40 Make-Ahead Lunches You Can Prep and Pack Tonight

updated Aug 28, 2024
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Chickpea and roasted vegetable salads in lunch containers ready to be packed for lunch
Credit: Joe Lingeman

What’s one of the easiest ways to feel like you have your life together? If you ask us, it’s meal prepping lunch the night before. In the grand scheme of things it’s a small accomplishment, but when all you want to do after dinner is settle in for a marathon TV session, taking the extra time to make lunch feels like a Herculean effort.

To give you a bit of a boost, we have 40 make-ahead lunch ideas that you can pack the night before and even make in a big batch so you’ll have lunch for the next few days.

1 / 40
Cauliflower Rice Lunch Bowl with Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas

An easy, protein-packed vegetarian lunch bowl made with cauliflower rice, sweet potatoes, and a hearty chickpea salad.

Go to Recipe
2 / 40
Antipasto Grain Salad

This vibrant, no-wilt nutty farro salad, which is packed with buttery olives, peppadew peppers, fresh mozzarella, and more, gets even better as it sits. It's the perfect make-ahead lunch!

Go to Recipe
3 / 40
4 / 40
Tuscan Tomato Salad

This easy make-ahead lunch salad is full of hearty chickpeas, marinated artichoke hearts, and juicy tomatoes.

Go to Recipe
5 / 40
Chicken Salad

Grapes shouldn’t work in a chicken salad, but they really, really do. Serve this easy chicken salad on a flaky croissant or on top of greens for a quick and tasty lunch.

Go to Recipe
6 / 40
Roasted Eggplant Sabich Bowl

This vegetarian creamy hummus bowl is inspired by sabich, a Middle Eastern sandwich stuffed with fried eggplant, tomato-cucumber salad, and hard-boiled eggs. Serve it with pita bread or pita chips to scoop it all up.

Go to Recipe
7 / 40
Vegetarian Italian Chopped Salad

This make-ahead-friendly salad is packed with crunchy veggies and hearty chickpeas tossed in a garlicky oregano vinaigrette.

Go to Recipe
8 / 40
Cheese Tortellini Salad with Salami, Mozzarella, and Marinated Veggies

This quick and easy tortellini salad is filled with all the flavors of a classic antipasto spread. It features roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, salami, and, of course, cheese.

Go to Recipe
9 / 40
10 / 40
Brown Butter Butternut Squash Pasta Salad

Whether you eat it cold or at room temperature, this pasta salad with roasted butternut squash is perfect for lunch.

Go to Recipe
11 / 40
Spanakopita Kale Salad

With briny feta cheese crumbles, crunchy toasted walnuts, and zippy herbs, this chopped kale salad tastes just like spanakopita, the iconic Greek savory pie.

Go to Recipe
12 / 40
Tortellini Salad with Marinated Artichokes and Feta

Cheesy tortellini pockets are tossed with marinated artichokes, fresh veggies, feta cheese, olives, and a lemon vinaigrette.

Go to Recipe
13 / 40
Mediterranean-Style Chopped Salad with Oregano Vinaigrette

This vegetarian chopped salad — packed with farro, fresh veggies, and hearty chickpeas — gets even better as it sits.

Go to Recipe
14 / 40
Peanut Chicken Quinoa Bowls

These nourishing peanut chicken bowls are packed with hearty quinoa, a rainbow of veggies, and finished with a creamy peanut sauce.

Go to Recipe
15 / 40
Cucumber Chicken Salad

This perfect make-ahead salad is bound to become an instant classic. It’s easy to prepare, lasts for days in the fridge, and makes the perfect light lunch over salad greens or in lettuce wraps.

Go to Recipe
16 / 40
Marinated Chickpea and Feta Salad

This star of this crunchy, veggie-packed salad is a tangy Greek-inspired dressing, which doubles as a marinade for the feta cheese and chickpeas.

Go to Recipe
17 / 40
Classic Egg Salad

This egg salad is creamy, easy to make, and really lets the flavor of the eggs shine through. If you’re starting with hard-boiled eggs, it takes less than 10 minutes to make! Turn it into a sandwich, eat it with crackers, or wrap it up in lettuce leaves.

Go to Recipe
18 / 40
Pesto Pasta Salad

Pasta, fresh mozzarella pearls, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy cucumber are tossed in a basil pesto sauce for a verdant, vibrant salad that makes great lunches throughout the week.

Go to Recipe
19 / 40
Mediterranean Hummus Bowl

An easy recipe for a vegetarian creamy hummus bowl topped with roasted eggplant, hearty chickpeas, and tabbouleh. Serve it with pita bread or pita chips on the side.

Go to Recipe
20 / 40
Greek Chicken Grain Bowls

These Greek chicken grain bowls are inspired by classic Greek salad and lemon-herb chicken, and topped with a tangy, 3-ingredient feta sauce.

Go to Recipe
21 / 40
Roasted Cauliflower Salad

This roasted cauliflower salad is the perfect make-ahead lunch, as the kale and cucumbers, tossed with a roasted lemon vinaigrette, only get better with time. And the extra-special touch? A sprinkle of crunchy seed topping of salty-sweet toasted sesame and sunflower seeds.

Go to Recipe
22 / 40
Mediterranean-Style Orzo Salad

An easy orzo pasta salad filled with Mediterranean flavors like roasted red peppers, olives, crunchy cucumbers, and feta cheese.

Go to Recipe
23 / 40
Spicy Peanut Chicken and Brown Rice Bowls

These vibrant chicken and brown rice bowls are topped with a rainbow of crunchy vegetables and drizzled with curried peanut sauce.

Go to Recipe
24 / 40
Gỏi Gà (Vietnamese Shredded Chicken and Cabbage Salad)

Gỏi gà (translated to “chicken salad”) couldn’t be simpler. Shredded cabbage and chicken are mixed up with julienned veggies, and it's all tossed in a vinegary dressing cut with sugar and fish sauce. The dish can be made with rotisserie chicken for an easy make-ahead lunch.

Go to Recipe
25 / 40
Cowboy Pasta Salad

Cowboy pasta salad combines two potluck favorites into the ultimate make-ahead lunch salad.

Go to Recipe
26 / 40
Greek Salad (Horiatiki)

Juicy tomatoes, cooling cucumbers, feta cheese, crunchy onions, and briny olives all work together to create this classic Greek salad that's perfect for lunch.

Go to Recipe
27 / 40
Curried Chicken Salad

A few hints of sweetness turn this classic curried chicken salad into a winner that you can stuff into bread or eat as lettuce wraps.

Go to Recipe
28 / 40
Chickpea Salad

Combine hearty chickpeas with a colorful mix of vegetables and tangy vinaigrette for a simple and satisfying make-ahead salad for lunch.

Go to Recipe
29 / 40
Caprese Couscous Salad

This quick, almost no-cook lunch salad features couscous, pesto sauce, cherry tomatoes, and mini mozzarella balls.

Go to Recipe
30 / 40
Beef and Broccoli Bowls

These grain-free beef and broccoli bowls are packed with vegetables and greens and drizzled with creamy miso-ginger sauce. Everything from the beef to the broccoli rice, medley of veggies, and creamy sauce can all be made and assembled in advance. When getting a head-start, it’s a good idea to swap the bowl for a lidded container, like the kind you use for meal prep (this one is our favorite meal prep container!).

Go to Recipe
31 / 40
Lemon Herb Pasta Salad with Green Beans

This light and fresh make-ahead lunch salad is packed with fresh herbs, snappy green beans, and a sunny lemon vinaigrette.

Go to Recipe
32 / 40
Tomato Orzo Salad with Tahini Dressing

This salad is equal parts nourishing and nutty, thanks to juicy tomatoes, orzo pasta, fresh veggies, feta cheese, and tahini.

Go to Recipe
33 / 40
Shrimp Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is laced with tiny succulent shrimp, crunchy celery, colorful red onion, bell pepper, juicy cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese. A short pasta with lots of nooks and crannies like fusilli is perfect for pasta salads because it will hold onto the dressing better.

Go to Recipe
34 / 40
Farro and Broccoli Salad

This hearty make-ahead lunch salad has nutty farro, broccoli, smoked almonds, aged cheddar, golden raisins, and dried cranberries, and is served with a quick pickled shallot viniagrette.

Go to Recipe
35 / 40
Antipasto Tortellini Salad

A make-ahead friendly lunch recipe for cheese tortellini pasta salad filled with marinated vegetables, salami, cheese, and herbs.

Go to Recipe
36 / 40
Fregola Salad with Verde Sauce

Craving pasta salad? Make this any-season fregola recipe with kale and fresh herb pesto.

Go to Recipe
37 / 40
Pearl Couscous Salad with Feta, Chickpeas, and Herbs

A vegetarian recipe for pearl couscous salad filled with hearty chickpeas, tomatoes, herbs, and feta cheese.

Go to Recipe
38 / 40
Grain Salad with Use-It-All-Up Pesto

This hearty, satisfying lunch salad can be made with rice or whatever grain you have in the pantry: nutty farro, millet, quinoa, etc. Orzo or pearl couscous are also great options.

Go to Recipe
39 / 40
Moroccan-Spiced Chickpea Bowls

These saucy, hearty chickpea bowls with kale, avocado, and a runny-yolked egg are all the proof you need that comfort food can also be healthy.

Go to Recipe
40 / 40
Dak Naengchae (Korean Cold Chicken Salad)

Say what you will about boiled chicken breast, but this cold chicken salad with crisp cucumber, ripe mango, and a toasty sweet mustard dressing is greater than the sum of its parts.

Go to Recipe