4-Ingredient Lunch Box Recipes You Need to Try

Complicated, sophisticated dishes can be delicious, but they’re way too time-intensive. Sometimes, you just need something quick and easy to take to work. These 4-ingredient lunch box recipes are just that: convenient, no-nonsense, and oh so mouth-watering.

4-ingredient lunch box recipes

Add these filling recipes to your busy week’s meal prep rotation, but feel free to tweak them as needed:

1. Mini veggie omelet bites

Whisk six eggs with a splash of milk and fold in broccoli florets and strips of bacon. Pour into muffin tins and bake until the eggs have set.

2. Mozzarella and peach quinoa salad

Cook white quinoa and season with a pinch of salt. Then gently fold in peach slices and lay generous chunks of fresh mozzarella on top—drizzle olive oil to taste.

3. Chickpea mayo sandwich

First, mash a can of chickpeas and mix in a dollop of mayo. Add chopped celery and season with a pinch of salt. Finally, spread the mixture on a toasted slice of your favorite bread.

4. Simple sushi bowl

Cook sushi rice and season it with a few splashes of rice vinegar. Lay it at the bottom of your lunch box container and top with chopped avocado and cubed smoked tofu.

5. Summer taco salad

Layer cut-up iceberg lettuce, cooked black beans, and guacamole (or store-bought salsa, if you prefer). Then, right before sitting down to enjoy your meal, crunch tortilla chips over the top.

6. Spicy chicken quesadillas

Grill a chicken breast with cajun seasoning and cut it into long strips. Fill half of a flour tortilla with it and sprinkle shredded cheese. Then bake for 5 minutes, cut up, and serve.

7. Zucchini and carrot fritters

Shred zucchini and carrots. Squeeze out the moisture using paper towels or cheesecloth and set aside. Whisk eggs with flour until you get a thick batter and incorporate the veggies. Finally, fry them in vegetable oil.

8. Red pesto and spinach orzo

Coat cooked orzo pasta in red pesto sauce. Then cube and fry some tofu and sauté spinach. Combine everything and serve.

9. Tangy Greek salad

Nothing’s better than a refreshing salad on a hot summer’s day, and this Greek salad is just that. Cube cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onions. Crumble a block of feta cheese, combine, and serve.

10. Classic spaghetti and meatballs

Boil spaghetti until it’s al dente and finish cooking it in a generous serving of tomato sauce. Lay a few store-bought meatballs (beef, pork, or plant-based) over the pasta and top with parmesan.

11. Falafel with veggies and ranch

Bake some falafel balls and, while you wait for them to be done, cut carrots and cucumbers (or whatever veggies you prefer) into sticks. Then pack a container with ranch to dip your veggies and falafel in.

12. Vietnamese rice paper rolls

Wrap thick slices of uncooked tofu, julienned carrots, and mango in rice paper rolls. If you want to go the extra mile, pack a small container with sweet chili dipping sauce.

13. Low-carb teriyaki stir fry

Spiralize a zucchini (or buy zoodles from the supermarket) and set it aside. Sauté snap peas and bell pepper with teriyaki sauce. Then, pour the saucy veggies on top of your zoodles.

14. Lentil and feta puff pockets

Cut one sheet of uncooked puff pastry into 4in squares. Lay spiced lentils (curry powder works great here) and feta crumbles in the middle, then fold the pastry squares closed. Bake until they’re golden and serve.

15. Fall kale salad

Massage chopped kale leaves with lemon juice and salt. Throw in roasted veggies (for example, carrots and eggplant) and combine. Then, drizzle tahini dressing on top.

16. Hummus falafel pitas

Middle Eastern food lovers, this one is for you. Spread hummus inside a pita and stuff it with baked falafel balls. Then, on the side, serve sliced cucumbers.

17. Ham and cheese pinwheels

Tightly wrap a few slices of ham, cheese, and roasted red peppers in a flour tortilla. Cut into 1in pieces and display in your lunch box.

18. Cottage cheese and strawberry sandwich

Spread a healthy dose of cottage cheese on a slice of toasted white bread and top with chopped strawberries. Drizzle honey, top with chopped basil leaves and close the sandwich.

19. Smokey fungi toasties

Sauté mushrooms with a bit of soy sauce and liquid smoke. Spread that over a piece of sourdough bread and top with a handful of shredded mature cheddar cheese. Toast the sandwich in a panini press (or in the oven), cut in half, and serve.

20. Green pesto gnocchi

Cook potato gnocchi and coat it in green pesto. Add roasted diced bell peppers and pine nuts for an extra decadent touch.

21. Tuna melt jacket potato

Finally, a classic recipe reimagined. Bake a russet potato until a fork can pierce through easily. Cut it in half, scoop out some of the potato flesh, and stuff it with tuna salad (which is just tuna, mayo, and celery). Top with chopped green onion and serve.

22. Comfort chicken and waffles

If you can reheat your food at work, you’ll love this taste-of-home recipe. Buy a waffle from the store and lay a few pieces of fried (or oven-baked) chicken on top. Finish off the dish with a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

23. Cheesy pita pizzas

Spread pizza sauce over pita flatbreads (or tortilla, if you like a thinner crust pizza). Then, top with chorizo, ham, or bacon. Finally, sprinkle on some shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Bring more convenience to your day with 4-ingredient recipes

There’s only one thing more convenient than simple 4-ingredient recipes: not having to do your grocery shopping in person. When you use Instacart, you can order all the ingredients you need with just a few clicks. No more perusing the aisles for that condiment, a recipe calls for or standing in line. And the best part? You’ll get your groceries delivered within 2 hours, thanks to same-day delivery! Simple.

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