If you’re a working mom wanting to prioritize your health, having an already prepared lunch can set you up for success and decrease your likelihood to turn to takeout or convenience foods! The problem? Finding enough time to prepare those lunches! I’ve compiled 16 easy work lunches that take less than 15 minutes to prep.
This is my ultimate guide to building healthy, easy lunches for work with some of my favorite tips and strategies. Most of these recipes are no heat and prioritize protein and fiber.
Easy Additions to Increase Protein and Fiber
Of course I am going to mention adequate protein and fiber intake – my two favorite nutrients. A well-balanced meal high in protein and fiber slows down the digestion of our food – keeping us fuller for longer. Think about those easy add-ons that can really make a big difference when increasing overall intake of these nutrients.
Higher Protein and Fiber Tips
- Add 1/2 cup of canned beans to salads or power bowls.
- Add a little crunch by topping lunches with hemp hearts or nuts.
- Use a rotisserie chicken or batch cook chicken one day a week.
- Utilize cottage cheese and Greek yogurt for dips, salads, toppings – wherever it makes sense.
- Read your food labels! Some products, like bread or wraps, are not created equal. Compare the protein and fiber content.
- Select a higher protein and fiber pasta alternative for dishes like pasta salad.
- Choose an ancient grain like farro, quinoa or amaranth instead of rice.
Nutritious & Easy Work Lunch Ideas
Below are 16+ easy, nutrient-dense work lunch ideas that take 15 minutes or less to meal prep! If you are just starting on your meal prep journey, start with just 1-2 options a week and gradually increase so it doesn’t feel too overwhelming! This way, you’ll be more likely to stick with it in the long run.
Power Bowls with Shortcuts
A power bowl is essentially a nutrient-dense bowl with high fiber carbohydrates, lean protein, and veggies or fruit. To make throwing together a power bowl quick and easy you’ve got to take some shortcuts.
What I love about power bowls is that you can easily change up the flavor profile to add variety – like selecting different sauces, dressings or aioli. This way, you never get bored!
Assemble 3-4 ounces of a rotisserie chicken with 1/2 packet of microwaveable quinoa plus some frozen vegetables. Top with your favorite sauce and voila! A super easy meal prep lunch.
Power Bowl Recipes
Pan-Seared Salmon with Basil Tzatziki (Two Healthy Kitchens). In just 15 minutes, you can prepare this delicious pan-seared salmon with a homemade tzatziki sauce. Pair with rice for a well-balanced lunch! Easily sub with already cooked chicken or beef if you’re hesitant to bring salmon to work.
Cuban-Style Tuna Meal Prep Bowls (Strength and Sunshine); Gluten-Free and Paleo. No cooking required! Total prep time is about 10 minutes.
28 High Protein Bowl Recipes; a guide to making easy protein bowls with various flavor profiles. Use the shortcuts discussed above and change up the sauce to add more variety. You could use homemade or store-bought Asian-inspired sauces, Mediterranean toppings like hummus or tzatziki sauce, hot sauce, tomato sauce, or whatever you prefer.
Mediterranean Chicken, Cucumber and Tomato Salad
A super healthy, nutrient-dense, high protein salad that you can throw together in just 10 minutes if you have some leftover or rotisserie chicken! All that is left to do is chop some veggies and throw in feta cheese and Olive Garden dressing. It’s so delicious and easy to make.
Easy Greek Yogurt Dips and Salads
Whether using fresh or canned chicken, a chicken salad is an easy go-to lunch choice. Try something like this Healthy California Chicken Salad by Simple and Fraiche. Incorporating Greek yogurt with mayo adds extra protein. Eat it on a wrap, with some raw veggies or with crackers.
Healthy Tuna Salad Meal Prep (Get Inspired Everyday). Tuna salad is a convenient lunch option to help prioritize omega-3 fatty acids DHA/EPA and vitamin D! Pair with a different side every time to add some variety.
5-Minute Avocado Ranch Dip with Greek Yogurt (Two Healthy Kitchens). This easy dip recipe combines two of my favorite ingredients: Greek yogurt and avocado! Packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fats with the classic ranch flavor. You could make an adult lunchable with fresh veggies (see below), put it on a wrap or turkey sandwich.
Creamy Chickpea Salad (Let Us Munch Lettuce). This is a combination of Greek yogurt and chickpeas that tastes even better as it sits longer in the fridge. Eat it as is or make it into a wrap. A delicious yet light and filling plant-based lunch idea.
Put Together an Adult Lunchable
Adult lunchables are a fun, portable option especially if you prefer some variety. Fill each compartment with different snacks, the sky is the limit here – you can make it as easy or as complex as you want. Buy some low sodium deli meat and combine with crackers, make a high protein pasta salad with Barilla Protein Plus noodles, or just add some Greek yogurt chicken salad that we discussed above.
Try to aim for at least 20 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber to increase satiety. If you want to learn more about how to do this, check out High Protein and Fiber Adult Lunchables.
Salads and Salad Kits
Already prepared salad kits that you can find at the grocery store are about as convenient as it gets. A nutritious salad that’s already chopped, washed and prepared! Plus, you can spruce it up with additional toppings like nuts, seeds, beans, or extra veggies.
Also try this Vegan Mexican Chopped Salad (Happy Kitchen). A quick and healthy lunch salad packed with fresh veggies, black beans for some extra protein and fiber, and a homemade avocado dressing. When it comes to salads, it’s all about what you can add to them to make them more filling. Buy canned beans and corn for easy add-ons!
Meal Prep Salad Jars
Take your salads to the next level and put them into a conveniently portable mason jar. The trick is to layer the dressing at the bottom to prevent sogginess.
Chickpea Quinoa Salad Jars (Sunglow Kitchen). If you already made a large batch of quinoa earlier in the week, you can throw this salad jar together in just 10 minutes. The chickpeas add some plant-based protein but feel free to add diced chicken or top with hemp hearts for even more.
Peanut Noodle Salad Jars (Sunglow Kitchen). An Asian-inspired lunch that takes 20 minutes to put together.
Healthy Mason Salad Jars (Haute & Healthy Living): For more ideas, this post contains 4 different recipes created by a dietitian with homemade dressings.
Pasta Salad: Make a quick pasta salad with cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and feta cheese. Toss with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. As I mentioned earlier, there are so many pasta alternatives available that are high in protein and fiber.
Other easy options include lentil or bean salads
Chia Pudding
Something like this Peanut Butter Banana Chia Pudding (The Oregon Dietitian) is so simple to prep the night before you work. It’s packed with fiber from the chia seeds, which create a gel-like consistency. Top with bananas and peanut butter on the morning of. A well-balanced, lighter lunch idea with so many flavor variations.
It’s easy to add protein powder to chia pudding to make it more filling. Another similar idea would be a Greek yogurt parfait!
Customize to Your Preferences
Now you have some easy work lunch ideas to get your started. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Customize these options based on your preferences! Keep it going and be consistent.
