25 Packed Lunch Ideas for Work

You may be a pro at making lunches for the kids, but it’s easy to get stuck when you need to come up with packed lunch ideas for work. Armed with these 25 lunch ideas that range from simple to sophisticated, you might find that packing your lunch for work can be fun!

Tips for packing lunch

If you want to pack lunches you’ll actually look forward to eating, you’ll want to consider various foods and flavors to include in your meals. Cold lunches don’t have to be drab, and leftovers can be an appealing option when you don’t have much time to spare. Upgrade sandwiches with specialty breads and toppings or go bread-free with tasty bowl meals for lunch.

Sandwiches you pack for lunch at work

Sandwiches might come to mind quickly when you’re trying to come up with packed lunch ideas for work, but they don’t have to be plain or simple. Get creative with bread and fillings for sandwiches that shine:

1. Ham and cheese sandwich

Upgrade your ham and cheese by using deli-sliced Black Forest ham with Swiss or Gruyere cheese. Add lettuce and tomatoes if you like, and dress a ciabatta roll with Dijon mustard for a tasty lunch.

2. Mini muffulettas

A giant muffuletta might be too much for lunch at the office, but you can make mini sandwiches on sliced Italian bread with sesame seeds. Pile on your choice of genoa salami, ham, mortadella, provolone, and Swiss cheese, and make it special with Italian olive salad or giardiniera from a jar.

3. Pastrami on rye

This sandwich is anything but basic, and it’s quick to put together with deli pastrami, rye bread, prepared coleslaw or canned sauerkraut, and Russian dressing.

4. Tasty veggie sandwich

Spread your favorite bread with flavored cheese spread, top with roasted peppers and fresh or pickled vegetables for meatless Monday or any other day you want a nutritious sandwich for lunch at work.

5. Frozen flatbread sandwiches

You can find some great sandwiches in the frozen foods section too. Try the Streatery Shawarma-Style Chicken Flatbread Frozen Sandwich for a nice change-up in your lunch routine.

Wraps are easy to eat at your desk

If the pace is hectic at your office, you might be looking for cold lunch ideas for adults at work! Wraps are even easier to eat than traditional sandwiches, and with a variety of wrappers and fillings, you’ll never get bored:

1. BLT Lettuce wrap

Use lettuce to wrap sliced or chopped bacon and tomatoes.

2. Hummus and veggie wrap

Spread your favorite hummus variety on lavash bread and roll it up with carrots, cucumbers, and leafy lettuce for some Mediterranean flavor in your lunch.

3. Turkey avocado wrap

Wrap turkey lunch meat and an avocado slice in a tortilla for a quick and delicious lunch solution.

4. Hawaiian barbecue wrap

Add some tropical flavor to your lunch with grilled chicken, barbecue sauce, pineapple slices, and lettuce rolled into a wrap.

5. Store-prepared wrap

With pre-packaged wrap sandwiches, you won’t have to spare a second thought to come up with a delicious lunch on the go.

Salads make a satisfying cold lunch

If you don’t want to wait in line for the microwave, you might need some cold lunch ideas for work! Salads are an easy option, and they can be absolutely scrumptious:

1. Greek salad

Use this recipe to make a Greek salad for a great healthy lunch that doesn’t need to be heated.

2. Chef salad in a mason jar

Making a meal in a mason jar is fun, and a chef’s salad is super easy for a first-timer. Put the dressing in the bottom of the jar, then layer your choice of meats, cheeses, boiled eggs, and salad vegetables on top. Make it pretty if you like, but if you’re in a hurry, don’t worry, because you’re just going to shake it up and serve it when you’re ready for lunch!

3. Asian chopped salad

Cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, peas, and bean sprouts are great on a bed of leafy lettuce topped with a tasty salad dressing.

4. Chickpea Salad

Toss together some canned chickpeas with bell pepper, onion, olives, and feta, and then dress this yummy salad with an olive oil vinaigrette.

5. Cobb Salad

If you’re short on time, grab a ready-made Cobb salad for lunch.

Comfort food makes lunch worth looking forward to

When you’re trying to come up with easy lunches to pack for work, comfort food can save the day! Whether you use leftovers from dinner or already prepared products, you can make a lunch that will be the envy of your coworkers:

1. Meatloaf sandwich

Use leftovers or microwave a frozen meatloaf entree to slice up on your favorite crusty bread.

2. Cold fried chicken

A fried chicken dinner on Sunday means leftovers for lunch on Monday. Heat it up or enjoy it cold with a side of potato salad or coleslaw.

3. Hearty chili

Add veggies to homemade, canned, or frozen chili—in the chili or on the side—for a tasty lunch that will fill you up.

4. Mac and cheese

Macaroni and cheese dinners come in all kinds of heat-and-eat packaging options, which helps make lunchtime go smoothly.

5. Broccoli cheddar soup

A tasty soup proves that a hot lunch doesn’t have to be a hassle.

Bowls make lunch fun and healthy

If you need some healthy packed lunch ideas for work, bowls are a great option! These vegetable-forward bowls with grains and protein are easy to make and add variety to your healthy packed lunch rotation:

1. Quinoa and spinach

Top a bowl of spinach leaves with cooked quinoa and fresh veggies like tomatoes and avocados for lunch that’s as pretty as it is healthy.

2. Wild rice and sweet potatoes

Pack plenty of nutrients in your lunch with a sweet potato bowl mixed with wild rice and kale.

3. Chicken burrito bowl

Beans and rice, fajita chicken, bell peppers, and onions don’t need tortillas to make a great lunch.

4. Pork with noodles and peanut sauce bowl

Bowls don’t have to be made with grains; noodles are a great choice too. Cooked chow mein noodles taste great when you toss in some pork and peanut sauce.

5. Freezer case veggie bowls

Birds Eye Steamfresh Protein Blends Southwest Style Vegetables gives you all the nutrition you need to get through the rest of your workday. And you can microwave it right in the bag!

Lunch at the office can be fun again

With these tasty and easy-packed lunch ideas, lunchtime can really make your day a bit better. Instacart makes it easy with all the ready-to-eat lunches or ingredients you need delivered right to your door!

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