Simple healthy lunches don’t have to be boring. In this article, I’m sharing my healthy lunch ideas that are simple to prepare and delicious to eat. If you’re on the go, or don’t have time for a huge lunch out of the house, it can be tough to find simple healthy lunch ideas that are also delicious. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite quick and easy lunches that will keep you going through the day without costing a fortune! I don’t know about you, but I am always looking for healthy lunch ideas. I hate the same old sandwiches, and my kids are bored of their regular chicken and ham bell peppers, cucumber and carrot sticks.
Simple Healthy Lunch Ideas
Use these quick lunch ideas that are packed with flavor and give you a warm meal to keep you going in the middle of your day.
These homemade lunch ideas are great to save time with because they don’t take a lot of effort to make and you can always make big batches.
Instead of cooking something new every single day, you can make some of these hot lunch ideas at the beginning of the week and pick at it the following days.
You can even have these recipes for lunch at home to give yourself a change from the same old meals again and again.
Pick out your favorite lunch ideas at home and start to get creative about how you get prepared for your mid-day meal.
1. Taco Salad In A Jar
Need a simple and easy lunch idea you can make over and over again and it hardly takes any time?
This taco salad has all the classic taco flavors all packed into one easy and convenient jar you can take with you anywhere.
Instead of filling up on beef patties, these turkey burgers are just as good and are easy to make.
All you need is a few ingredients and a little bit of time to start up your grill.
The flavor that you can add to these is endless, so experiment with different spices and sauces before cooking them up, then patty it in between two buns and you get yourself a great tasting meal for lunch.
Add some tomato, pickles, onions, lettuce, cheese, or any other toppings you can think of.
This recipe is a healthy lunch and you can make several patties at once, so you can have burgers for the rest of the week.
3. Muffin Tin Lasagna
Making lasagna in a muffin tin is ingenious because it’s usually uniform, cooks faster, and is easier to make.
This antipasto lasagna has Italian sausage, bell peppers, olives, cheese, and more, which makes it really tasty.
You can also switch up different ingredients each time you make this dish so that you’re not getting the same thing every week.
4. Chicken Fried Rice
Fried rice is absolutely delicious and is great because you can eat it hot or cold.
This fried rice has everything you need for lunch, including chicken, onion, cabbage, carrots, peas, carrots, and spices that are put into the dish to give it some zest.
If you don’t feel like having another meal with just vegetables in it then this fried rice is the way to go.
With all of the ingredients that are in it, this dish isn’t lacking when it comes to protein or flavor.
You can save even more time by cooking your rice in advance so you don’t have to worry about it when lunchtime rolls around.
5. Warm Roasted Cauliflower And Chickpea Salad
If you’re looking for healthy lunch recipes, this vegetarian dish is one you’ll keep making again and again.
The roasted cauliflower with chickpea is a great combination and when mixed with the other ingredients, it’s packed with flavor.
This is a cold lunch you don’t have to feel guilty about eating but it tastes just as good as the bad stuff.
6. Ham And Swiss And Apple Quesadilla
Quesadillas are one of the easiest Mexican cuisines to make because they don’t take any effort to make a great tasting dish.
They are so simple and there are endless options when it comes to what ingredients you want us in them.
When your kids come home starving and want a hot meal, then quesadillas are the perfect dish because they will eat just about anything if it’s put into this tortilla.
This recipe calls for ham, swiss, and apples, which might not be what you normally eat together, but the flavors are well worth the try!
7. Mulligatawny Soup
Mulligatawny soup isn’t as well known in America, but it’s loved in other areas of the world.
It’s a type of soup that has curry powder in it which gives the dish a lot of flavor and warmth.
You could make it in the slow cooker, but you can also make it on your stovetop if you don’t want to wait as long.
8. Lentil Soup
Lentil soup is one of those healthy lunch ideas that are easy to make and don’t take up a lot of time.
You can always switch things around when it comes to what veggies you put in this dish, but the basics are lentils, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and seasoned with rosemary and thyme.
This soup is full of flavor and looks very appetizing if you need to bring it to work or school.
The longer that this dish can sit the better since all of those spices will just soak into each other to give it even more flavor.
You can also make soup in bulk and save some for your lunch at work if your office has a microwave.
The classic tuna melt is so beloved because it’s so easy to make and tastes really good too.
You can have this ready in just minutes if you have basic ingredients on hand and want something super quick for lunch.
This tuna salad melt is made with a slice of bread, a can of tuna, sliced cheese, and a little mayo which you mix together in a bowl.
Pizza is a great dish to make but you don’t have to roll out your own dough for it to be good.
Just buy a premade crust and add your favorite ingredients.
This is one of those lunch recipes where there are so many different things you can put on it.
The toppings include onions, mushrooms, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, and oregano.
If you want to add some more protein, you can either get pre-cooked bacon or cook the bacon yourself before adding the toppings.
Serve it with a side of ranch or blue cheese if you want even more flavor to your pizza.
Mac and Cheese is extremely easy if you buy it at the store with the ingredients ready to go.
That way is ok but what you really want is to make your own batch at home and then stick the rest in the fridge for later in the week.
If you get high-quality cheese, it will really make your mac and cheese pop with flavor.
A little breadcrumbs on top with some paprika can also give it a little more flavor that will get you going for a second bowl.
12. Mac And Cheese Cups
Instead of having an entire bowl of mac and cheese, you can make to-go containers that you can have anywhere.
This mac and cheese recipe is a great way to fit in an easy lunch but you’ll want to add some more ingredients to bulk it up.
Some bacon or sausage to your mac and cheese will help them be more of a meal inside of a quick side you can finish.
Add a little breadcrumbs on the top of the mac and cheese to give it a nice crunchy texture that goes perfectly with the gooey cheese.
You can make enough of these to stick in a bag in the fridge. That way, you don’t have to make a new batch every time you want a quick meal.
Nothing could be simpler than a filet-o-fish because it doesn’t have a lot of ingredients and is a great meal on a budget.
This version has some tartar sauce, lettuce, and cheese to give it the Filet-O-Fish flavor you remember from McDonald’s.
You can always make several filets too, so that when it’s time for lunch you have one ready to go.
14. Savory Smoked Salmon Crepes
This smoked salmon recipe is great if you want a quick lunch because it’s easy to make and has only four ingredients.
All you need for this dish is crepes, smoked salmon, cream cheese, and dill. The dill is the best part of this recipe because it gives these wraps that perfect crunch you’ll want in your mouth.
It also adds some nice flavor that pairs perfectly with the salmon. You don’t have to stick to just dill, you can switch it up with some avocado if you want an even more creamy texture in your dish.
This recipe will take about 15 minutes for you to make, which is perfect if your kids are craving something yummy before their nap time.
15. Savory Pesto Mushroom Oatmeal
Savory oatmeal is appreciated as much as sweet oatmeal but, it’s often just as good, if not better.
This pesto mushroom oatmeal combines a classic oatmeal with a creamy pesto sauce that will have you wanting more.
This dish is made from rolled oats, onion, garlic, and mixed herbs but feel free to use whatever spices you have on hand for the best flavor.
16. Chili
If it’s cold outside you should be cooking up a pot of chili because this dish is comforting and perfect for the weather.
There are tons of different recipes that you can find when it comes to chili, but add in some extra ingredients if you want your soup to be more hearty.
Anytime you need a warm and hearty meal, this should be your go-to.
It’s packed with protein and will keep you full for hours so if you skipped breakfast, this should be your go-to option.
What’s best is you can make it in the crockpot and sit back while the cooking gets done for you.
You can stick a big portion in the freezer too so you can have some later without having to do extra work.
17. Chicken Gyros
Gyros are typically made with beef or lamb but this chicken version will have you wondering why you haven’t tried it before.
This version uses shredded rotisserie chicken with cucumbers, tomatoes, and tzatziki sauce for an authentic flavor.
If you aren’t familiar with tzatziki sauce, it’s made from yogurt, dill, garlic, cucumber, and other ingredients you’ll love.
These gyros would be great for a quick lunch or even to take on the go.
You could switch up this dish and add in some fruit like grapes or pineapple slices and this sandwich would still taste great.
Fajitas are a great meal and perfect for a quick lunch because there are hardly any ingredients needed.
All you need to do is get some flour tortillas and put in whatever you want.
This version of fajitas has chicken, onions, bell peppers, and a side of sour cream.
It’s an incredibly simple dish that pairs well with cilantro lime rice on the side.
If you’re sick of eating chicken for lunch then switch it up with steak or fish.
You can even eat them by yourself because these fajitas are packed with flavor that you’re going to love.
You can have everything ready to go in under half an hour so you’ll have lunch ready to go and you won’t miss out on any important meetings.
