Here’s some inspiration and ideas for a make-ahead lunch that you can enjoy at work or even an average day, should you feel like it. These ideas cover several foods and categories, because thoughtful lunch shouldn’t just be a salad quickly thrown together.
1. Burger Bowl Salad With Thousand Island Dressing
This burger bowl salad is a hit in presentation, taste, and nourishment. It’s gluten-free and the packing makes it easy to take to work for lunch. Plus, it’s easy to eat as well, so there’s no mess, no fuss, and you get a great meal.
2. A Nourishing Buddha Bowl
Entirely vegan and filled with plant-based food, this Buddha bowl has quite the charisma. The layering makes it look all the more appetizing. I mean, even the garbanzo beans look pretty photogenic here, and that’s a tough task to accomplish!
3. Pecan Butternut Squash Chicken and Wild Rice
The bento-style packing and aesthetics make this recipe stand out. Thankfully, it is as delicious and nourishing as it’s picturesque! The combination of the carefully arranged and compartmentalized eggs, pecan nuts, and the rice and chicken combo makes quite an impression.
4. A Salmon Salad
This wonderfully crafted salmon salad makes the effort put into the make ahead lunch well worth it. It’s packed in a bento-style box for a full lunch feel. As an effect of this approach, it is easy to carry with you to work and it stays organized. The salmon in the bread, plus the accompanying fresh fruits and veggies make this a wholesome meal.
5. Ham And Cheese Sliders
These little sliders look so appetizing! These ham and cheese sliders are a welcome sight any day of the week. And they’re absolutely a treat for lunch. Also, if you’re so inclined, they can even work as a quick weeknight meal.
6. A Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Wonderfully textured and full of flavor, this Mediterranean-style pasta is a good pick for a make ahead lunch. Cavatappi with some cheese and veggies is a good combo for flavor and texture. It’s also relatively easy to prepare, so you can have your lunch ready in a jiffy.
7. This Stylish Snack Box
This lunch box is an excellent example of healthy snacking and a filling meal. It’s got fresh fruits, veggies, yogurt, nuts, and even eggs. It looks very well balanced, doesn’t cost much, is easy to prepare, and works wonderfully as a make ahead lunch. This is far from a gourmet meal, but is clearly a thoughtful lunch with plenty of goodness.
8. A Lunchbox With Style
Here’s another carefully crafted with nuts, fresh fruit, eggs, and pasta. That little sandwich by the side is a nice touch and adds another style of texture and deliciousness to this mix.
9. Peppers, Chips, And Guac
This is an interesting combination of foods, each very likable on its own, and they get even better as a combination! The stuffed peppers, chips, and guacamole are convenient to prepare and make good companions for lunch.
10. BBQ Chicken Flatbreads
Here’s a quick, high-protein lunch idea that’s nourishing and provides a fulfilling lunch. The recipe involves mini focaccia breads topped with chicken breast, cheese, peppers, or to be simple – whatever floats your boat for toppings! It’s a versatile recipe with a lot of potential and the right mix of flavor and taste.
11. Caesar Salad With Blue Cheese And Bacon
Salads are the quintessential food for lunch or make-ahead lunch. But no one said they have to be bland! This wonderful recipe has Caesar salad accompanied with blue cheese, bacon, and eggs. To randomly (and poorly) reference Jerry Maguire, you had me at salad, and at blue cheese, and at bacon!