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21 Easy Lunch Ideas

February 08, 2016
Becoming a consistent lunch bringer is no easy task. You might start the day with good intentions, but then a meeting runs late, a coworker grabs you for lunch, or you just didn’t have anything to pack in the first place. Get inspired to start a lunch bringing habit with these 21 easy recipes. No PB&J sandwiches here. Just unique, delicious (and grown-up-approved) ideas.  

1. Cafe Box

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Skip the line at your local coffee shop and pack your own bento box. Fill a Ziploc® Square container with a mini bagel spread with nut butter, a hard-boiled egg, apple slices, and grapes. Then, toss in white cheddar and gouda sealed in a Ziploc® Snack Bag. The ingredients can be prepped two to three days in advance, making it easy to grab your lunch and go!  1. Cafe Box

2. Beet & Burrata Salad

21 Easy Lunch Ideas

Revive your healthy lunch packing routine with a lettuce-free salad recipe. This one is loaded with fresh beets, basil, and creamy burrata cheese. Full recipe.

2. Beet & Burrata Salad

3. Mediterranean Lunch

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Hummus and tapenade, sliced chicken breast, feta, pita, cucumber and red pepper slices, and grapes come together for the perfect light lunch. Cut the pita bread into triangles for an easy finger food style lunch or leave the bread whole for a yummy stuffed sandwich. It's up to you!  3. Mediterranean Lunch

4. Guava Paste Ham Brie Wrap

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
A sweet, savory, and irresistible flavor combo. Just roll apricot preserves, guava paste, ham, sliced red plum, and brie inside of a tomato basil tortilla. Tip: skip the ham for a vegetarian option. Full recipe. 4. Guava Paste Ham Brie Wrap

5. Antipasto Box

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Mix up a simple caprese salad, add some prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe, a few small slices of French bread, and some pistachios and you’ve got a DIY antipasto box. 5. Antipasto Box

6. Walnut Chicken Salad

21 Easy Lunch Ideas

The easiest chicken salad you'll ever make. Just mix mayo, crushed walnuts, grapes, and rotisserie chicken, right in a Ziploc bag. Tip: If you're making a sandwich, keep the chicken salad and bread separate until you're ready to eat. Full Recipe.

6. Walnut Chicken Salad

7. Deli Box

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Top a roast beef sandwich with Swiss cheese and baby spinach, then add some horseradish mayo spread, fresh fruit, and veggie chips for a made-at-home deli lunch. Tip: avoid soggy bread by packing the spread separately in a Ziploc® Extra Small container. 7. Deli Box

8. Asian Lunch Box

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Mix up a restaurant-worthy salad at home. Grab an Asian veggie salad mix from the grocery store and top it with mandarin orange slices, roasted nuts, and crispy noodles. Tip: pair it with leftover potstickers for an easy “Take-Out for Lunch” kind of day. Don’t forget to separate the dressing from your salad to keep the lettuce crispy.  8. Asian Lunch Box

9. Tacos with Chipotle Greek Yogurt Sauce

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Prep these easy tacos on the weekend and pack the toppings in separate Ziploc® bags to keep everything fresh. Tip: Use a rotisserie chicken for an even faster cook time. Full recipe. 9. Tacos with Chipotle Greek Yogurt Sauce

10. Vegetable Lovers Wrap

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Just mix guacamole with chopped bell peppers, shredded carrots, sliced grape tomatoes, black beans, and baby spinach to make an easy veggie wrap. Bring some crackers and fresh fruit in Ziploc® Snack Bags for a complete, healthy lunch! 10. Vegetable Lovers Wrap

11. Caesar Salad Wrap

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Turn a Caesar Salad into a wrap! Grab your favorite wrap and pile it high with crisp romaine and power greens like kale and spinach. Add shredded carrots, cooked chicken breast and roll it all up. Store your favorite creamy Caesar dressing in a Ziploc® Extra Small Square container to keep it fresh until you’re ready to dig in. 11. Caesar Salad Wrap

12. Pinwheel Wrap

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Mix cream cheese, chopped black olives, green onion and crispy bacon together and spread onto a whole grain tortilla. Then roll and slice into bite-sized portions for an indulgent, satisfying lunch.  12. Pinwheel Wrap

13. Instant Bacon & Egg Ramen

21 Easy Lunch Ideas

Turn a basic ramen noodle package into a gourmet lunch with a few easy upgrades. Just crumble bacon and mix with chopped scallions, hot sauce, and the ramen spice packet. Stir into noodles and garnish with fresh spinach and a soft boiled egg. Full Recipe.

13. Instant Bacon & Egg Ramen

14. Tex-Mex Cobb Salad

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Pack up romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, hard-boiled egg, black beans, corn, creamy cilantro-lime dressing, and tortilla chips in separate Ziploc® containers and bags and assemble the perfect, crisp salad at lunchtime. Tip: use rotisserie chicken for an even easier meal.   14. Tex-Mex Cobb Salad

15. Tomato Toast To-Go

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Toast: It’s not just for breakfast. Especially when you top it with ingredients like fresh tomatoes, basil, and ricotta cheese for an easy lunch. Tip: drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil before serving. Full recipe. 15. Tomato Toast To-Go

16. Soup and Salad

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Use Ziploc® Twist ‘N Loc® containers (they’re microwave safe) to take your favorite tomato soup for lunch. Just top with shaved parmesan after heating and serve with garlic toast or a side salad. 16. Soup and Salad

17. Turkey Pizza Pitas

21 Easy Lunch Ideas

Pizza pockets with a healthy twist. Start with lean ground turkey, then mix in marinara sauce, and add chopped bell peppers. Stuff it all in a whole wheat pita pocket for a mess-free lunch. Full Recipe.

17. Turkey Pizza Pitas

18. Garlic Toast & Brie Grilled Cheese

21 Easy Lunch Ideas

Freshly minced garlic, rustic white bread, and creamy brie give this easy grilled cheese a grown-up twist. Just saute minced garlic in a hot pan, toast two pieces of bread, flip and add brie. Full Recipe.

18. Garlic Toast & Brie Grilled Cheese

19. BBQ Cornbread Muffins

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Use leftover barbeque pork to plus up your favorite cornbread mix. Just fill muffin cups with batter, drop in one spoonful of shredded pork into each cup, and bake for 30-35 minutes until cooked through. The perfect handheld lunch! Full recipe. 19. BBQ Cornbread Muffins

20. Chicken and Hummus Pita Pocket

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
This easy pita pocket comes together with just hummus, chicken, cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, and red pepper. And the ingredients came from a shopping list designed to give you the perfect amount of food to make lunch for the entire week. Get the full shopping list. 20. Chicken and Hummus Pita Pocket

21. Greek Yogurt Mac ‘N Cheese

21 Easy Lunch Ideas
Try this grown-up version of comfort food the next time you’re craving mac and cheese. Thanks to the Greek yogurt, this recipe packed with protein. Full recipe. 21. Greek Yogurt Mac ‘N Cheese
Lunch bringer