, Tagalog, Thai, Tigrinya, Vietnamese, and English.
		Healthy food and drink choices – tips for parents and carers (CALD) Department of Education, Western Australia Translated info sheets available in Burmese, Dari, Dinka, Hindi, Indonesian, Karen, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Swahili, Tagalog, Thai, Tigrinya, Vietnamese, English, Farsi, and Arabic.
How to keep food fresh and safe
		Keep your child’s lunchbox safe Healthy Kids Association Includes practical tips to keep lunchboxes fresh and safe.
More healthy lunchbox tips
		Lunchboxes – healthy ideas for school lunches Better Health Channel Tasty meal and snack ideas for each of the five core foods groups.
		Legendairy lunchbox ideas Dairy Australia Every lunchbox should include dairy options such as milk, yoghurts, cheese (or calcium fortified dairy alternatives) as well as fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and lean protein sources. Here are some easy meal and snack ideas that incorporate the five food groups.

10 simple, healthy lunch ideas

Say goodbye to your tired old ham sandwich. Brighten up your day with these easy, tasty lunch ideas

Fact: a good lunch makes your day infinitely better. Here are some fresh, nourishing ideas you can whip up at home and bring with you for delicious midday feast.

1. Easy Wraps and Sandwiches

Take some wholegrain bread, slather on some mashed avocado, fill up with leafy greens, chopped capsicum, tomatoes and grilled chicken, and voila! A quick and easy lunch, just as delicious as the sandwich you pay $10 for at the café down the road.

The great thing about wraps and sandwiches is they’re so versatile, so you can have something completely different every day. Here’s a simple formula to play with: pick a protein (tuna, chicken, turkey, lean beef, tofu, falafels), choose a mix of veggies, and complete with a healthy spread (think salsa, hummus, cottage or cream cheese, mustard, relish, pesto or chutneys).

Sandwich with avocado,radish,salad and ajvar vegan

2. Homemade pizza

Whip up a homemade pizza for dinner and enjoy the rest for lunch the next day. It’s a great way to feel indulgent, without all the extra salt, oil and fat you’d get with pizza from the food court.

It’s easy to make your own base – check out this quick and easy pizza dough recipe by chef Adrian Richardson to get started. Then all you need to do is choose your toppings. Load up your favourite vegetables, experiment with different sauces and pastes and add some lean meat or even kidney beans for a protein hit.

Need topping inspiration? Try some of these healthy pizza recipes for some delicious ideas.

3. Soup

Perfect for the cooler months, a hearty soup will get you warmed up and feeling nourished – it’s comfort food you can feel good about. Fill up with a variety of colourful vegetables to get a super nutrient hit, and try adding some protein and even wholegrains to give it some more substance.

Soups are also a fantastic way to use up whatever vegetables you have left in the fridge at the end of the week – so get creative. Check out our collection of soup recipes for some inspiration.

Autumn_Spicy_Pumpkin_SoupKGF_Medibank (87 of 82)

4. Rice paper rolls

If you’re after something light and fresh, but you’re a bit over salads, rice paper rolls are a wonderful healthy option. Even better, they’re easy to make at home.

You can buy packages of rice paper wraps from most supermarkets. Simply prep as instructed, fill with a mix of bean sprouts, shredded carrots, vermicelli rice, ribbon cucumbers, avocado, spring onion and some parsley or coriander, then parcel it all up. Check out this delicious rice paper roll recipe for more ideas and guidance.

These refreshing rolls are yummy with soy sauce, or you can even make your own dip by mixing your soy sauce with a little sweet chilli sauce, ginger, garlic and lemon juice.

Healthy Vegetarian Spring Rolls with Cilantro Carrots and Cabbage

5. Salads (and better yet, salad jars)

Another healthy lunch classic, salads are great for whipping up big batches and taking a portion to work with you. Bored of your wilted lettuce and tomatoes? Start experimenting with different ingredients and you’ll soon discover salads are anything but boring. Add fresh herbs and toasted nuts and seeds for extra flavour, season with good quality olive oil, and try adding grains like quinoa, brown rice or barley to give it some bulk.

An easy way to make your salad seem instantly more exciting is to put it in a jar. The simple rule is to put wet ingredients (like your dressing) in first at the bottom of the jar, then stack your ingredients upwards. Salad leaves, carrots and anything else that tends to go soggy should go right at the top.

Need more ideas? Check out our huge collection of deliciously healthy salad recipes and get creative.

6. Sushi rolls

Light, delicious, and with so many options for different fillings, sushi is the perfect healthy lunch. If you’re feeling creative, try making your own. It’s easier than you think – promise. Try this fresh and tasty quinoa sushi rolls recipe to get started.

7. Noodles with veggies and herbs

Throw together whatever vegetables you have in the fridge in a quick and easy noodle dish. Flavour it with fresh herbs and spices, garlic, olive oil or soy sauce – super simple, and super delicious.

For a similar idea with a twist, try a Vietnamese pho packed full of bright flavour and leafy ingredients, with an aromatic fusion of chicken, bean shoots, coriander and chili. Or try spiralized vegetables for a carb free alternative.

8. Frittatas, quiches and tarts

Baking a vegetable-filled tart or frittata at the start of the week is an excellent idea, especially if you’re low on time to prepare meals each day. Portion it up, freeze some for later, and you’ve got an easy lunch ready to be heated up and enjoyed with some salad.

Try this pumpkin, tomato and beetroot frittata, asparagus, leek and pea tart, or easy Easy cheesy quiche recipe. Or, experiment with your own version using all your favourite vegetables and some legumes or meat for variety and protein.

9. Fish and salad

You can’t go past a classic fish and salad combo for a perfect dose of protein, omega-3s and veggie nutrients. The omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish like salmon and mackerel support your brain function, so it’s a great way to break up the work day, as well as filling you up.

Grab a tin of tuna or grill up some salmon and enjoy with your favourite leafy sides. Check out some of these delicious ideas for fish and seafood recipes.

10. Curries

Warm and aromatic, curries are a delicious way to brighten up your lunchtime – and making it yourself lets you up the vegetable content and lower the oil content. Start with a basic recipe and mix it up with your favourite ingredients. Try this Indian lamb curry, Malaysian chicken curry or Eggplant curry with yoghurt for some tasty ideas.

Healthy Lunch Ideas Australia

Chicken salad with yoghurt and lime dressing

Roasted pumpkin, ricotta and spinach toastie

Lentil hash with poached eggs

Tomato, chicken and ricotta pasta

Anna’s salmon Buddha bowl

Avocado and quinoa vegie wrap

Garlic prawn pasta salad with tomatoes and herbs

Herbed chicken, lemon and almond roll

Potato, spinach and chicken salad

Chickpea and vegetable noodle soup jars

Chopped chicken, roasted capsicum, walnut and rocket salad

Tuna and chickpea salad with orange and cumin dressing

Pesto pasta with tuna and tomatoes

Moroccan beef and lettuce bowl

Chicken and black bean salad

Allspice turkey skewers with eggplant salad

Tofu, rice and shredded vegetable salad

Spicy vegetarian chickpea and veggie bowl

Guacamole beans on toast

Breakfast slice

Lentil salad with poached eggs

Healthy lunchboxes

Pick’n’Mix 1-6

What goes in a healthy lunchbox?

What’s for lunch? and Packing a school lunchbox

Nutrition Australia

Healthy Lunchbox Week

Nutrition Australia

Lunchbox tips

Better Health Channel

Healthy lunchboxes

Better Health Channel

Healthy lunchbox snacks

Healthy Kids Association

Healthy lunchbox builder

Cancer Council NSW

Healthy lunchboxes made easy

Healthier QLD

Lunchbox planners

Lunchboxes – healthy menu planner

Better Health Channel

10 great lunchbox ideas

Healthy Kids Association

Healthy lunchbox planner

GenR8 Change

Video clips

Healthy lunchbox combos (video)

Décor, Nutrition Australia and Dairy Australia

Lunch boxes – healthy shopping ideas (video)

Better Health Channel

Lunchboxes – how to make them healthy (video)

Better Health Channel

Resources and posters

Pick’n’Mix 1-6 (PDF)

Healthy Eating Advisory Service

Build your own healthy lunchbox (PDF, CALD)

DPV Health

Tucker talk tips 4 kids: Healthy lunchbox ideas (PDF)

Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO)

Healthy, deadly lunch boxes!: Deadly ideas for a healthy lunch box

Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO)

Lunchbox checklists (CALD)

NSW Multicultural Health Communication

The ABCD of packing healthy lunchboxes (CALD)

Western Australia School Canteen Association

Healthy food and drink choices – tips for parents and carers (CALD)

Department of Education, Western Australia

How to keep food fresh and safe

Keep your child’s lunchbox safe

Healthy Kids Association

More healthy lunchbox tips

Lunchboxes – healthy ideas for school lunches

Better Health Channel

Legendairy lunchbox ideas

Dairy Australia

10 simple, healthy lunch ideas

1. Easy Wraps and Sandwiches

2. Homemade pizza

3. Soup