What can I have for lunch at work? The question isn’t as hypothetical as you might think. In fact, 62% of Americans pack their own lunch to take with them to work each day. That is a lot of money being spent on lunches that could be saved and used on other things if you were to bring your lunch from home.
The following are my favorite lunch options from the supermarket to have at work, as well as health benefits.
What Can I Have For Lunch At Work
Many things in the office (virtual or otherwise) don’t go as planned. But coming up with excellent lunch ideas for work doesn’t have to be one of them. It’s just thinking ahead! That’s all lunch is. Keeping this list bookmarked, pinned to your corkboard, or saved as your desktop background (cute!) means that come midday you’ll have one less thing on your to-do list.
Monday is a virtuous bowl of crunchy veg drizzled with peanut sauce eaten on a sunny stoop.
Wednesday: an open-face caprese sandwich situation al desko.
Friday: a warm glass of milk and a lie down. (Or a supremely easy-cheesy quesadilla and a cold one in the park.)
If conjuring packed lunch ideas—yes, all of these recipes are geared to travel, or at least, stick around in the fridge and get better—isn’t part of your job description, consider this ‘upskilling.’
A Big Ol’ Bowl That’ll Keep You Full For Hours
Oh, yeah, there’s ranch dressing here.
1. Chicken and rice bowl with gochujang ranch
2. Top rice with roasted broccoli and pesto. Roasted broccolini is also great in this Brassicas Bowl (there’s hummus in there!)
3. Brown rice and crunchy veggie bowl with peanut sauce.
4. Mixed roast vegetables with nutritional yeast + grains + miso-ginger turmeric dressing and plain Greek yogurt.
5. Lentils, garbanzo beans, and barley with garlic, shallots, and harissa.
6. Kimchi fried rice made with leftover grains (pictured above).
7. Roast salmon for dinner, then use it to top grains and sautéed kale.
8. Crispy corn + chickpeas with miso-jalapeño tahini.
9. Easy falafel fritters with yogurt sauce and cukes.
10. Acai bowls definitely aren’t just for breakfast.
Sandwiches That Aren’t Just PB+J
11. All of these ideas from chefs when they’re feeling lazy.
12. Stacked California veggie sandwich.
13. SALADWICH! Salad + bread = healthyish.
14. Ricotta + smoked salmon + red onion. Cream cheese would be okay here too. With a bagel.
15. Caprese situation with mozzarella + prosciutto + pesto + tomato.
16. PB+J, preferably toasted. Go classic, or upgrade with pecan-miso butter and homemade jelly (above).
17. Make simple tuna salad or egg salad at your desk with packets of mayo and mustard.
18. An Italian hero loaded with meat… or a vegetarian version that is pretty satisfying.
19. Green Goddess crunch sandwich.
20. Cold cut of your choice + cheese + too much mayonnaise + add the tomato at the office so it’s not soggy + potato chips inside + Tupperware of pickles on the side.
Snacky Things You Can Throw Together
21. Fluffy ricotta, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and some herbs or vegetables on top.
22. Full-on desk picnic! A little cheese (sharp cheddar or Parm), salami, a hunk of bread, and some apples or grapes.
23. Bulgogi + whatever you’re feeling: wrap, salad, rice bowl, bowl of meat, etc.
24. Wasa crackers + smashed avocado + salt + sriracha.
25. Curried peanut dip with whatever you have in the fridge (jammy eggs, rotisserie chicken, last-night’s sweet potato, cucumber wedges, etc.)
26. Lazy quesadilla: tortilla microwaved with cheese inside.
27. Inari sushi—little Japanese tofu pockets stuffed with seasoned rice and either fish, meat, or vegetables.
28. Hummus with olive oil drizzle and at least three minimally crunchy things for dipping.
29. Toast with whatever you keep at your desk, like nut butter, jam, or tahini.
30. Pita + yogurt with some microplaned garlic and salt + a mint for afterward.
Desk Lunches For Work That Aren’t Boring
- CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER WRAPS
- EDAMAME HUMMUS & PITA CRISPS
- CHICKEN WRAP
- COLD PEANUT NOODLES
- AVOCADO-STRAWBERRY SALAD
- MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA SALAD
- BLUEBERRY YOGURT
- PARFAITTUNA SALAD PITASHUMMUS & CRACKERS
- BLUEBERRY CHICKEN SALAD
- RICE CAKE WITH NUT BUTTER & BANANAS
- BLT PINWHEELS
- SMOKED SALMON & EGG SALAD TARTINES
- GREEK CHICKEN SALAD
FAQ On What Can I Have For Lunch At Work
When you’re at work and feel hungry. You want to decide in a short time, what you want to eat for lunch. To help you out we have created the above checklist for you. The FAQ can be also used as a template for creating your own checklist if you don’t feel like copying this one, but hey, why not?
What To Pack For Lunch For Work
Sandwich Ideas for Lunch at Work Apple Sandwiches With Almond Butter and Granola.
- Avocado Tea Sandwiches.
- Crunchy Peanut Butter Wrap.
- Hummus and Veggie Sandwich.
- Peanut Butter, Pickle, and Potato Chip Sandwich.
- Pear-Walnut Sandwich.
- Red Pepper, Goat Cheese, and Fresh Mint Wraps.
- Smoked Gouda and Apple Butter Sandwich
What Should Adults Pack For Lunch?
What do you pack in a lunch box? Fruit: always go for fresh fruit! Vegetables: opt for vegetables that are quick and easy to prepare, such as cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, celery, and cucumber. Rice, noodles, couscous, quinoa, and pasta: I prefer to go for brown rice and wholemeal pasta to add more fiber to my diet!.
What Should You Pack For Lunch?
Foods to put in a lunch box Fresh fruit. Crunchy vegetables. A meat or protein food such as slices of lean meat, hardboiled egg, peanut butter or nut paste* Dairy food such as a cheese stick or slice, grated cheese, milk or yoghurt. Starchy food such as bread, a roll, pita or flat bread, fruit bread or crackers. Water.
How Do I Pack A Healthy Lunch At Work?
Packing Healthy Lunches and Snacks for Work Choose different breads: Go for whole grain bread, pitas, mini bagels, tortillas, small dinner rolls, English muffins, flat breads or naan. Try a variety of spreads: Use mustard, salsa, hummus, tzatziki or lower fat mayonnaise.
What Are 5 Healthy Lunches?
5 Healthy Lunches for Kids Mixed Berry and Yogurt Parfait. Wholesome ingredients — homemade granola, low-fat yogurt and mixed berries — come together to make this creamy, crunchy lunchbox goodie. Creamy Hummus and Smoked Turkey Sandwich. Wagon Wheel Pasta Salad. Brown Rice and Bean Burrito. Asian Chicken and Quinoa Salad.
What Can I Pack For Lunch Instead Of A Sandwich?
- Food on Sticks.
- Quesadillas.
- Spring Rolls.
- Deli Meat Roll-Ups.
- Vegetable Sushi or Onigiri.
- Cold Noodle Salads.
- Hummus and Pita Plate.
What Makes A Good Lunch
Any well-balanced meal — lunch included — consists of lean protein, fiber-rich sources of carbohydrate and veggies, and healthy fats. The typical lunchtime staple of a sandwich can be made into a well-balanced meal if you include: 100% whole grain bread. Fresh deli turkey or leftover grilled chicken.
What Is The Quickest Healthiest Lunch?
Quick Lunches
- 10-Minute Italian Quinoa Salad.
- One Pot Spiralized Zucchini Noodle Soup.
- 10-Minute Tuna Wrap. Avocado Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps.
- Turkey, Avocado, and Goat Cheese Panini.
- Open-Faced Avocado BLT Sandwich.
- Sun-Dried Tomato Spinach Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
- Sweet and Savory Grilled Cheese.
What Is The Healthiest Lunch?
Healthy People Usually Eat These 6 Things for Lunch Avocado and egg sandwich.
- Summer rolls with peanut sauce.
- Quinoa pear salad with spinach, cranberries and pecans.
- Protein Salad.
- Loaded Vegetable Sandwich.
- Lentil vegetable soup.
- Chicken burrito bowl with rice and beans.
What Can I Prepare For Lunch?
7 Make-Ahead Lunch Recipes That Are Perfect For Bringing To Work
- Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken.
- Honey Sriracha Glazed Meatballs.
- One-Pan Italian Sausage and Veggies.
- General Tso’s Chickpeas.
- Honey Lemon Chicken.
- Italian Chicken Bowls.
- Taco Salad Bowls. Turkey Taco Bowls.
What Is The Best Lunch?
The 5 Best Healthy Lunch Foods to Eat Farro.
- Veggie burgers.
- Ricotta cheese.
- Black beans. Avocado.
- Hummus.
- Apples.
There’s actually some truth to the old saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Whole-grain bread. One of the best upgrades you can make to a lunch sandwich is to trade in white bread for whole grain.
What Is A Light Lunch?
A light meal consists of a small amount of food, or of food that is easy to digest.
What Can I Have For Lunch Without Bread?
Non-Sandwich Lunch Recipes Apple Wraps. Tons of flavor without the bread! Tiny Pumpkin Pancakes. Mini Pumpkin Pancakes are a fun way to rock Breakfast for Lunch! Homemade Fish Sticks, Fruit & Yogurt Parfait, Tortilla Pizza, CopyCat McDonald’s Nuggets, Chicken Noodle Soup, Mini Quiches / Egg Cups.
What Should I Have For Lunch At Home?
Quick and easy working-from-home lunch ideas Veggie quesadillas.
- Wicked chicken with coleslaw.
- Cool Mexican bean wraps.
- Garlic mushroom burgers.
- Rainbow salad wrap. Garlic & chilli baked beans.
- Avocado on rye toast with ricotta.
- Posh beans on toast.
What Should A Picky Eater Have For Lunch?
Main Dishes:
- Turkey and Cheese Tortilla Wrap.
- Ham and Cheese Bagel.
- Peanut Butter (or Almond Butter) and Honey Sandwich.
- Cream Cheese and Cucumber Finger Sandwiches.
- Cream Cheese and Jelly Tortilla Wrap.
- Chicken Nuggets and Dipping Sauces.
- Pasta – Ravioli, Tortellini, or Spaghetti with Sauce of Choice.
Is It OK To Have A Sandwich For Lunch Everyday?
You have probably heard many different opinions about sandwiches over the years. Eating a sandwich every day can certainly fall in line with a healthful, well-rounded diet, and, to do so, it is important to incorporate different ingredients often to ensure adequate variety.
Conclusion
Once you know the healthy combos to look for, finding something healthy to eat at work is a breeze. With a little bit of planning, you can satisfy your cravings and get on with your day without anything getting in the way of what you want to accomplish.