We all know the struggle of trying to figure out what to eat for lunch, especially when you’re at work or at school. You don’t know what to pack for yourself because you don’t know what’ll still be good in a few hours, and you’re tired of spending money and buying your lunch every day.

That’s why preparing cold meals for lunch is an amazing idea! Packed lunches can be tasty, easy to make, and super quick!

They’re perfect for when the temperature starts to rise. They’re also super convenient because you don’t need a microwave to eat them, and they also keep well in the fridge.

Cold lunches are great for people who work outside the office, for students, or for anyone that just wants to have something quick to eat without needing to reheat it.

That’s why in this post, I’m giving you cold meal prep ideas for lunch! These will include lunch boxes, salads, sandwiches, and other easy cold lunch ideas you can prepare in, 10, 15 minutes (20 minutes will usually be the most you can need for some of these).

30 Cold Meal Prep Ideas For Lunch

Avocado Salad Lunch

426 calories

Ingredients:

• ½ Avocado, small – 116.5 calories

• ⅓ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta – 133 calories

• 2 cups Leafy greens, lettuce, raw – 10 calories

• 1 Tomato, medium – 22 calories

• 3 Tbsp Nuts (Tbsp units) – 141 calories

• 1 Tbsp Red wine vinegar (Tbsp) – 3 calories

• 1 Garlic salt, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Cube avocado and chop tomato.

2. Mix avocado, tomato, feta, lettuce, vinegar, and garlic salt for the salad.

3. Have nuts on the side – or you could mix them into the salad if you like!

4. Note: Add chocolate if you want to (track it!) – it’s not included in this recipe.

5. No nuts? Use seeds. Roasted & salted nuts/ seeds are fine! No dairy? Use extra nuts or crumbled bacon.

Chicken & Chickpea Burrito Bowls

518 calories

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories

• ½ cup Salsa – 32 calories

• 2 cups Leafy greens, lettuce, raw – 10 calories

• ½ cup Beans & legumes, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cooked – 134 calories

• ⅓ cup Cheese, shredded, cheddar – 152 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

• 1 tsp Red pepper flakes, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Spray a pan with an oil spray

2. Dice chicken, cook chicken for ~8 minutes, until cooked through

3. Mix all ingredients

4. No dairy? Use oil. No chicken? Use tofu or extra beans.

BLT Box

552 calories

Ingredients:

• 3 Lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps – 6 calories

• 6 Uncured bacon, slice – 264 calories

• 1 Tomato, medium – 22 calories

• ¼ cup Nuts – 200 calories

• ½ cup Blueberries, fresh – 35 calories

• ½ cup Strawberries, fresh – 25 calories

Instructions:

1. Fry bacon on stove top by cooking on low heat & turning every few minutes. Alternatively, you can cook bacon in the microwave or in the oven (~20 minutes at 400 degrees) if you prefer.

2. Slice tomato and layer in lettuce wraps with bacon.

3. Serve nuts and berries on the side.

4. No bacon? Use turkey or soy bacon

5. No nuts? Feel free to use any other nut/seed you prefer (roasted & salted are fine!)

Avocado Turkey Box

420 calories

Ingredients:

• 4 oz Deli slices, turkey – 120 calories

• ½ Avocado, small – 116.5 calories

• 1 Cucumber, small – 32 calories

• 1 cup Tomatoes, grape – 32 calories

• 1 Tbsp Olive oil (Tbsp) – 119 calories

• 1 Everything bagel seasoning, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Cut tomatoes in halves & slice cucumbers, cube avocado.

2. Mix tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado together with oil and seasoning to make a side salad.

3. Arrange ingredients in a container, or keep turkey in a separate container.

4. When ready to eat, add salad to turkey slices to make roll-ups if you like, or eat separately.

5. No turkey? Use tofurkey slices, or add tofu or beans to salad.

6. Note: If possible, choose turkey slices without nitrates.

Brussels Salad Box with 1/4 Cup Seeds

521 calories

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Brussels sprouts – 112 calories

• 1 Apple, small – 77 calories

• ¼ cup Sunflower seeds (cups) – 186 calories

• ⅓ cup Cheese, Parmesan, shaved (cups) – 111 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

• 2 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp) – 35 calories

Instructions:

1. Cut off Brussels’ hard ends & halve each one.

2. Spray pan with an oil spray.

3. Stir-fry Brussels for 10-15 minutes on medium-low heat.

4. Let cool in the refrigerator.

5. Chop apple.

6. Combine all ingredients.

7. Top with vinaigrette and seasonings.

8. No dairy? Use more seeds.

9. Note: I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings.

Chicken & Tzatziki Sauce with Rice

412 calories

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Tomatoes, grape – 32 calories

• 2 Tbsp Tzatziki sauce – 80 calories

• 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories

• ½ cup Rice, cooked – 110 calories

• 1 Garlic salt, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Cook rice as instructed on package.

2. Spray a pan with an oil spray.

3. Slice chicken into strips.

4. Cook chicken for ~10 minutes, until cooked through.

5. Combine all ingredients.

6. No chicken? Use tofu. No dairy? Add avocado or oil.

Cucumber Lunchables With Tuna

472 calories

Ingredients:

• 1 Tuna, canned (1 can) – 120 calories

• 1 Cucumber, medium – 42 calories

• 1 Tbsp Mayonnaise (Tbsp) – 97 calories

• 1 Serving of crackers, whole wheat, 110 calories per serving – 110 calories

• 1 Everything bagel seasoning, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Pear – 103 calories

Instructions:

1. Mix tuna, mayo, and everything bagel seasoning.

2. Slice cucumber.

3. Add tuna salad to cucumber slices and crackers.

4. Have pear on the side.

5. Cracker brands I like: AkMak, Triscuit.

Bell Pepper & Bagel Box

436 calories

Ingredients:

• ½ Bagel, regular, whole wheat – 155 calories

• 2 Egg, large – 144 calories

• 1 Bell pepper, red – 37 calories

• 1 Guacamole, single-serving packet – 100 calories

• 1 Everything bagel seasoning, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Hard boil eggs, top with everything bagel seasoning.

2. Slice bell peppers, dip into guac.

3. Gluten-free? Use gluten free bagel or bread.

Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps Box with Guac

361 calories

Ingredients:

• 4 oz Ground turkey, 85% lean, raw – 225 calories

• 1 cup Leafy greens, lettuce, raw – 5 calories

• ½ cup Carrots, baby – 22.5 calories

• 1 Guacamole, single-serving packet – 100 calories

• ½ cup Celery stalks, chopped in half – 8 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Pepper, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Spray a pan with an oil spray. Stir-fry ground turkey until no longer pink, on medium heat. Add in chopped baby carrots & celery, and seasonings, cook for another ~5 minutes.

2. Add to lettuce wraps.

3. No ground turkey? Use tofu.

Light Greek Salad

323 calories

Ingredients:

• 1 Tomato, medium – 22 calories

• 1 Cucumber, small – 32 calories

• 4.8 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 152 calories

• ¼ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta – 99.75 calories

• 1 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp) – 17.5 calories

• 1 Oregano, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Basil, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Dice chicken. Chop tomato & cucumber into small pieces. 

2. Spray a pan with an oil spray.

3. Cook chicken for ~8 minutes on medium heat, until cooked through. 

4. Mix ingredients together.

5. No dairy? Use avocado or oil. No chicken? Use tofu or tuna.

Kale, Chickpea And Olive Salad

334 calories

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Leafy greens, kale, raw – 45 calories

• ½ cup Beans & legumes, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cooked – 134 calories

• 1 oz Olives, whole – 50 calories

• ¼ cup Guacamole – 105 calories

• 1 Garlic salt, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced (Tbsp) – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Spray a pan with an oil spray, add in minced garlic

2. Stir-fry kale and garbanzo beans ~5 minutes on medium heat 

3. Add in olives and seasoning

4. Have guac on the side

Half Sammie Lunch

371 calories

Ingredients:

• 1 Bread, slice, whole wheat – 120 calories

• 4 oz Deli slices, turkey – 120 calories

• ⅛ cup Guacamole – 52.5 calories

• ½ oz Cheese, sliced, mozzarella, full fat/ regular – 40 calories

• ½ Bell pepper, green – 13.5 calories

• ½ Bell pepper, yellow – 25 calories

Instructions:

1. Slice bell peppers into thin strips to have on the side

2. Cut bread into triangles, make two mini sandwiches with cheese, guac, and turkey

3. No turkey? Use extra cheese. No dairy? Use extra guac or bacon. Gluten-free? Use gluten free bread.

Pesto Chicken Lettuce Wraps

357 calories

Ingredients:

• 4.8 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 152 calories

• 1 cup Tomatoes, grape – 32 calories

• 2 Lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps – 4 calories

• 1 Tbsp Pesto (Tbsp) – 60 calories

• 1 Apple, small – 77 calories

• 1 Cucumber, small – 32 calories

Instructions:

1. Slice chicken into small pieces.

2. Spray a pan with an oil spray. Stir-fry chicken for ~10 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. In a bowl, mix chicken, tomatoes, and pesto (alternatively, you can add the tomatoes and the pesto to the pan and heat briefly, if you’d prefer this meal to be hot)

4. Cut apple immediately before eating if possible, and store pesto chicken and lettuce leaves separately if possible

Mediterranean Box

449 calories

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Cheese, sliced, mozzarella, full fat/ regular – 80 calories

• ⅛ cup Nuts – 100 calories

• ¼ cup Guacamole – 105 calories

• 1 Chocolate, 100 calories – 100 calories

• 1 Cucumber, small – 32 calories

• 1 cup Tomatoes, grape – 32 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Pepper, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Basil, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Oregano, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Chop cucumber into small pieces and halve tomatoes. Mix with seasonings. Add in guac when you’re ready to eat.

2. Cut cheese into small squares if you’d like.

3. Notes: No dairy? Use extra guac. Any nut or seed, and roasted & salted, is fine.

Pineapple Barbecue Chicken Boxes

466 calories

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories

• 2 cups Cabbage, shredded – 44 calories

• 1 cup Pineapple, fresh chunks – 83 calories

• 2 Tbsp Barbeque sauce – 30 calories

• 1 Tbsp Olive oil (Tbsp) – 119 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Cube chicken.

2. Spray a pan with an oil spray.

3. Stir fry chicken for 8-10 minutes on medium heat, until chicken has cooked through.

4. Mix all ingredients.

5. No chicken? Use tofu.

Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps

350 calories

Ingredients:

• 3 Egg, large – 216 calories

• 4 tsp Mayonnaise (tsp) – 128 calories

• 3 Lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps – 6 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Pepper, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Hard boil eggs by bring a pot of water to boil (with eggs in the pot) and letting eggs boil for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and peel when cooled.

2. Chop eggs into small pieces.

3. Mix eggs with mayo, salt & pepper.

4. Add to lettuce wraps.

Egg Salad Sandwich

Another way to use an egg salad, is to make an egg salad sandwich.

It’s one of the best easy lunches you can bring with you.

Since it mos
tly consists of boiled eggs, it’s healthy and full of protein. When you’re meal prepping, you can prepare the salad in advance, and then before work or school, just put it in a sandwich, and you have an easy and healthy lunch that took you no more than 10 minutes to make if you prepped the salad.

Salad in a Jar with Sausage and Egg

433 calories

Everyone loves a mason jar salad recipe. So, here’s one of my favorites.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Leafy greens, spinach, raw – 14 calories

• 1 Bell pepper, red – 37 calories

• ⅓ cup Cheese, shredded, cheddar – 152 calories

• 1 Sausage, chicken – 140 calories

• 1 Egg, large – 72 calories

• 1 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp) – 17.5 calories

Instructions:

1. Hard boil egg & cut in halves.

2. Slice sausage into coin shapes.

3. Spray a pan with an oil spray.

4. Combine all ingredients in a salad jar.

5. Add dressing at the end (right before you eat).

6. Note: I personally like these brands of sausage – but choose whatever brand you have access to! Trader Joe’s; Fra’Mani; Teton; Open Nature; Aidells

Egg & Chicken Salad

432 calories

Ingredients:

• 1 Tomato, medium – 22 calories

• 2 cups Leafy greens, spinach, raw – 14 calories

• 1 Tbsp Relish – 15 calories

• 1 Egg, large – 72 calories

• 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories

• 1 Tbsp Olive oil (Tbsp) – 119 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Pepper, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Spray pan with an oil spray. Cube chicken. Chop tomato.

2. Hard boil egg. Once cooked, chop & mix with relish.

3. Cook chicken on medium heat for ~8 minutes, until cooked through.

4. Combine all ingredients.

5. No chicken? Use tofu, more eggs, or beans.

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

327 calories

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories

• ½ Avocado, small – 116.5 calories

• 2 Lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps – 4 calories

• 1 tsp Sesame seeds (tsp) – 6 calories

• 2 tsp Buffalo sauce – 10 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Spray a pan with an oil spray. Slice chicken into thin strips. 

2. Cook chicken for ~8 minutes on low heat, until cooked through.

3. Remove chicken from heat. Mix with store bought buffalo sauce.

4. Slice avocado.

5. Add all ingredients to lettuce wraps.

6. No chicken? Use fish, tofu, or beans. Don’t like buffalo sauce? Use a low calorie vinaigrette.

Rainbow Lunchbox with Peanut Butter

463 calories

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Cheese, sliced cheese, full fat/ regular – 110 calories

• 1 cup Carrots, baby – 45 calories

• 1 cup Celery stalks, chopped in half – 16 calories

• 1 cup Grapes, red – 104 calories

• 2 Tbsp Peanut butter (Tbsp) – 188 calories

Instructions:

1. Cut cheese into cubes.

2. Arrange ingredients in bento box or container.

3. Roasted & salted nuts are fine. No nuts? Use a seeds. No dairy? Use more nuts or seeds

BLT Pasta Salad

426 calories

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Pasta, cooked – 100 calories

• 1 cup Tomatoes, grape – 32 calories

• 2 cups Leafy greens, arugula, raw – 10 calories

• ½ Avocado, small – 116.5 calories

• 3 Uncured bacon, slice – 132 calories

• 2 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp) – 35 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta as instructed on package.

2. Slice bacon into small pieces. Cook in a pan on stovetop ~8 minutes on lowest heat.

3. Add vinaigrette and seasoning to mason jar.

4. Add arugula, pasta, tomatoes (sliced), avocado (cubed), and bacon.

5. Store in fridge and shake to distribute dressing before eating.

6. Alternatively: you can just add all ingredients in a bowl.

7. No bacon? Use turkey or soy bacon. No gluten? Use a gluten free pasta.

Tuna Pasta Salad

467 calories

Ingr
edients:

• ½ cup Tomatoes, grape – 16 calories

• 2 cups Leafy greens, lettuce, raw – 10 calories

• 1 oz Cheese, goat – 103 calories

• ½ cup Beans & legumes, “noodles” – 95 calories

• 1 Tuna, canned (1 can) – 120 calories

• ⅛ cup Almonds – 105 calories

• 1 Basil, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Oregano, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Pepper, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp) – 17.5 calories

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta (bean pasta e.g. Banza) as instructed on package. Let cool.

2. Mix all ingredients into a salad.

3. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, or avocado or an oil dressing instead of a light dressing.

4. Note: I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings.

Avocado, Bacon, and Chicken Salad

450 calories

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Mixed greens – 20 calories

• 2 Uncured bacon, slice – 88 calories

• ½ Avocado, small – 116.5 calories

• 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories

• 2 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp) – 35 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Cut bacon into small pieces with kitchen shears. Cube chicken and avocado.

2. Fry bacon and cook chicken on stove top by cooking on lowest heat for ~10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through.

3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

4. No bacon? Use turkey or soy bacon. No chicken? Use tofu or fish.

5. Note: I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings

Chicken Wrap

One of my favorite easy cold lunch ideas is chicken wrap. You can put anything you want in it, make it completely your own, and have it ready in 20 minutes max. All you need to do it cook the chicken, and assemble the wrap with your favorite toppings – and you have a healthy lunch that doesn’t need to be reheated before eating.

Tuna Wrap

Same goes for a tuna wrap, except this one is even quicker, since you don’t need to cook anything. You can either make a tuna salad and put it in a wrap, or you can just put some tuna along with your favorite salads/condiments in a wrap and be done.

Fish Taco Lunch

486 calories

Ingredients:

• ½ oz Tortilla chips – 61.5 calories

• 2 slice Lime, slice – 0 calories

• 2 cups Cabbage, shredded – 44 calories

• 1 Tbsp Cilantro – 0 calories

• 1 Fish sticks – 220 calories

• 4 Tbsp Tzatziki sauce – 160 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Cook fish sticks as instructed on package.

2. Once cooked, cut into bite-sized pieces, and combine with cabbage and cilantro.

3. Top with lime juice, salt, and tzatziki.

4. Serve tortilla chips on the side.

5. No dairy? Use a vinaigrette.

Chicken Salad Pita

Another great idea for easy lunches you can bring with you to work or school is a chicken salad pita. It’s a healthy lunch, a part of it is suitable for meal prepping, so it deserves a spot in this list of the best easy cold lunch ideas. Check out the recipe here.

Penne Pesto Primavera

Pesto sauce is one of the sauces that is good cold as well as warm, so this Penne Pesto Primavera recipe is a great option for your packed lunches.

Halloumi Wraps
We already mentioned chicken wraps and tuna wraps, so here is a wrap idea suitable for vegetarians! This healthy lunch will soon become one of your favorite easy cold lunch ideas.