15 Packable Lunches You Won’t Have to Reheat

updated Jul 19, 2023
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While I sometimes bring previously hot leftovers from dinner to work, these dishes don’t always taste amazing when reheated in the microwave. The answer, of course, is to bring a lunch that doesn’t need reheating in the first place. And happily for us all, there’s a slew of options for delicious cold lunches I can put together the night before.

Always remember, your cold lunches don’t need to mean boring sandwiches or measly salads. You deserve better than that.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Hearty Salads

1 / 5
Tortellini Salad with Figs, Walnuts, Prosciutto & Greens

his recipe just goes to show that you can make more in 15 minutes than just a sandwich.

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2 / 5
Warm Chickpea Salad with Cumin & Garlic

It is totally satisfying and filling — and it just happens to be vegan and gluten-free, too, in case, such things are also on your list of lunch priorities.

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3 / 5
Golden Beet and Barley Salad with Rainbow Chard
Golden beets, red onions, barley and wilted chard stems are tossed with a quick lemony dressing and topped with a sprinkle of salty feta.
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4 / 5
Wheat Berry Salad with Blood Oranges, Feta, and Red Onion Vinaigrette

A simple salad with some winter citrus and salty feta seemed like a good idea, and it all turned out very tasty. Light yet satisfying, this makes a perfect lunch or dinner side salad this time of year.

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5 / 5
Roasted Garlic, Olive and Tomato Pasta Salad

In honor of Gilroy, for all you garlic-lovers, is a pasta salad with not one, not two, but three whole heads of garlic.

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Non- Boring Sandwiches

1 / 5
Roasted Sweet Potato, Goat Cheese & Arugula Sandwiches

This sandwich is combination of roasted slices of sweet potato, sun-dried tomatoes mixed with goat cheese, a mound of peppery arugula, and chewy whole-grain bread to hold it all together.

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2 / 5
Boiled Egg, Seared Asparagus & Pickled Onion Sandwiches

Featured in 20 recipes that use up hard boiled eggs

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3 / 5
Mozzacado Sandwich

Think of it as an upgrade to that wonderful classic, the tomato-mozzarella sandwich.

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4 / 5
Farmer's Lunch Sandwich

With grainy mustard, sharp cheese, and some crunchy apples, this is the perfect sandwich for a light summer meal outdoors.

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5 / 5
Curried Tofu Salad

Served as a sandwich or on a bed of greens, it makes an easy and healthy lunch.

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Other Ideas

1 / 5
Whole Wheat Pita with Kale & Asiago

This is a combination of Fresh green kale, tossed with olive oil, stuffed into a toasted pita along with plenty of savory cheese.

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2 / 5
Butternut Squash, Sage, and Parmesan Pasties

This is a savory and sustaining dish that’s easy to carry for lunch or delicious at dinner.

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3 / 5
Spiced Lentil, Sweet Potato & Kale Whole Wheat Pockets

Stuffed with spiced lentils, kale, and mashed roasted sweet potato, these sturdy vegan pastries freeze well and taste great hot or at room temperature.

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4 / 5
Spicy Lentil Wraps with Tahini Sauce

Quite frankly, this homemade wrap is so vibrant and flavorful that I don’t think I can ever eat the store-bought version again. Luckily, much of it can be prepared ahead of time, so the wraps are still fairly easy to assemble in the end.

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5 / 5
Quinoa Tabbouleh
In this riff on traditional tabbouleh, the bulgur gets replaced with tender, nutty quinoa. It's a make-ahead salad, perfect for summer barbecues.
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