Now that the kids are back in school and we are busier than ever, trying to figure out what to make for lunch seems to have fallen by the wayside. My husband and I are both salaried employees so actually setting aside time to sit down and have lunch can be tough sometimes. Regardless of that, I feel like lunch is the most overlooked meal of the day. Breakfast is by far my favorite meal and we always make sure to start off our day with something balanced and mostly nutritious. We also prioritize eating dinner together as a family every night so lunch is often forgotten. I need things that are quick and easy to grab with little to no prep time so I’ve put together six of my favorite no cook lunch ideas to pack for work or school.
Usually when I take a lunch break from work, I only have a few minutes to eat before trying to get some chores done around the house. Some days I have meetings that go right up until lunch time so that doesn’t leave me much time for prep and wait for things to cook and be able to also eat my food. I’m sure quite a few of you can relate to that as well. I remember back when I worked in an office I would spend at least 10 minutes of my 30 minute lunch break waiting for a microwave to be open to heat up my food and then waiting for it to cook. That’s when I started trying to brainstorm no cook lunch ideas so I could hold on to more of my precious time.
If I have to spend time prepping food, I’m more likely to just skip lunch all together or go for a convenience food like a protein shake or bar. While that isn’t always terrible, it isn’t the best or most nutritious option either. All of these lunches can be prepped ahead of time for convenience.
1. Grown Up Lunchables
Who else used to beg for Lunchables as a kid? I recently saw a meme that said something about this is where millennials obsession with charcuterie boards began and that couldn’t be more true. When I’m short on time and need something easy and nutritious, I throw together some deli meat, cheese, crackers and cut up veggies and call it good. I like to throw in a piece of chocolate or something fun in there as well.
2. Open Faced Egg Salad
I don’t care if it’s poor office etiquette to bring egg salad for lunch. It’s nutritious and delicious and I am here for it! I feel like eating it open faced is much easier so if taking to work you can pack your bread separately so it doesn’t get soggy and toss in a pickle or some raw veggies as well if you like.
3. Protein Roll Ups
Similar to the adult Lunchables but a little more involved, sometimes I like to make roll ups with lunch meat, cheese, mustard and maybe some lettuce, pepperoncinis, marinated bell peppers and onions. I throw in some crunchy raw veggies and crackers, pretzels or even mini rice cakes for something else to snack on.
4. Chicken Salad and Crackers
I love chicken salad. It’s an easy thing to bulk prep and there are so many different spins you can put on it. I like to make mine with shredded chicken, greek yogurt and a small amount of mayo, celery, grapes and almonds. It’s so yummy on crackers or just by itself. Since the chicken salad already has some veggies, I will eat this with a sliced apple and nut butter and maybe a side of carrots.
5. Garden Salad with Chicken
I know I said that these were no cook lunch ideas but this is the only option that requires any sort of heating whatsoever. I love the Just Bare brand chicken and usually buy the nuggets from Costco. They have great macros and they are far superior to any fast food chicken nuggets if you ask me. They come frozen so if prepping for work, you can bring the frozen nuggets to work along with your dry salad and dressing or you can heat up in the morning and then add to the salad once you are ready to eat. If bringing them frozen to work, they should be defrosted by the time you at and all you will need to do is warm them in the microwave for about 30 seconds. For the salad itself you can add any fixings that you like and I love to top with the Bolthouse yogurt based dressings that you find in the cold section of your grocery store’s produce department. They are all pretty low calorie and taste great.
6. Mediterranean Snack Plate
I am a huge fan of Mediterranean food. Another quick and easy no cook lunch idea is to serve grilled chicken with chopped cucumber, white onion and tomato mixed in olive oil and mix it together with hummus and serve with a pita. I like to buy the chicken skewers from Costco for this but you could also just grill up chicken breasts or thighs. One of our favorite local restaurants, Zankou Chicken, serves plates like this and it’s so good! I like to buy their hummus but you can use whatever brand you prefer. You will need to cook the chicken obviously, but you can bulk prep for the week. It tastes great cold or warmed up but it’s all personal preference.
For more on how we plan our meals in my house be sure to check out this post. There are some days when I will just have a Fairlife protein shake with some coffee but I’m really trying to be better about eating a real lunch because it makes me feel so much better and have more energy for my workouts. But I hope this inspired you to step outside of your comfort zone and try some new no cook lunches.
-stay boujee!
