To-Go Lunch Ideas

Depending on your work load you can always pre cook your food at night or for the week on the weekends. That's what i usually do just so im not rushing in the mornings.

Get an insulated lunch bag and some ice packs. Unless it's REALLY hot, that'll do until lunch time. My favorites are:

Salads
Sandwiches
A monkey plate: This is what we call cut up veggies with dip (guac or hummus), cheese/pepperoni/crackers, berries, etc. All finger foods.
Chicken salad served in logs of celery.
Leftovers of whatever I had the night before if you have a place to heat them up.
Soup in a thermos

i've always just taken sandwiches to work, for years but 2 weeks ago i just had enough, they're so dull

so i had an idea and it's working perfectly, Smothies

i make my smoothie the night before, poor it into my insulated mug/flask/thing and then stick that straight in the freezer

the next morning i get ready for work and then take my Smoothie out of the freezer, stick it in a sandwich bag (just incase the lid get loose) and it's off to work i go

i leave it sat on my desk all day long, then when it comes to lunch time at 12:30, i take the lid off and find it's all perfectly defrosted but still nice a cold

it's been an absolute god send, especially in this summer heat

I often take leftovers from the night before, so that could be pasta, vegetable stew, vegetable stir fry etc. They can often be eaten cold the next day or reheated, so it's good either way.

I'm a big fan of couscous for lunch, I always find it fairly filling and it's easy to add vegetables and protein to it.

Salads are obviously a good option when you have no cooking facilities too. Plain salad is boring but dressings often whack the calories right up, so I like to make them with a really tangy or strong ingredient to make up for it; I like watermelon and feta salad the best. Very refreshing in summer too!

Bump for more great ideas!

How about some raw vegetables and nuts along with some string cheese? Add some fruit, a frozen Gogurt, maybe some whole grain crackers – that would make a pretty good finger food meal. It doesn't have to be what you think of as a traditional lunch as long as it's healthy and fills you up. An insulated bag with an ice pack should keep that cool for a while.

When I'm going to be out running errands and know I'll get hungry, I usually put some raw almonds in a zip lock bag and a banana in my purse, or sometimes some baby carrots or sugar snap peas and cheese sticks in a small insulated bag.

I like to make deli wraps minus the wrap. Take some veggies, sliced peppers and cucumbers work well and add a slice of lighter cheese and a piece of low sodium turkey and roll them up. . Make a few of theses and take honey mustard for dipping.

I like light bologna wrapped around any veggie dipped in yogurt dips (usually only 25-30 cals for 2 tbsp)

I often take leftovers from the night before, so that could be pasta, vegetable stew, vegetable stir fry etc. They can often be eaten cold the next day or reheated, so it's good either way.

I'm a big fan of couscous for lunch, I always find it fairly filling and it's easy to add vegetables and protein to it.

Salads are obviously a good option when you have no cooking facilities too. Plain salad is boring but dressings often whack the calories right up, so I like to make them with a really tangy or strong ingredient to make up for it; I like watermelon and feta salad the best. Very refreshing in summer too!

Cold leftovers are great! I especially love cold stir fry chicken or shrimp dishes. Cold broiled salmon is great cause you can flake it and eat it with raw veg and cream cheese or yogurt dip. Quinoa salad is really great too

My husband has a Mr.Bento lunch box and it keeps his lunch warm when he eats it at noon. He does not like using the company fridge or microwave.

If you want something fun, peel cucumber, cut off the ends, and use a long knife to hollow out the seeds. Stuff the cumber with tuna salad or egg salad or what ever then cut. It's like sushi or a wrap but without the bread.

I second the bento idea, the one with the cute pictures. I do this when I have to take lunch with me and it's quite fun to make. You can make way simpler ones to save on time, they don't all have to be cutesy or complicated. Without a fridge, you'd just need to invest in a good insulated lunch bag or box.

Here's a simple one I put together. It has rice, edamame, tomato, steamed broccoli, carrot, boiled egg...cucumber...turkey sausage. And frozen berries, which will have thawed by lunch time. Oh there's celery under the tomato.



Bento are made to eat cold, no need to reheat as long as you make sure things are already safely cooked the first time around. People in Japan frequently take a homepacked lunch with them to school or work, and these lunches can be quite healthy at times. The base is often rice, you can use brown rice for a healthier option. Rice also freezes quite well so you can make up a batch on Sunday night for the whole week and freeze it in individual portions, then take one out. By the time lunch rolls around, they're usually ready to eat.

For meats, low sodium turkey sausage or sliced chicken, cold leftovers from the night before, etc. Or go full on vegetarian with tons of veggies. Color coordinate your lunch, try to work as many different colored veggies and fruits in as you can. When I do this, tons of people tell me it looks amazing. And it usually tastes amazing too.

There are tonssss of sites with bento ideas and recipes, or just make up your own.

i've always just taken sandwiches to work, for years but 2 weeks ago i just had enough, they're so dull

so i had an idea and it's working perfectly, Smothies

i make my smoothie the night before, poor it into my insulated mug/flask/thing and then stick that straight in the freezer

the next morning i get ready for work and then take my Smoothie out of the freezer, stick it in a sandwich bag (just incase the lid get loose) and it's off to work i go

i leave it sat on my desk all day long, then when it comes to lunch time at 12:30, i take the lid off and find it's all perfectly defrosted but still nice a cold

it's been an absolute god send, especially in this summer heat