29 Lunch to Work Ideas
Have you been looking for some simple and healthy lunch to work ideas? Without even realising, you could be spending hundreds of extra dollars every month just on lunches alone. That’s right: going out to a restaurant for lunch at $15 – $40 each meal starts to add up quickly when you’re in the office most days. So if you’re looking to start meal prepping to save money on work lunch, check out these 29 easy lunch to work ideas.
Overview:
- Chicken and cheese quesadilla
- Black bean and quinoa burgers
- Gourmet cold cut sandwiches
- Simple salad with hard boiled eggs
- Chicken or bean burritos
- Pasta with flavoured toppings
- Pad thai
- Chilli
- Protein smoothie
- Crustless quiche
- Peanut butter and apple sandwich
- Chicken and vegetable stir fry
- Yummy soups
- Tuna salad
- Tortellini or ravioli
- Lentil salad
- Pulled pork sandwiches
- Salmon burger
- Lasagna
- Enchiladas
- Baked chicken and veggies
- Coconut curry
- Turkey burger
- Greek yoghurt and berries
- Chicken masala
- Sloppy Joes
- Stuffed capsicums
- Spinach, walnut, and cranberry salad
- Pizza
29 cheap & easy lunch to work ideas
1. Chicken and cheese quesadilla
All you need for this tasty yet filling lunch is tortillas, cheese, canned chicken, and any veggies you want to throw in the mix. Quesadillas are a great pocket-size lunch to pack for work and a simple alternative to sandwiches.
When you want an easy lunch without a lot of mess, quesadillas are a delicious way to go. You can even eat this lunch option at your desk. Bring along salsa or sour cream as a dip for your delicious Mexican-style lunch. Bam, there’s the first idea for an easy healthy lunch!
2. Black bean and quinoa burgers – simple and delicious lunch to work idea for adults
If you’re vegetarian or just love lean eating, consider making your own black bean and quinoa burgers. Burgers in general are the best lunch idea to take to work as they are basically a pocket containing all your favourite foods. But like this idea says, always look for ways to mix up the burger toppings so you never get sick of having the same homemade lunch.
Follow this black bean and quinoa burger recipe to make cheap healthy lunches for your entire week.
3. Gourmet cold cut sandwich
Ever had a sandwich at a restaurant that you just loved? Maybe it was a honey bourbon chicken sandwich or a turkey cranberry chutney combination.
Whatever suits your fancy when you’re out to eat, you make your own at a fraction of the cost instead. Sandwiches are the best easy lunch ideas, and these combinations can help keep them interesting! So, rather than pay $10 or more for a sandwich, let your creative side take over and design a signature sandwich that fits perfectly in your lunch box.
4. Simple salad with hard boiled eggs
The cheapest and easiest bring-your-lunch-to-work to make in a rush is a fresh salad with a boiled egg or two. Just throw together some of your favourite salad bits and add a boiled egg for extra protein. Eggs are full of protein and take way less time and effort than trying to cook a piece of meat or fish for a salad.
5. Chicken or bean burritos
One of the great things about burritos is that you can make them in advance, but they taste just as good hours or even days later when you reheat them. Burritos are a quick lunch idea to take to work and can be reheated in the microwave once it’s hot enough for you.
Aside from costs, a lot of people bring lunch to work because they want to eat healthier in general. And if you’re looking to cut back on carbs or you’re simply out of tortilla shells you can easily leave them out and serve up the protein and salad as a delicious burrito bowl.
6. Pasta with flavoured topping
Had a pasta dish for dinner? Why not combine the pasta with your chosen toppings and divide your creation into lunch-sized containers for an easy lunch idea?
Instead of using a lunch box, a mason jar also works to keep your lunch contained and actually looks good in the fridge. Using mason jars can be good for the environment, wash and reuse and can easily stack so you can meal prep at the start of the week and have made at least 5 lunches for the working week ahead.
7. Pad thai
Bring some flavour to your lunch time with homemade pad thai. You’ll feel like you dined at a specialty restaurant, but will have the satisfaction of knowing you made it yourself.
Follow a simple recipe, like this one from Delish.com, and make everyone in your lunchroom jealous.
8. Chilli
Great for making in large batches, chilli is both wholesome and flavourful, making it an easy and cheap lunch.
Use a family recipe or search for one that matches your taste buds. Chilli recipes range dramatically, from a vegetarian’s dream to a meat-lover’s heaven. We love this vegetarian version from Cookie and Kate.
9. Protein smoothie
Pack a smoothie full of protein and other healthy nutrients. You can blend a fresh one in the morning and stick it in the refrigerator until it’s lunch time. Play around with your favourite fruits, seeds and dairy products to find the best smoothie recipe for you.
This simple lunch to work idea is great for when you’re on-the-go, especially when you’re running between meetings or trying to finish a project by a deadline.
10. Crustless quiche
Try making a crustless quiche for a simple yet hearty lunch that’s easy to warm up in the microwave. The best part? You can make it in a large baking dish, and have plenty for the whole week, making it one of the cheapest lunch ideas, packed with protein.
Check out the seven recipes here or have fun creating your own easy lunch by adding together your favourite ingredients like ham, spinach, and loads of cheddar cheese.
11. Peanut butter and apple sandwich
Similar to the lunches you had when you were a kid, try this classic twist on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich by taking out the jam and replacing it with apples. This is a healthy delicious sandwich that will bring a smile to your face.
Nevertheless, no one will judge you if you actually make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because who can say no to this classic lunch.
12. Chicken and vegetable stir fry
Find a stir fry sauce at the grocery store to make this lunch idea super easy. Check out the packaging for their stir fry recipe and whip up a few servings at a time. Cook a healthy amount of brown rice, white rice or pasta to serve on the side with your stir fry creation.
13. Yummy soups – our favourite cheap easy lunch idea for work
Whether you love chicken noodles, cheesy sweet potato, or butternut squash, make your own soup or buy it pre-made from the grocery store. Both homemade and pre-made soups are relatively inexpensive, especially compared with other lunch meals.
If you want to make your own soup, but don’t have the time to cook it on the stove, try a crockpot recipe that can simmer while you’re at work or out enjoying your Sunday afternoon.
14. Tuna salad
Make a batch of tuna salad that will go well on lettuce or bread. Tuna salad is such a good, filling lunch that can be adjusted as needed. Play around with your recipe until you get it just right.
Your cold lunch will be filled with healthy protein, and allow you to get through the afternoon work or meetings with a filled stomach.
15. Tortellini or ravioli
Scoop up a pack or two of tortellini or ravioli next time you hit the grocery store. You should be able to find a range of varieties, from cheese and spinach to meat-filled.
These stuffed pasta options are an easy lunch idea to make and serve up because they’re already stuffed. Just adding your favourite sauce, whether that’s marinara, pesto, or alfredo is enough to make this a delicious, quick-to-make lunch.
16. Lentil salad
Try this fresh and filling lentil salad recipe for the spring and summer months. It’s full of veggies, protein, and other healthy ingredients like parsley and freshly squeezed lemon juice. You can easily throw all of your ingredients into a mason jar and you’ve got a fresh, easy lunch that’s perfect if you’re on the go.
17. Pulled pork sandwiches
We grew up with taking a sandwich to school every day and a work lunch is no different. Try changing up your toppings and turn on your crockpot to test out this pulled pork recipe – great for tradies looking for a filling but simple packed lunch. You’ll have a tasty lunch and can even enjoy it for dinner too.
18. Salmon burger
Find a package of store-bought salmon burgers or find a recipe to make on your own. Often considered a high-end item, salmon can be much less inexpensive if you buy it in larger quantities.
With your burgers, you’ll have something tasty to eat for lunch at work, but won’t feel like you need to head to a restaurant for it.
19. Lasagna
If Garfield can eat lasagna on a Monday, why can’t we? Whether you prefer a meat or vegetarian lasagne, it’s a super easy work lunch to make and can last you all week. Slice it into even squares and package it for this week’s work lunches.
20. Enchiladas
Love Mexican food but on a tight budget this week? We’ve found a few easy recipes for you to try for your work lunch prep: chicken enchiladas, veggie enchiladas, and cheese enchiladas.
No matter which recipe you choose, you’ll have a fancy Mexican-style lunch to take to work at a fraction of a restaurant’s cost.
21. Baked chicken and veggies
This lunch idea hardly needs a recipe at all. Just make a bunch of veggies and add your favourite protein i.e chicken on top. This recipe is super easy to make and yet it still looks like you have put effort into your lunch choices for the week.
22. Coconut curry
If you feel like adding extra flare to this week’s lunches, stir up a recipe of coconut curry. There are vegetarian recipes with chickpeas and ones with meat, too. Trust us, your coworkers will be jealous of this fancy yet affordable lunch to work option.
23. Turkey burger
While a burger and sandwich have all the same ingredients, a burger just tastes so much better. It’s very easy to add your toppings and can have a burger hot or cold, it’s up to you. It makes a great simple lunch for work option to add to the list.
24. Greek yoghurt and berries
Though often seen as a breakfast item, yoghurt works just as well for lunch. Pack yourself plain or vanilla Greek yoghurt along with your choice of fruits and toppings. You can even add granola for extra sustenance.
25. Chicken masala
Make this week unique by trying a favourite Indian recipe: chicken masala. Find chicken masala powder at your grocery store or make your own sauce with a recipe like this one. Cook brown or white rice on the side to round out this tasty lunch idea.
26. Sloppy Joes
There’s nothing quite like a yummy Sloppy Joe. Prepare a batch of mince on the weekend so you can make a good sloppy joe and then use the mince for other meals such as tacos, salads, pasta, toasties etc.
27. Stuffed capsicums
Though often seen as a gourmet dish, stuffed capsicums are usually pretty simple to make, so they make our list of easy lunch ideas.
Follow the instructions for this turkey stuffed capsicum recipe for a lunch you’ll be proud to show off in the lunchroom.
28. Spinach, walnut, and cranberry salad
Fancy salads don’t have to be tricky. Consider making one with a simple combination of baby spinach, chopped walnuts, and dried cranberries. Throw on a cheese like crumbled feta or bleu cheese chunks for a smooth and savoury taste. Pop it in a mason jar and there, you have a unique, healthy lunch idea for work.
29. Pizza
Last but certainly not least in the delicious inexpensive lunch category is pizza. You can make your own at home, including the dough and sauce, for something truly special. You can make a full size pizza to spread out for multiple lunches or share with others.
As an alternative, you can buy mini pizza bases as an easy way to have pizza for a work lunch without the mess of individual slices. Just be aware some people are very picky with pizza toppings so don’t feel judged if you have pizza toppings that others in the office do not like aka pineapple on pizza.
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