Do you get stumped for good lunch ideas, falling back on the same unsatisfying sandwiches and cans of rewarmed soup? So do we. So let's talk about some fresh options, like a grain salad tossed with creamy bits of avocado, and whole wheat wraps filled with sweet potatoes. Let's consider this hearty roasted broccoli soup that doesn't come from a can and an extremely tasty chickpea twist on the classic tuna fish sandwich. We have a whole month's worth of work-week lunches up for grabs today — which one will you be making first?
Golden Quinoa Salad with Lemon, Dill & Avocado
These lunch recipes fall into two categories: those you can assemble quickly using just a few ingredients and those that make one big batch that will feed you all week long. The "quick to assemble" lunches, like wraps and salads, can be made even easier by making sure all the ingredients are prepped ahead: greens washed and dried, egg and tuna salads mixed, raw veggies chopped, and so on. Make the big batch recipes, like soups and grain salads, on Sunday afternoon and pack them away into single-serving containers that are easy to grab and go.
We also know that everyone has very different needs when it comes to their lunches: ones that need to keep unrefrigerated, ones that don't need reheating, ones that can be eaten with one hand while grading papers at your desk. We've included a good variety here so there's something for everyone. If you feel like you need something a little more to round out your lunch, think about adding a hardboiled egg (good with grain salads!) or a handful of crackers (good with soups!).
What are your favorite make-ahead lunches?
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TOP ROW
- 1 Chickpea of the Sea Sandwich (Vegetarian Tunafish)
- 2 Golden Quinoa Salad with Lemon, Dill & Avocado
- 3 Spicy Lentil Wraps with Tahini
- 4 Roasted Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
- 5 Tacos with Roasted Winter Vegetables and Red Cabbage Slaw
Roasted Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
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SECOND ROW
- 6 Colorful Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Herbs
- 7 Apple, Arugula, and Chickpea Wraps
- 8 Farmer's Lunch Sandwich
- 9 Kale Salad with Apricots, Avocado, and Parmesan
- 10 White Chicken Chili
Spiced Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Kale Whole Wheat Pockets
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THIRD ROW
- 11 Pasta Salad with Veggies, Cheese, and Greens
- 12 Gimbap - Korean Seaweed and Rice Rolls
- 13 Spiced Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Kale Whole Wheat Pockets
- 14 Roasted Eggplant Salad with Smoked Almonds & Goat Cheese
- 15 Wheat Berry Salad with Blood Oranges, Feta & Red Onion Vinaigrette
Kale Salad with Apricots, Avocado, and Parmesan
- BOTTOM ROW
- 16 Chickpea Pita Pockets with Greens and Minted Yogurt
- 17 Sweet Potato Wraps with Caramelized Onions and Pesto
- 18 Lemony Eggless Egg Salad
- 19 Cuban Black Bean Soup
- 20 Whole Wheat Pita with Kale and Asiago
Related: No More Sad Sandwiches: 5 Tips for Making Lunch at Your Desk Better
(Images: See linked recipes for full image credits)
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Outstanding...I love so many good options! Thank you for the share.
Great round up of so many delicious sandwiches. Even if I don't have to pack a lunch, I'd love to have some of these any time! Thanks for sharing!
I love that there are more options than just sandwiches (trying to cut down on carbs), here's a favorite to add to the list: <strong>Roasted Carrot Soup w/ Dukkah & Faux Fromage Frais.</strong>
I love a whole wheat pita pocket filled with eggplant caponata and a handful of greens. Really flavorful and good for you!
I need a list of 20 lunch ideas for kids. sighhh...
I made a great one this week. In each reusable container I put a little scoop of miso paste, a little soy sauce, sesame seeds, cubed tofu, sliced shiitakes, cooked buckwheat noddles and rehydrated arame seaweed. In a separate dish I packed rinsed spinach leaves and diced green onion. At lunch I tore some spinach into a bowl, scooped in the miso, added hot water from the coffee machine, stirred it up and poured in the rest of the stuff. Delicious, filling miso soup!
Any suggestions for non-sandwich/wrap/rolls/etc or salad lunches? I really don't like sandwiches/etc much and salads are never really filling. My usual daily lunches are either rice with leftovers from dinner, noodles or pasta, or cooked pre-packaged frozen Asian dumplings. Sometimes I'll have (canned) soup. If I go to Chinatown, I'll buy a bunch of sticky rice wrapped in leaves and freeze them and reheat one when I need something a little more interesting for lunch. Any ideas for something easy to make the night before?
love eating leftovers for lunch like my recipe for green lentils curry with mushrooms & red peppers over brown rice: http://abcdsofcooking.blogspot.com/2013/02/curried-green-lentils-w-mushrooms-red.html
These posts are life savers. No matter how many lunch ideas you have, they are never enough! Thanks for this and if you need more ideas I have a lunchbox section on my blog too.
http://muchadoaboutnoting.com/?cat=69
To MCW2009 - one thing I bring for lunch: I chop either broccoli or spinach, put in container with a pinch of salt, then I add some feta (or not). I put a raw egg (in the shell) in the container as well. At lunch time I remove the egg, crack it into the container with the veggies, and microwave for a minute or two, stirring once. Its quite good.
The other option is similar - black beans in a container with some spinach and onions, a bit of chili powder, dash of salt. Heat at work and either eat as is or sometimes I will put it on a pita or over a bed of lettuce.
I also bring fruit a lot for lunch - cut up various fruit, add some slow oats, chia, some nuts and seeds, raisins or dates. maybe a dash of agave, stevia, cinammon - or not. Add almond mill, stir. Let that soak until lunch time - sort of a raw take on oatmeal...
Love to hear others suggestions!