lunch meal prep

This Bagel Lunch Box is an easy and affordable grab and go breakfast or lunch idea, perfect for work or school.

The Bagel Lunch Box

cream cheese (0.60)

Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (0.06)

Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (0.04)

green onion, sliced (0.11)

garlic powder (0.01)

salt (0.01)

Tbsp lemon juice (0.02)

mini bagels (1.52)

eggs (0.92)

cucumber, sliced (1.29)

grape tomatoes (0.75)

To hard boil the eggs, place the eggs in a sauce pot and add water until the eggs are covered by one inch. Place the pot over high heat and allow the water to come up to a full boil. When it reaches a full boil, turn off the heat, place a lid on the pot, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool.

To make the scallion herb cream cheese, combine the cream cheese, parsley, cilantro, green onion, garlic powder, salt, and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir together until evenly combined.

Place one bagel in each lunch box along with ¼ of the cucumber slices, ¼ of the grape tomatoes, ¼ of the cream cheese (1 oz.), and one hard boiled egg. Refrigerate up to five days.

This easy Kale Chicken Caesar Wrap is a great no-cook, no-reheat lunch idea. A big deli-style wrap made at home for a LOT less money. 

Kale Chicken Caesar Wraps

lacinato kale (about 5 cups chopped) (1.50)

chickpeas (1.15)

carrots (0.24)

rotisserie chicken (2 cups chopped) (3.50)

Parmesan (0.41)

black pepper

creamy Caesar dressing (0.53)

tortillas (burrito size) (1.20)

Remove the stems from the kale leaves by running a sharp knife along each side of the stem from top to bottom. Stack the de-stemmed leaves, then cut crosswise into thin strips. Place the chopped kale into a colander and rinse well with cool water. Let as much water drain away as possible. Use a salad spinner of blot with a clean, lint-free towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Place the cleaned and dried kale into a large bowl.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Peel the carrots, then shred them using a large holed cheese grater. Remove the chicken meat from the carcass, then roughly chop into small pieces. Add the chickpeas, carrots, chopped chicken, and Parmesan to the bowl with the kale.

Add 1/4 cup Caesar dressing to the bowl, then stir until everything is evenly coated. Add one heaping cup of the salad mix to the center of a large tortilla. Add some freshly cracked pepper, if desired. Fold in the sides of the tortilla, then roll it up like a burrito. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to a day.

These easy pizza roll up lunch boxes are a great no-cook lunch idea for your work week. No reheating required for this lunch meal prep!

The Pizza Roll Up Lunch Box

tortillas (burrito size) (0.65)

basil pesto (0.55)

provolone cheese (1.19)

pepperoni (0.97)

spinach (0.32)

pizza sauce (0.43)

green bell peppers (1.53)

Spread 1 Tbsp pesto over the surface of each tortilla (it does not need to cover the entire surface. Lay two slices of provolone over one half of each tortilla, followed by about 9 pepperoni. Lastly, add one handful of fresh spinach to each tortilla.

Roll each tortilla up, trying to keep the roll as tight as possible. With the seams facing down, slice the rolls into one-inch sections. Place the sliced roll-ups in your meal prep container. Pack them closely together to keep them from coming unrolled.

Slice the green bell peppers into strips. Divide the bell pepper strips between the four containers.

Fill four small containers with 2 Tbsp pizza sauce each. Refrigerate your roll ups, bell peppers, and pizza sauce for up to five days.

This Cold Peanut Noodle Salad with homemade peanut lime dressing is the perfect meal prep for summer! No reheating necessary.

Cold Peanut Noodle Salad

peanut butter (0.21)

Tbsp brown sugar (0.04)

garlic, minced (0.08)

tsp grated fresh ginger (0.05)

lime, juiced (2 Tbsp juice) (0.69)

soy sauce (0.08)

neutral oil* (0.82)

whole wheat spaghetti (0.55)

red cabbage (1.12)

carrots (0.22)

cilantro (about 1/2 cup chopped) (0.75)

green onions (about 1/2 cup sliced) (0.45)

peanuts, chopped (0.24)

To make the peanut lime dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl or blender. Whisk or blend until smooth. Set the dressing aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the whole wheat spaghetti. Break the spaghetti in half to make it easier to stir into the salad ingredients later. Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti, and continue to boil until the pasta is tender. Drain in a colander and rinse it briefly with cold water to cool it off. Let the pasta drain well.

Meanwhile, shred the cabbage as finely as possible using either a knife or the shredding attachment of a food processor. Shred the carrots using a large-holed cheese grater. Roughly chop the cilantro and peanuts. Slice the green onion.

Combine the cooled and well drained pasta in a large bowl with the cabbage, carrots, cilantro, green onion, and peanuts. Toss the salad until the ingredients are evenly combined.

Serve the salad and peanut lime dressing immediately, or divide the undressed salad between four containers (about 2 cups each) and divide the dressing between four smaller containers (about 2 Tbsp or slightly more each). Refrigerate up to 4-5 days.

https://embed.mediavine.com/videos/ro1wcw0rfxlmtrarodeh

This Lemony Artichoke and Quinoa Salad is a light and refreshing summer salad that holds up well in the refrigerator and is perfect for meal prep!

Lemony Artichoke and Quinoa Salad

quinoa (1.20)

lemon (0.37)

olive oil (0.48)

garlic, minced (0.16)

salt (0.05)

pepper

artichoke hearts* (2.59)

red bell pepper (1.00)

parsley

15 chickpeas (0.49)

Rinse the quinoa well in a fine wire mesh sieve. Place the rinsed quinoa in a pot with 1.75 cups water. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat on to high, and allow the water to come to a boil. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes (lid on).

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the lemon garlic dressing. Zest the lemon, then squeeze the juice (you&#x27;ll need 1/4 to 1/3 cup juice). Add the lemon juice and 1 tsp of the zest to a bowl or jar along with the olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill). Whisk the ingredients together or close the jar and shake until they are combined. Set the dressing aside.

After the quinoa has cooked, spread it out into a casserole dish or other wide shallow dish and refrigerate uncovered for about 15 minutes to cool it down.

While the quinoa is cooling, prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. Drain the artichoke hearts and roughly chop them into smaller pieces. Finely dice the red bell pepper. Roughly chop the parsley. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Place the artichoke hearts, bell pepper, parsley, and chickpeas in a large bowl.

Once the quinoa has cooled, add it to the bowl with the other salad ingredients. Toss gently to combine, then drizzle the lemon garlic dressing over top. Gently toss again until everything is coated in dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 4-5 days.

https://embed.mediavine.com/videos/pqay5mejfiq5hrooincu

Chili Garlic Tofu Bowls are a fiber and flavor filled healthy lunch that you can pre-pack for your week ahead

Chili Garlic Tofu Bowls

kale (1.50)

Tbsp cooking oil (0.02)

garlic (0.16)

Tbsp soy sauce (0.09)

tsp toasted sesame oil (0.11)

Tbsp sesame seeds (0.08)

oz block firm tofu  2.00 (2.00)

Tbsp chili garlic sauce* (0.42)

brown rice (0.64)

lime (0.33)

cilantro (optional) (0.25)

Remove the tofu from its package and wrap it in a clean, lint-free kitchen towel or a few layers of paper towel. Place the wrapped tofu between two plates and place something heavy on top (like a pot full of water). Let the tofu press for at least 30 minutes.

While the tofu is pressing, prepare the kale. Remove the stems from the kale, then cut the leaves into one-inch wide strips. Rinse the leaves well in a colander with cool water. Let drain.

Mince the garlic and add it to large pot with one tablespoon cooking oil. Sauté over medium heat for about one minute. Add the washed kale and continue to stir and cook until the kale is wilted (about five minutes). Stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Set the kale aside.

Prepare the sauce for the tofu. In a small bowl, stir together the chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Once the tofu is finished pressing, cut it into small cubes or rectangles.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add one tablespoon of cooking oil. Tilt the skillet to make sure the surface is completely covered. Add the tofu pieces. Let them fry until golden brown on bottom, then flip and fry until golden brown on the other side. Continue until the pieces are golden brown on most sides. (The tofu will stick until it is browned, at which point it will loosen from the skillet, so don't try to move or flip the tofu pieces too early.)

Once the tofu is browned on most sides, turn off the heat, pour the prepared chili garlic sauce into the skillet, and stir to coat. The sauce will thicken slightly and absorb into the tofu.

To build the bowls, add one cup of cooked rice to each bowl along with 1/4 of the sesame kale and 1/4 of the chili garlic tofu pieces. Slice a lime into wedges and serve each bowl with one or two wedges and a few sprigs of fresh cilantro. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the bowl just before eating.

This fun spin on canned tuna is savory, sweet, and nutty. Sesame Tuna Salad is great on crackers, sliced cucumber, in lettuce wraps, or on salad greens.

Sesame Tuna Salad

soy sauce (0.04)

tsp toasted sesame oil (0.20)

tsp brown sugar (0.03)

tsp sesame seeds (0.02)

tuna

red bell pepper (0.50)

green onions (0.22)

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, brown sugar, and sesame seeds.

Drain the tuna well, then add it to a bowl. Dice the red bell pepper (I served the other half on the side with the tuna salad) and slice the green onions. Add the bell pepper and green onion to the bowl with the tuna.

Pour the prepared sesame dressing over the tuna and vegetables in the bowl. Carefully fold the ingredients together until everything is coated in dressing. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to eat.

This peanut butter lunch box is an easy no-cook lunch idea for school, work, picnics, or road trips! No reheating needed!

The Peanut Butter Lunch Box

peanut butter* (1.49)

60 mini pretzels (0.26)

apples (0.78)

Medjool dates (1.33)

celery

lemon juice (optional) (0.01)

Wash and slice the celery into sticks. Slice each apple in half, remove the core, then cut into slices. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the apple slices to slow browning, if desired.

Add 3 tablespoons of peanut butter to each container. Add about 15 pretzels to each container, along with ½ an apple, some celery sticks, and two dates. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate up to five days.

Greek Chicken Bowls make an epic dinner and an even better lunch! 

60+ Meal Prep Recipes for Lunch &amp; Dinner

Farro

water or stock

salt

boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts))

olive oil

lemon

lemon juice

garlic, grated

oregano

cherry tomatoes, halved

cucumber

kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

red onion, sliced

tzatziki sauce

feta cheese

Lemon wedges,

Fresh dill and parsley, for garnish, optional

garlic

yogurt

dill

Rinse and drain farro. Place farro in a pot with salt and enough water or stock to cover it. Bring it to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain off any excess water.

For the chicken: In a gallon size zip bag, combine chicken breasts, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Marinate for 4 hours or overnight.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add the chicken breasts into the skillet and cook for 7 minutes, flip, and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes until the internal temperature has reached 165. Discard marinade.

Remove chicken from pan and wait 5 minutes before slicing.

To assemble the Greek bowls; place a bed of farro at the bottom of your bowl or meal prep container. Top with sliced chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onion, tzatziki sauce, and feta cheese. Sprinkle some parsley and dill and serve with lemon wedges.

FOR THE BOWLS

Line a large bowl with a mesh strainer, place a paper towel into the strainer.

Use a cheese grater to grate the cucumber and garlic clove, transfer to the strainer to remove the excess moisture.

In a medium bowl combine the shredded cucumber, garlic, yogurt, salt, lemon juice, and dill. Stir to combine and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

TZATZIKI SAUCE

Thanks for all of the amazing meal prep recipes!

I’ve already printed (and made) several of these meal prep recipes. So far my favorite is the Korean chicken bowls ! I keep coming back for more. Thanks for this list!

These Protein Snack Packs are filled with hard-boiled eggs, almonds, hummus, and crunchy veggies. An easy and delicious Lunch Meal Prep Solution perfect for any protein lover, these fantastic little protein snack packs are perfect for school lunches, post-workout snacks, or picnics in the park.For these Protein Snack&nbsp;Packs, I use these Single Compartment Containers.

Protein Snack Pack - Lunch Meal Prep

hummus

mixed nuts

cheddar cheese

deli lunch meat

cherry tomatoes

sugar snap peas

eggs (hardboiled)

Fill five mini&nbsp;Plastic cups with lids with hummus and seal (each will have approximately 2 ounces). Fill five more&nbsp;Plastic cups with lids&nbsp;with your favorite type of nut or nut mix and secure with the lid. Set aside.

Divide remaining ingredients- cheddar cheese, lunch meat, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, English cucumber, and egg- among five&nbsp;Single Compartment Containers. Add one cup filled with hummus and one filled with nuts to each container. Seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

This simple chicken and vegetable meal prep is an easy way to prepare meals ahead to save time and money, plus it&#39;s customizable!

Chicken and Vegetable Meal Prep

Brussels sprouts (1.99)

1.25 lbs. sweet potato* (1.25)

Tbsp cooking oil, divided (0.12)

salt (0.02)

tsp pepper (0.02)

1.3 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (6.79)

tsp steak seasoning (0.20)

tsp smoked paprika (0.05)

tsp sweet paprika (0.05)

butter

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Rinse the Brussels sprouts and slice them in half. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle with 1 Tbsp oil, and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Wash the sweet potato then slice it in half lengthwise. Prick the outside surface with a fork. Rub 1 Tbsp oil over all surfaces of the sweet potato. Place the sweet potato, cut sides down, on the baking sheet with the Brussels sprouts.

Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, stir the Brussels sprouts, then return the baking sheet to the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts have reached your desired level of browning. If the sweet potato is not softened all the way through at this point, just remove the sprouts and return the sweet potato to the oven.

While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the chicken breast. Combine the steak seasoning, smoked paprika, and sweet paprika in a bowl. Coat the chicken breasts in the seasoning mixture.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the chicken breasts.

Cook the chicken breasts, without flipping, for about 8 minutes, or until well browned on the bottom. Flip the breasts and cook on the second side until well browned and cooked through (internal temperature 165ºF). Cooking time will vary with the thickness of the chicken.

Transfer the cooked chicken breast to a clean cutting board to rest for five minutes before slicing.

Cut the sweet potato halves in half once again to create four portions. Divide the sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and sliced chicken between four containers. Add a pat of butter to each piece of sweet potato. Refrigerate up to four days.

This healthy salad can be prepped in advance for a healthy lunch on-the-go.  It&#039;s gluten free and paleo.

Top 19 lunch meal prep recipes from across the web

The most viewed lunch meal prep recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

The Bagel Lunch Box

Kale Chicken Caesar Wraps

The Pizza Roll Up Lunch Box

Cold Peanut Noodle Salad

Lemony Artichoke and Quinoa Salad

Chili Garlic Tofu Bowls

Sesame Tuna Salad

The Peanut Butter Lunch Box

60+ Meal Prep Recipes for Lunch &am...

Protein Snack Pack - Lunch Meal Pre...

Chicken and Vegetable Meal Prep

Loaded Burger Bowl Salad In A Jar (...

Easy Weight Loss Meal Prep for Full...

Cajun Sausage and Vegetables

Lemon Dill Salmon and Kale Salad

Turkey Pinwheels

Cold Peanut Noodle Salad

Meal Prep Noodle Soup Jars

Goddess Curry Chicken Salad

Top 19 lunch meal prep recipes from across the web

The most viewed lunch meal prep recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

The Bagel Lunch Box

Kale Chicken Caesar Wraps

The Pizza Roll Up Lunch Box

Cold Peanut Noodle Salad

Lemony Artichoke and Quinoa Salad

Chili Garlic Tofu Bowls

Sesame Tuna Salad

The Peanut Butter Lunch Box

60+ Meal Prep Recipes for Lunch &am...

Protein Snack Pack - Lunch Meal Pre...

Chicken and Vegetable Meal Prep

Loaded Burger Bowl Salad In A Jar (...

Easy Weight Loss Meal Prep for Full...

Cajun Sausage and Vegetables

Lemon Dill Salmon and Kale Salad

Turkey Pinwheels

Cold Peanut Noodle Salad

Meal Prep Noodle Soup Jars

Goddess Curry Chicken Salad

The most viewed lunch meal prep recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine