23 Easy Lunch Ideas (Best Lunch Recipes)
on Mar 31, 2022, Updated May 09, 2022
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We’ve rounded up 23 Best and Easy Lunch Ideas! From healthy lunch recipes to lunch for the kids, to meal prep ideas – we’ve got you covered.
Easy and delicious! We guarantee you’re going to want to make your own lunch TOMORROW! From Lunch Wrap to Tacos, to Cuban Sandwiches and everything in between.
Let’s go!
Tips for Using a Lunch Box
Ideally, you want to keep your lunch fresh and full of healthy options! One of the best tips for using a lunch box is to keep an ice pack in it. Some lunch boxes have a temperature-controlled area. Another option is to freeze your sandwiches the night before and they should be thawed in time to eat lunch.
Pack your lunch full of fresh fruit, veggies, and dairy options too.
Healthy Easy Lunch Ideas
Seaweed Salad
Delicious, easy to prepare, and refreshing! Sound satisfying enough yet? This salad is full of fiber, protein & nutrients, and offers up a low-carb lunch or dinner. Try toasting your own sesame seeds for added flavor and crunch!
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
A healthy, low carb, appetizer or lunch made without oil! Air fryer buffalo cauliflower bites are healthier than your buffalo chicken wings and ready in less than 20 minutes!
Easy Keto Egg Salad
In less than 5 minutes, you will be able to enjoy this easy keto-friendly egg salad. Perfect for low-carb sandwiches or lettuce wraps, you’ll be surprised at how versatile and delicious this egg salad is!
Best Tuna Salad
Comfort food that is light and fresh, this tuna salad is made with a few simple ingredients – canned tuna, mayonnaise, onion, and celery. It’s has a perfect combination of creamy and crispy texture. You can also enjoy it with a lettuce wrap, a sandwich, or stuffed inside avocado halves.
Easy Lunch Ideas for Work
McDonald’s Travis Scott Burger
This recipe captures the exact flavors of the McDonald’s quarter pounder all in the comfort of your own home. It’s a copycat recipe that includes a quarter pounder burger, cheese, bacon, lettuce, and of course sesame seed buns! Serve it up with some fries and you are set!
KFC Zing Burger Copycat Recipe
The perfect fried chicken sandwich with a zing! This copycat recipe is perfect for those who love a little extra heat! Simply place chicken thighs between two brioche buns with a nice creamy burger sauce. This may just become your most requested meal.
Chick-Fil-A Crispy Chicken Sandwich Copycat Recipe
If you love Chick-fil-A, you’ll love this copycat chicken sandwich recipe! The secret here is to marinate your chicken breast halves in the pickle juice/water marinade for 30 minutes in the fridge. Fry it up, bake it or place them in an air fryer – whatever option you choose, you’ll certainly be able to skip the Chick-fil-A lines.
Lunch Wraps
Loaded with chicken, cheese, and ranch, these lunch recipes are both hearty and healthy. They come together in just under 15 minutes. If you’re looking to add a bit more girth to your wrap, you can simply add in some tomatoes, avocados, cooked bacon, or whatever your heart desires!
Ultimate Chicken Salad
Diced chicken tossed with creaminess, mixed in with some crunchiness from celery, onions, and grapes, this is by far the most classic recipe to keep close by! Filled with fresh flavors and colors, you will get hints of dijon, juicy grapes, and some crisp with every bite.
Crock Pot Pork Shoulder
An easy dump-and-go meal that is full of flavor, cooked to perfection, and falls off the bone. Crockpot pork shoulder is flavored with barbeque sauce and spices and perfect for sandwiches, tacos, or to serve up at a picnic.
Easy Lunch Ideas for Kids
School Pizza
The perfect meal to take you back to your school days! School pizza is just like the pizza they used to serve up in the cafeteria. Cheesy, doughy, and easy to make, you can customize it with your favorite add-ins to switch it to a breakfast pizza or a more hearty dinner pizza.
Dragon Roll Sushi
A popular dish at a Japanese restaurant, dragon roll sushi is filled with shrimp tempura and cucumber! The avocado topping resembles a dragon’s scales which gives this dish its name. Plus you’ll find some great tips here to make these with ease at home.
Lunch Box Grilled Cheese
Go grab your cheese, bread, and butter because you’re about to make an ultimate grilled cheese sandwich. Follow the recipe and you’ll have a delicious sandwich that is crispy on the outside and filled with ooey-gooey cheese on the inside. You’ll even get a tip here on how to pack the sandwich so it doesn’t get soggy!
Chicken Avocado Roll Ups
Creamy and delicious, chicken avocado roll-ups are filled with either grilled or leftover chicken, avocado, bell pepper, and cheese. Ready in about 20 minutes, they make the perfect party appetizer!
Easy Meal Prep Lunch Recipes
BBQ Chicken Meatballs Meal Prep
An ideal option for those work potlucks, games, gatherings or holiday parties. BBQ chicken meatballs are tender, juicy, and covered with a sweet and tangy sauce. Pair them with some green beans, noodles, or rice for the perfect meal prep dishes.
Sweet and Sour Chicken Meal Prep
Crispy chicken, bell peppers, onions, and pineapple in a mouthwatering sweet and sour sauce! Ready in just 20 minutes, you’ll easily have lunches and dinners for the entire week.
Orange Chicken Meal Prep
Loaded with Chinese orange-flavored chicken, this might just be your new go-to meal prep meals. Pair the chicken with some veggies or rice to complete the meal.
Chicken Pad Thai Meal Prep
The easiest and most delicious way to enjoy pad that – chicken pad thai meal prep! Healthier and less expensive than the restaurant version, this dish is easy to make and saves you a ton of time during the week!
Beef Lo Mein Meal Prep
Ready in just 20 minutes, beef lo mein may just be the easiest and most flavorful meal prep meal you’ve made! If you have extra time, marinate the steak for up to 2 hours before mixing it with the lo mein noodles.
Other Quick and Easy Lunch Ideas for A Crowd
Steak Sandwich
Hearty and flavorful, this steak sandwich is loaded with tender steak, caramelized onions, greens, and mustard all served up nicely on lightly toasted bread. It’s the perfect option when you’re looking for a bit more casual lunch or dinner option.
BLT Pasta Salad
Refreshing and colorful, this BLT pasta salad is perfect for those family gatherings or BBQs. Ready and on your table in just 15 minutes your family and friends will be asking for it again and again.
Taco Bell Tacos
Who doesn’t love crispy tacos? Cook your beef up exactly like Taco Bell and use it for tacos, nachos, burritos and so much more. Be sure to top with some sour cream, lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes! Plus you may just love that this recipe is salt-free!
Cuban Sandwiches
Loaded with roast pork, salami, cheese, ham, pickles, and yellow mustard, this is a sandwich that will certainly satisfy all your cravings. Cuban sandwiches are a satisfying lunch option that is ready in just 20 minutes.
Healthy Steak Sandwich for Easy Lunch
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound sirloin steak
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 4 ounces arugula
- mustard
- 4 Ciabatta bread
- butter
Instructions
- Seasoning the steak generously with salt and pepper.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Once shimmering, adding the steak.
- Fry the first side for 2 minutes and then flip over.
- Fry the other side for 3 more minutes until the steak is nicely browned on the outside and still medium rare in the middle. Remove from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then cut it into thin slices.
- Turn the heat to medium and add the rest of the oil to the skillet.
- Add onions and cook for about 9-10 minutes or until golden and softened, stirring frequently. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Lightly butter the bread and toast until golden.
- Place the bottom half of the bread on a plate and top with arugula and caramelized onions.
- Add a layer of the thin steak slices, and spread mustard on top.
- Cover the sandwiches with the top half of the bread. Serve immediately or pack for lunch.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.