I don’t have kids and I’m lucky to work from my kitchen, with easy access to make whatever lunch I’m craving, but I know that for a lot of you, it’s not that simple. You need easy lunch ideas to send with your kids to school or to pack for your own lunch. It often needs to be something that requires little prep time and doesn’t need to be warmed up before eating.
Lunch can feel like such a rushed meal between classes or at your desk, but you can take a bit of the rush out of the equation with a little bit of planning and some good ingredients.
Here are three easy lunch ideas that I would make for work or school.
Homemade Lunchable
If you want to fancy this up, just call it charcuterie – lol. I loved having lunchables in school because it was fun to build my own little meal. For kids, this can look like a bento box with some mozzarella or cheddar slices, rolled up deli meat, crackers, a mandarin orange, some cucumber slices and grapes. For adults enjoying lunch at their desk, switch up the cheese for something a little more unique, slice up your favourite salami, add pretzel chips, olives and a bit of hummus.
I love that this lunch is light and so easy to prep, especially since there is no cooking involved!
Lemony Pasta Salad
I love a good pasta salad to fill me up at lunch. Pasta salads are a go-to for me when I have a busy work day, and I love that I can make a big batch and have it for a few days. I like to make rotini pasta with salt, olive oil, lots of lemon juice and zest, garlic, cucumbers, feta cheese and red pepper flakes. I’ll make enough for lunches for the week at once and just keep refrigerated!
Classic & Elevated Sandwiches
Who doesn’t love a sandwich for lunch? For kids, you can always opt for their tried and true favourite sandwich, whether it’s PB&J, tuna salad or ham & cheese. For adults, elevate your sandwich by choosing a bagel instead of bread, add some sprouts, a creamy ingredient, like avocado or cream cheese, some veggies and meat. If you need some inspo, check out this post.
What are your favourite, easy meals for lunch? I can’t forget my fave Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl! It’s my go-to lunch at least three days a week!