11 Delicious and Healthy Work Lunch Ideas

Coming up with healthy lunch ideas for work can be a bit of a pain, can’t it? Especially when you’re trying to get out of the house in the morning, you’ve got a million things to remember and making lunch is the last thing you feel like doing. I work from home, so I’m lucky enough to have my kitchen nearby, but even then I sometimes get to lunchtime and realise I haven’t got a clue what to eat!

If you’re taking lunch into work, there are a few other things to think about too. Do you have a fridge to keep everything cool? Is there a microwave, or do you need something you can eat cold? And, perhaps most importantly, will you actually have time to sit down and enjoy it?

I’ve put together some easy work lunch ideas that you can prepare in advance, including salads, sandwiches, soups and meals made using leftovers. Whether you’re working in an office, doing shifts or spending most of your day out and about, hopefully you’ll find something that makes lunchtime a little easier.

11 Easy and Healthy Lunch Ideas for Work

If you’re fed up with taking the same sandwich to work every day, there are plenty of other things you can try without spending hours in the kitchen. I think one of the biggest things to consider is whether your lunch will still be nice when you actually come to eat it. After all, there’s not much point making something lovely at home if it’s gone soggy or needs reheating when you haven’t got a microwave!

These are 11 of my favourite suggestions for lunches you can prepare in advance and take to work. Some are perfect for eating cold, while others are better if you have somewhere to heat them up. You can also change the ingredients to suit what you enjoy and what you’ve already got in the fridge.

1. Sticky Chicken Salad

If you enjoy chicken salads but find a plain chicken breast and a few lettuce leaves a bit boring, my sticky chicken salad is a lovely alternative. The chicken has plenty of flavour, so it feels like a proper lunch rather than something you’ve thrown together because you’re trying to eat healthily.

You can cook the chicken in advance and let it cool before putting it in the fridge, then pack it with whichever salad ingredients you fancy. I’d keep any extra dressing separate until lunchtime, particularly if you’re making it the night before, because nobody wants soggy lettuce! This is a good choice if you don’t have access to a microwave, although you’ll need to keep the chicken properly chilled until you’re ready to eat.

2. Sweetcorn Fritters with Tomato Salsa

Sweetcorn fritters are a nice change from sandwiches, and I think they’re particularly handy if you want something that feels a bit different without needing loads of ingredients. You can make them at home and take them to work with a little tomato salsa, some salad or whatever else you fancy.

They’re also useful if you like preparing lunches in advance, because you can cook them beforehand and pack them once they’ve cooled safely. I’d take the salsa in a separate container so the fritters don’t end up soggy before you get to eat them. If you haven’t tried taking fritters for lunch before, they’re definitely worth considering.

3. Mango Couscous

If you fancy something a little different from the usual pasta salad, mango couscous is a lovely option. The mango adds a bit of sweetness, which works really nicely with the other ingredients, and it’s the sort of lunch that feels a bit more interesting than a sandwich you’ve made in a hurry.

Couscous is also handy because you can prepare it in advance and add different ingredients depending on what you’ve got available. I’d pack this in a sealed container and keep it chilled until lunchtime. It’s particularly nice during the warmer months when you don’t really fancy a hot meal, although there’s no reason you couldn’t enjoy it all year round.

4. Vegetable Couscous with Feta

I love how versatile couscous is, especially when you’re trying to use up vegetables rather than letting them go to waste. My vegetable couscous is easy to adapt, and adding some feta gives it a lovely extra flavour if you enjoy cheese.

You could make a batch for dinner and put a portion aside for the following day’s lunch, which saves having to make something completely different. It’s also easy to change the vegetables depending on what’s in season or what needs using up. Just remember to keep it refrigerated, particularly when you’re adding feta, and use an insulated lunch bag with ice packs if your workplace doesn’t have a fridge.

5. Nigerian Jollof Rice

If you’re looking for something more filling than a salad, my Nigerian jollof rice is worth trying. It’s full of flavour and makes a lovely change if you’re bored with the same lunches every week. You could have it on its own or serve it with some cooked chicken or vegetables, depending on what you fancy.

This is one I’d suggest taking if you have access to a microwave, although you could also enjoy it cold if it has been prepared and stored safely. Rice needs a little extra care, so cool it as quickly as possible, ideally within an hour, refrigerate it promptly and follow food safety guidance about how long to keep it and reheating it. I wouldn’t leave a container of cooked rice sitting in a warm car or bag all morning.

If you regularly take rice dishes to work, it’s worth checking the Food Standards Agency’s food safety advice, as cooked rice needs particular care when cooling, storing and reheating.

6. Homemade Falafel

Falafel is a great option if you’re looking for a meat-free lunch that isn’t just a cheese sandwich. You can serve it with salad, couscous, hummus or in a wrap or pitta, so there are plenty of ways to make it into a filling lunch.

I think falafel is particularly useful if you like lunches that you can eat cold, because you don’t need to rely on having a microwave at work. You could make some in advance and put together your lunch the evening before, keeping everything chilled until you’re ready to eat it. If you take hummus or a dressing, I’d pack that separately so your wrap doesn’t become soggy.

7. Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is one of those lunches that you can make in so many different ways, and my tomato and mozzarella pasta salad is a lovely option if you want something fairly simple. I particularly like the combination of tomatoes and mozzarella because it feels a bit more interesting than plain pasta with a few vegetables thrown in.

You can prepare it in advance and take it to work in a sealed container, which is handy if mornings are always a rush. I’d keep it in the fridge overnight and use a cool bag with ice packs if you don’t have access to a fridge at work. You could also add some extra vegetables or a little chicken if you fancy making it more substantial.

8. Curry Loaf

If you’ve never tried my curry loaf, it’s one of those recipes that sounds a little unusual until you actually make it! It’s a lovely way to have something with plenty of flavour for lunch, and you can cut it into slices to take with you rather than having to carry a whole container of curry.

I think this is a particularly handy option if you’re bored with sandwiches but still want something you can eat without too much fuss. You could have a slice or two with salad, or add some couscous if you want a bigger lunch. Make it in advance, allow it to cool safely and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to eat it.

9. Homemade Soup

I don’t think you can beat homemade soup for lunch when it’s cold outside, especially if you’ve spent the morning wishing you’d put another jumper on! It’s also one of the easiest lunches to prepare in batches, because you can make a big pan, freeze individual portions and have something ready for those days when you haven’t planned ahead.

If you have a microwave at work, you can take a chilled portion and heat it thoroughly at lunchtime. If you don’t, a suitable insulated food flask might be a good alternative, provided you follow the manufacturer’s instructions for keeping food safely hot. I’ve got plenty of healthy soup recipes to choose from, so you don’t have to have the same flavour every day.

10. Caramelised Onion Mini Quiches

Mini quiches are lovely for packed lunches because they’re already portioned, so you can take a couple with some salad or other sides without needing to cut anything up at work. My caramelised onion mini quiches are a nice option if you enjoy something savoury but don’t fancy another sandwich.

You could make them in advance and keep them refrigerated, then pack them in a lunchbox with tomatoes, cucumber or whichever vegetables you like. They’re also handy if you prefer having a few different things in your lunchbox rather than one big meal. Just make sure they’re kept properly chilled, as they contain ingredients that need refrigerating.

11. Honey Salmon Salad

If you enjoy fish, my honey salmon salad is another lovely option for a work lunch. The honey adds a little sweetness, and you can serve the salmon with salad ingredients you enjoy rather than following exactly the same combination every time.

I’d prepare the salmon in advance, cool it safely and refrigerate it, then pack it with your salad when you’re ready. If you’re taking it into a shared office, it’s probably worth remembering that not everyone appreciates the smell of fish at lunchtime, particularly if you’re planning to reheat it! This one works well as a cold salad, though, provided you’ve kept it properly chilled.

Which Work Lunch Should You Try First?

If you’re not sure where to start, I’d think about what facilities you have at work before deciding what to make. If you’ve got a fridge but no microwave, something like pasta salad, couscous, falafel or mini quiches could be ideal. If you have somewhere to reheat your lunch, soup or jollof rice might be more appealing, especially during winter.

You also don’t have to make a completely different lunch every day. Sometimes it’s much easier to prepare a couple of portions of something you enjoy and have them on different days, or use leftovers from dinner rather than cooking twice. I think anything that makes lunchtime easier without costing a fortune is worth trying!

Cold Lunch Ideas for Work That Don’t Need Reheating

If you don’t have access to a microwave at work, or you just don’t fancy queuing to use one during your lunch break, cold lunches can be really handy. I think the trick is choosing something that still tastes lovely after being in a lunchbox for a few hours, rather than something that really needs to be eaten straight after cooking.

Pasta salads are an obvious choice, but there are plenty of other options too. My tomato and mozzarella pasta salad is a lovely one to make in advance, while vegetable couscous can be adapted depending on what you’ve got in the fridge. You could add chicken, chickpeas, feta or roasted vegetables to make it more filling.

I also like the idea of a chicken salad with the dressing packed separately, particularly if you’re not keen on soggy lettuce! Homemade falafel with salad and a suitable wrap or pitta is another option, and sweetcorn fritters can be eaten cold if you’ve cooked and chilled them properly.

Just remember that cold doesn’t mean you can leave everything at room temperature all morning. If you’re taking cooked chicken, cheese, eggs or other chilled ingredients, you’ll need a way to keep them cold until lunchtime.

Lunches You Can Make the Night Before

I know some people are wonderfully organised and make all their lunches on a Sunday afternoon, but I’ve never been convinced that everyone has the time or inclination to do that! Preparing something the evening before is often much more manageable, especially if you’re already cooking dinner.

One of the easiest things to do is make an extra portion of whatever you’re having that evening. Chilli, curry, rice dishes and pasta can all work as lunches, provided you cool and store them safely and have suitable facilities to keep them chilled and reheat them thoroughly.

My Nigerian jollof rice is another option if you enjoy something a little different, although rice needs particular care when cooling and storing. Refrigerate it promptly, ideally within an hour, and follow Food Standards Agency guidance on storage and reheating.

If you prefer something cold, you could make a couscous salad, prepare some mini quiches or put together the ingredients for a salad so that all you need to do in the morning is grab your lunchbox from the fridge.

Hot Lunch Ideas for Work

If you’ve got access to a microwave, taking a hot lunch can be a lovely change from sandwiches, particularly during the colder months. Homemade soup is one of my favourite suggestions because you can make a big batch, freeze portions and choose something different depending on what you fancy.

Leftover chilli, curry or a rice dish can also be handy, although you’ll need to transport and store it safely and make sure it’s reheated thoroughly before eating.

If you don’t have a microwave but would still like something warm, a suitable insulated food flask could be worth considering. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for preheating it and keeping food at a safe temperature. They’re particularly useful for soup, and you don’t need to spend your lunch break waiting for a microwave.

Budget-Friendly Work Lunch Ideas

Buying lunch every day can soon become expensive, especially if you end up popping into a supermarket or café because you haven’t brought anything with you. I know how easy it is to think you’re only spending a few pounds, but it can add up quite quickly over a working week.

You don’t need expensive ingredients to make a decent lunch, though. Jacket potatoes, eggs, beans, couscous, pasta and seasonal vegetables can all be useful starting points. Even something as simple as making an extra portion of dinner can work out cheaper than buying a separate meal the next day.

If you’re trying to keep costs down, I’d start by choosing two or three lunches you genuinely enjoy and buying ingredients that can be used in more than one meal. That way, you aren’t buying a whole packet of something just to use a spoonful in one recipe, only to find the rest hiding at the back of the fridge a fortnight later!

I always think it’s worth remembering that a healthy lunch doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. The NHS Eatwell Guide is useful if you want a bit of guidance on putting together a balanced diet, but you don’t need to fit every food group into every single lunch. It’s more about what you eat overall than making every meal perfect.

What Can You Take for Lunch If There’s No Fridge at Work?

Not everyone works somewhere with a proper kitchen, and if you’re a driver, carer or work outdoors, you might not have access to a fridge at all. That doesn’t mean you have to buy lunch every day, but it does mean thinking a little more carefully about what you take.

An insulated lunch bag with frozen ice packs can be really useful for keeping food that needs refrigeration chilled until you’re ready to eat. I’d also think about how long your lunch will be out of the fridge, particularly during warmer weather, rather than assuming everything will be fine just because it started off cold.

If you can’t keep food properly chilled, consider shelf-stable options that can be opened and eaten at lunchtime, such as crackers, whole fruit or unopened products that don’t require refrigeration. Check the packaging, though, because some foods need refrigerating once opened.

A suitable food flask may also be useful if you prefer something hot, provided you follow the manufacturer’s food safety instructions. It’s worth trying a few different options to see what works for your job, because what suits someone sitting at a desk all day might not be practical for someone driving between appointments or working on a building site.

If you’re unsure how long something can safely be kept out of the fridge, it’s worth checking the advice from the Food Standards Agency, especially during warmer weather. The last thing you want is to spend time making yourself a lovely lunch only to find it hasn’t been stored safely!

Making Work Lunches a Little Easier

I think the biggest thing I’ve learnt about eating more healthily is that making things easier for yourself is often much more useful than having the perfect meal plan. There’s no point deciding you’re going to make a different homemade lunch every day if you know that by Wednesday you’ll be fed up with cooking and reaching for the nearest supermarket meal deal!

You don’t need to spend your entire Sunday preparing lunches for the week either, unless that’s something you actually enjoy doing. Sometimes it’s enough to cook a little extra dinner, make a pasta salad the night before or keep a few easy ingredients in the cupboard for those mornings when you’ve forgotten all about lunch. Even having two or three meals you know you enjoy can make a difference.

If you’re trying to save money, eat a bit more healthily or simply stop having the same sandwich every day, hopefully these ideas have given you a few things to try. And remember, there’s nothing wrong with having a sandwich if that’s what you fancy! I think we can sometimes make healthy eating far more complicated than it needs to be.

If you’d like a bit more help planning ahead, have a look at my four-week healthy packed lunch meal plan, which has plenty of ideas you can mix and match. I’ve also got lots of Slimming World lunch ideas if you’re following the plan or just looking for more inspiration.

I’d love to know what you usually take to work for lunch. Do you prepare something the night before, take leftovers or end up buying something when you get there? Let me know in the comments, especially if you’ve got a favourite easy lunch that I’ve missed!

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