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50 Packable Lunch Ideas

March 15, 2021 by Lindsay 50 Comments

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Here are 50 packable lunch ideas that are quick, easy and healthy! Perfect for kids and adults if you’re tired of packing the same thing every day!

Here are 50 packable lunch ideas that are quick, easy and healthy! Perfect for kids and adults if you're tired of packing the same thing every day!

*Originally published Sept 2012*

Hi Friends!

Let’s chat about packable lunch ideas. Whether you’re looking for packed lunch ideas for adults or kids, lunch ideas for work, cold lunch ideas or healthy lunch sides, this post has you covered! I don’t follow strict lunch packing rules, but I do always try to include:

-Fresh fruit
-A whole grain
-A protein source
-At least some vegetables

I think a lot of people feel like they have to make their packed lunch with one big dish and some sides. I rarely do this. I generally pack 3-4 healthy lunch sides so I can enjoy a little bit of a lot of things. More fun to eat that way!

If you need more packable lunch ideas for kids, I have a whole guide! Find it here: A Month of Packed Lunch Ideas for Kids.

Packable Lunch Ideas

Another benefit to packing my lunch for me personally is eating more vegetables. When I have the whole fridge and pantry to choose from, I typically avoided veggies and chose other things. Now that I have to eat whatever I bring with me, I just make sure to include veggies in my packable lunch ideas for the week and then I eat them! Simple as that!

Here are 50 packable lunch ideas to inspire you to pack some fun new lunches! Within the list, ‘ve included links to recipes from the blog if I have them but those are by no means the only recipes you should try! Check out the general ideas and then do your own searches for those types of recipes that fit your taste preferences!

Healthy Lunch Ideas for Work

collage of six packable lunch ideas

Protein-Packed Salads
Strawberry Chicken Spinach Power Salad
Steak Cobb Salad
Crunchy Kale Salad with Couscous

Hummus with Dippers
Greek Hummus Topping

Tuna/Chicken/Chickpea Salad and Crackers
Curried Tuna Salad with Apples

Meatballs
Thai Chicken Meatballs
Apple Cheddar Turkey Meatballs
Paleo Turkey Sweet Potato Meatballs
Carrot Pineapple Turkey Meatballs

Burgers
Avocado Chicken Burgers
Thai Peanut Salmon Burgers

Muffins or Bars
Lentil Banana Muffins
Carrot Applesauce Muffins
Banana Carrot Muffins
Sweet Potato White Bean Bars

Soup
White Chicken Chili
Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chicken Soup
Sweet Potato Chicken Chili

Roasted Chickpeas
How To Roast Chickpeas 
Roasted Chickpea Snack Mix

six packable lunch ideas for kids and adults

Pasta Salad
Maple Mustard Roasted Veggie Pasta Salad
Broccoli Pesto Pasta Salad

Frozen Smoothie (freeze in mason jar to thaw in lunchbox)
Silken Tofu Berry Smoothie
Kid-Friendly Smoothie Recipes

Pancakes/Waffles with Nut Butter or Yogurt
Green Smoothie Pancakes
Banana Flax Waffles
Sweet Potato Waffles

Wraps or Sandwiches
Egg Wraps
5 Ways To Make Sandwiches More Fun
Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas

Loaded Sweet Potato
Pulled Pork Loaded Sweet Potatoes
Top a baked sweet potato with leftover taco filling or chili

Protein or Granola Bars
No Bake Protein Bars
Healthy Store-Bought Granola Bars for Kids

Mac & Cheese
Stovetop Mac & Cheese w/ Sausage & Peas

Healthy Bars/Cookies
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Yogurt Bars
Sweet Potato Protein Cookies

Popcorn
Sweet & Spicy Popcorn Snack Mix 
Healthy Microwave Popcorn

Pudding
Chocolate Avocado Pudding 
Peanut Butter Banana Chia Pudding

Vegetables
Easy Spinach Balls
Maple Bacon Roasted Carrots

healthy lunch ideas for work

Tacos
Turkey Walnut Taco Meat
Ultimate Hot Taco Layer Dip
Curried Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

Noodles (Good Warm or Cold)
Instant Pot Asian Peanut Noodles
Chicken Pad Thai
Sweet & Spicy Shrimp With Soba Noodles

Seafood Cakes
Tuna Quinoa Cakes

Lettuce Wraps
Asian Lettuce Wraps

Egg Cups/Baked Eggs
Paleo Breakfast Casserole 
Egg Waffles

Energy Balls
Lemon Energy Balls
Mint Chocolate Energy Balls
12 Kid-Friendly Energy Balls

Roll-ups
Baked Ranch Chicken Taquitos

More Simple Ideas
Fruit + Greek yogurt
Overnight oats
Hard-boiled or deviled eggs
Raw veggie sticks
Homemade trail mix
Apples or celery + peanut butter
Peanut butter + crackers
String cheese
Spiced roasted nuts
Cottage cheese + Tomatoes
Chips + Guac or Salsa
Leftovers
Sushi
Jerky
Homemade ramen noodles
Spring rolls
Burrito bowl
Fruit or Veggie chips
Sweet potato + Almond butter
Steamed edamame

Here are 50 packable lunch ideas that are quick, easy and healthy! Perfect for kids and adults if you're tired of packing the same thing every day!

Do you pack your lunch?
I’d love to hear your favorite packable lunch ideas!

Happy Packing!

–Lindsay–

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Filed Under: Lunch, Food Prep, Ingredient Round-Ups

About Lindsay

Lindsay Livingston is a Registered Dietitian and new mom from Columbus, Ohio. On her blog, she shares simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, workouts and snapshots of her life. Follow her on Twitter @LeanGrnBeanBlog and Instagram @TheLeanGreenBean and be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you never miss a post!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Charissa says

    September 4, 2012 at 12:05 AM

    Pinning this!

    Reply
  2. Christy says

    September 4, 2012 at 12:11 AM

    This is awesome. Are you reading my mind? I was literally just thinking when I start working again what a task it will be to come up with lunches!

    Reply
  3. Katie @ Talk Less, Say More says

    September 4, 2012 at 12:12 AM

    I always pack my lunch! Part because my body requires “real” foods or I feel sick almost immediately; part because it’s healthier overall; and part because it’s a lot nicer on my wallet. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Christine @ Love, Life, Surf says

    September 4, 2012 at 12:23 AM

    Totally pinning this too! I love seeing your pictures of your lunch. They are always so varied and interesting. And love the idea behind the Saucony app. The rising rates of childhood obesity are scary. I think that the stat that got to me the most was hearing that this generation may be the first with a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

    Reply
  5. Chelsie @ Balance, Not Scale says

    September 4, 2012 at 12:44 AM

    Your lunch pictures are all so colourful!! Love it!
    I always pack my lunch — I enjoy the food much better and I’m way too frugal to use the cafeteria ($1 to make my lunch vs. $6 minimum for lunch there — I’ll choose homemade every time!!).
    My favourite lunch to pack is either tuna or tillapia with a mix of steamed red cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and a bit of sweet potato. With a tonne of snacks, of course — homemade trail mix is my current favourite.

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

    Reply
  6. Chelsie @ Balance, Not Scale says

    September 4, 2012 at 12:49 AM

    Your lunch pictures are all so colourful! Love them and the ideas to boot (going to have to try apple rings ASAP!). I always bring my lunch — I enjoy the food so much more and I’m frugal (so $1 for home lunch vs. $6+ in the cafeteria … no contest there!)
    My current favourite lunch is tuna/tillapia with a mix of steamed red cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potato. And obviously tonnes of snacks — homemade trail mix is my current favourite! 🙂

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

    Reply
  7. Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says

    September 4, 2012 at 1:00 AM

    Childhood obesity is something I’ve become more and more aware of. I love this app – such an easy way to help the cause to fight the epidemic!

    These are some awesome ideas. I do a lot of these already, and prepping balanced meals in advance has become a must on my 7 meal a day plan! The Salmon Cakes I posted today have become a lunch staple for me (in addition to many of the ideas you listed!)

    Reply
  8. JulieGoesHealthy says

    September 4, 2012 at 1:23 AM

    I only ever bring lunch! Right now I make an egg white or tuna wrap on Flatout with veggies. Or I use nori wrappers to make “sushi” without the rice or with quinoa instead.

    Reply
  9. @pluvk says

    September 4, 2012 at 1:33 AM

    These are such great ideas, thank you! I wish I could say I pack my lunch. I do, actually, but I almost ALWAYS decide that I don’t want what I packed and end up buying something. How do you avoid that?

    Reply
  10. Fancy Nancy says

    September 4, 2012 at 5:38 AM

    Great ideas!! Pinned away!!

    Reply
  11. Miz says

    September 4, 2012 at 6:01 AM

    oh GIRL I NEEEEEED this right now.

    thank you.

    Reply
  12. Angela @ Happy Fit Mama says

    September 4, 2012 at 6:47 AM

    Pinning away! Always looking for packable lunch ideas.

    Reply
  13. Kierston says

    September 4, 2012 at 6:48 AM

    What a list! That is awesome! Protein and Peppers are my must-haves 🙂

    Reply
  14. Gina (The Candid RD) says

    September 4, 2012 at 7:02 AM

    I pack two lunches each day, mine and Nick’s. These are some WONDERFUL ideas! Nick always gets a PB&J and some type of granola bar, a fruit, and a vegetable. My lunch contains yogurt, my homemade granola, and a few other random things like lentil chips. I’ve also been enjoying your Greek yogurt bars for lunches on my days off. SO DELICIOUS!

    Reply
  15. Linz @ Itz Linz says

    September 4, 2012 at 7:13 AM

    YES! Packing your lunch doesn’t have to be boring!! My go-to lately has been a HUGE rainbow salad (tons of veggies!) with some type of protein source (this week itz tuna and pinto beans). Today I’m also packing cucumber slices with a laughing cow wedge. I’m the same way as you – I eat way more veggies when I bring my lunch!

    Reply
  16. Danielle @ Clean Food Creative Fitness says

    September 4, 2012 at 7:14 AM

    Love this list! Such a great resource! Pinning now!

    Reply
  17. Heavyontheveggie says

    September 4, 2012 at 7:14 AM

    Umm Saucony this is awesome!
    Just got new Saucony running shoes as well – never had them for running before and I love them!

    Reply
  18. Katie @wishandwhimsy says

    September 4, 2012 at 8:50 AM

    I always pack my lunch, saves on money, saves on calories and helps me control what I eat. There’s no better way to know what your eating than to prep it yourself!

    Reply
  19. Lisa @ RunWiki says

    September 4, 2012 at 8:58 AM

    I love this post… seriously I was just wondering wat to pack in my kids lunches and poof! there you were. 🙂

    Reply
  20. Tosha @ Twenty-Five Plus says

    September 4, 2012 at 9:08 AM

    I love these ideas – thanks for posting them!! Packing my lunch always makes me feel 10X better than when I end up eating out, and having a variety of ideas to go to helps break up the monotony.

    Reply
  21. Allie says

    September 4, 2012 at 9:48 AM

    Ooo, love this! Friend and I were JUST discussing coming up with lunch ideas, going to go share this 🙂

    Reply
  22. Lora @ Crazy Running Girl says

    September 4, 2012 at 10:04 AM

    Cool app! I pack my lunch most days, mostly because it’s healthier and I hate spending money on lunch when I know I have ingredients at home. I’ve learned that in NYC, this is definitely against the grain and not normal (many people think I’m crazy for bringing my own). Most times, my lunch is just leftovers from the night before.

    Reply
  23. Amanda @ Run Principessa says

    September 4, 2012 at 11:25 AM

    You always have a knack with knowing EXACTLY what I need all the time. Definitely pinning this one.

    Reply
  24. lindsay says

    September 4, 2012 at 11:55 AM

    kids are snackers, so even a lunch of just fresh snacks is better than the “packaged” food. I love the apple rings and pb idea. and the salad in a jar is fun! easy clean up too.

    Reply
  25. Amanda @ Romancing the Unusual says

    September 4, 2012 at 11:55 AM

    Love these ideas for lunch! I always struggle with packed lunch so I end up eating the same thing almost everyday! I need to spice things up a bit!

    Reply
  26. Parita @ myinnershakti says

    September 4, 2012 at 11:59 AM

    Love this list! Vishnu and I bring lunches from home during the week and sometimes it’s easy to get in to a rut. This list definitely sparked some new ideas! Thanks!

    Reply
  27. Bethany @ Accidental Intentions says

    September 4, 2012 at 1:08 PM

    Oh my gosh, this is FANTASTIC. I pack my lunch every day, and lately I’ve found myself in a bit of a rut. I think I’m going to try to work my way through this list to keep things interesting over the next 10 weeks. Thank you!!

    Reply
  28. Andrea @ Vegvacious says

    September 4, 2012 at 1:34 PM

    Eating out Monday to Friday can definitely be expensive and hard on the waistline. I aim to bring a lunch 4 days a week and leave one day for lunching with friends or grabbing a slice of pizza/a bowl of froyo.

    I definitely love it when I have extra leftovers so I can pack something easy for lunch. My other go-to items are salads, homemade veggie burgers that I make in bulk and freeze or chickpea salad sandwiches.

    Reply
  29. Natalie @ FreshLifeFindings says

    September 4, 2012 at 2:54 PM

    Love that Saucony is doing this! Definitely going to download the app and see how I can get involved 🙂 Thanks for sharing your on the go recipes! I usually pack a healthy lunch and snack for work so that I can save money and not be tempted to eat unhealthy foods 🙂

    Reply
  30. Brittany @ Delights and Delectables says

    September 4, 2012 at 3:57 PM

    I usually come home for lunch, but I am about to have to start packing it! Thanks for making it easy on me! 😉

    Reply
  31. Liz @ IHeartVegetables says

    September 4, 2012 at 4:46 PM

    Lindsay these are fantastic ideas!!!! Oh my gosh. So many things I could take with me to work! I love it!

    Reply
  32. Katie Cummings says

    September 4, 2012 at 5:03 PM

    Is this an iphone only app?

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      September 4, 2012 at 7:28 PM

      i’m not sure!

      Reply
  33. Andrea says

    September 4, 2012 at 5:43 PM

    Love this!! I swear I am the only one who packs my lunch at the entire hospital! I don’t think I could handle multiple days in a row of eating out! Packed lunches all the way!

    Reply
  34. Kaylie says

    September 4, 2012 at 7:22 PM

    Thank you thank you thank you! I just started a new semester of college, so I am out and about most of the day! I am so thrilled to have ideas for my packed lunches!

    Reply
  35. Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef says

    September 4, 2012 at 7:25 PM

    lots of great ideas here! i tend to pack snacky lunches (cheese & crackers, tuna & crackers etc.) or big grain-based salads….always a veggie, fruit, & yogurt for sides too!

    Reply
  36. Avery @ Texas Teen Keeps Lean says

    September 4, 2012 at 11:40 PM

    What great ideas! I’ll definitely be putting these to use, thanks!

    Reply
  37. Allison @ Ultima Replenisher says

    September 5, 2012 at 3:42 AM

    Great post, Lindsay! The statistics for childhood obesity are truly frightening. I’ll definitely be downloading the Saucony app. Love these healthy, packable lunches. Ever notice that healthy food tends to be so photogenic with all its natural color?!

    Reply
  38. Ashley @ Freckles & Spice says

    September 5, 2012 at 2:19 PM

    love the salads in a jar! I was definitely living on those when I was working like 7 days a week back in june/july. My hospital friends asked me to do a post like this for some healthy/ unrefrigerated lunch ideas.

    Reply
  39. Carissa says

    September 5, 2012 at 10:39 PM

    Great post! I typically pack like that although I eat all my snacks abut 2 hours a part. I like to have my bigger lunch at home when I can enjoy it.

    Reply
  40. GiGi Eats Celebrities says

    January 12, 2013 at 7:02 PM

    I am loving the salad in a jar idea! 🙂 So easy to store… I am not sure why people buy those “lunch boxes”… They always leak – JARS were MADE TO NOT LEAK! Perfection! LOL

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 14, 2013 at 9:12 PM

      exactly!!!! plus they’re fun to look at 🙂

      Reply
  41. Gretchen@lunch ideas for kids says

    October 27, 2013 at 6:15 AM

    It’s really an adorable article. I am loving all of your above ideas and I truly like above most of the foods as my lunch item.It’s really more healthy then other foods. I will try to having all the above food as my daily lunch item.

    Reply
  42. Julieane Hernandez says

    September 26, 2014 at 12:56 AM

    Awesome tips! I’ll always try to remember that FAAL acronym for fresh foods, a whole grain, a protein source and lots of vegetables.

    Reply
  43. Corina says

    June 24, 2016 at 9:34 AM

    Lovely ideas and I have to agree that I also eat more veggies when I have a packed lunch than I do when I’m at home. I think at home I go to the fridge when I’m hungry and don’t feel like just eating veggies but if I’ve packed them up earlier in the day I happily eat them and they do fill me up.

    Reply
  44. dixya @food, pleasure, and health says

    June 24, 2016 at 11:02 PM

    definitely pinning this 🙂

    Reply
  45. Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says

    June 26, 2016 at 6:26 PM

    Such a great resource!! I don’t mind the whole lunch packing thing, but sometimes I find myself making the same things over and over and over so this is a great reference for some inspiration!

    Reply
  46. Karen says

    June 26, 2016 at 6:59 PM

    Great ideas, and a great round up!

    Reply
  47. Scoopify says

    March 29, 2017 at 1:44 AM

    These look delicious and lovely! I’m about to start my first year of teaching, and I’ve been fretting over preparing healthy lunches and thinking about food prep for each week. This will definitely make that task much easier for me. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  48. Maria says

    July 19, 2020 at 6:20 AM

    These lunch ideas are amazing. We all need some inspiration for packing meals for work.

    Reply

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I'm a Registered Dietitian and mom of three from Columbus, Ohio. I use this blog to share simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, and an honest glimpse of motherhood!

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