20 Easy Packed Lunch Ideas to Try When You're Tired of PB&J

Chicken and Fontina Panini
Photo: Greg Dupree; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Lunch can be a difficult task to tackle during the week. Meal prepping is a great tool, but it doesn't always pan out if your Sunday schedule fills up. It's also easy to get in the habit of eating lunch out with coworkers, which can rack up the calories (and the bills). With these packed lunch ideas, mealtime is no longer a worry.

Step outside of the (lunch) box with these creative lunch recipes. These brown bag lunch recipes are healthy, easy to make, and portable. It can be hard to eat light and fill up, but these recipes have plenty of protein to keep you full (without feeling like you need an afternoon nap after eating). Whether you crave soups you can heat up at the office, easy salads you can put together in a flash, or all-in-one bowl recipes, let these lunch ideas be your healthy guide. Leave that sad turkey sandwich and bag of salad behind—these recipes will upgrade your midday needs.

01 of 20

Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich

Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich

Sneak in healthy apples and protein-packed cheese for a turkey sandwich that's anything but boring.

02 of 20

Soba Noodle-and-Shrimp Bowls

Soba Noodle-and-Shrimp Bowls
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Soba Noodle-and-Shrimp Bowls

These noodle bowls have tons of Asian flavor without tons of calories. They're served chilled or at room temperature, so they're perfect for work.

03 of 20

Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches

Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches

Buttery biscuits, creamy white barbecue sauce, and slow-cooked chicken make this recipe a weekday warrior for kids and adults alike.

04 of 20

Smoky White Bean Soup

Herbed Shrimp-and-Rice Salad Recipe
Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton;

Recipe: Smoky White Bean Soup

This comforting, healthy soup recipe is also a one-pot dish that's ready in 25 minutes, so there's nothing negative about this recipe.

05 of 20

Ham Salad

Cheese Puffs with Ham Salad
Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Ham Salad

Served over a bed of greens, on a buttery croissant, or with crackers, ham salad is a Southern dish made for lunchtime.

06 of 20

Burrito Bowls

Burrito Bowls Recipe
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Burrito Bowls

Customize your toppings for these healthy burrito bowls and never get bored with lunch again.

07 of 20

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Egg Salad Sandwiches
Jen Causey

Recipe: Egg Salad Sandwiches

This classic spread will never go out of style. Make a batch, and send it to the cafeteria.

08 of 20

Chicken Salad With Grapes and Pecans

Chicken Salad With Grapes and Pecans on a plate with leaf lettuce and crackers
Will Dickey

Recipe: Chicken Salad With Grapes and Pecans

Turn classic chicken salad into a fancier lunch option with the addition of juicy grapes and nutty pecans. While this chicken salad is obviously great on croissants or bread, we also like to serve it atop a bed of lettuce for a more refined afternoon meal.

09 of 20

Blackberry-Oat Crumble Bars

Blackberry-Oat Crumble Bars
Photo: Helen Norman; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Recipe: Blackberry-Oat Crumble Bars

These ooey-gooey treats taste like a twist between blackberry cobbler and a bar cookie—which means...heaven?

10 of 20

Hearty Beef and Freezer Veggie Soup

Hearty Beef and Freezer Veggie Soup
Greg DuPree

Recipe: Hearty Beef and Freezer Veggie Soup

For a cozy meal, there's nothing quite like a warm bowl of beef soup, but it takes hours to simmer or slow cook to perfection. Not so with this recipe! It's the most delicious shortcut we've ever found.

11 of 20

Cuban Black Bean-and-Yellow Rice Bowls

Cuban Black Bean-and-Yellow Rice Bowls
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Cuban Black Bean-and-Yellow Rice Bowls

These colorful, meatless bowls are packed with filling, good-for-you ingredients. You'll have the most flavorful lunchbox in the work refrigerator.

12 of 20

Garlic Shrimp and Herbed Couscous Salad

Garlic Shrimp and Herbed Couscous Salad
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Garlic Shrimp and Herbed Couscous Salad

You'll add this light, bright recipe to your weekly roundup. Serve it alone or over a bed of lightly dressed salad greens.

13 of 20

Greek Meatballs with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce and Rice

Greek Meatballs with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce and Rice
Greg DuPree

Recipe: Greek Meatballs with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce and Rice

Serve the meatballs over rice or make meatball pitas with cucumber-yogurt sauce for two healthy, Mediterranean lunch options.

14 of 20

Vidalia Onion Soup

Vidalia Onion Soup

Recipe: Vidalia Onion Soup

Instead of going out for lunch, make this quick, savory soup. Don't forget a piece of crusty bread for dipping!

15 of 20

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Mini Quiches

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Mini Quiches
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Asparagus and Goat Cheese Mini Quiches

Make these quiches up to two days ahead and have them ready to go in the refrigerator. They're served at room temperature, so no office microwave required, and individual servings make portion control easy.

16 of 20

Classic Southern BLT

Southern BLT
Monica Farber/Southern Living

Recipe: Classic Southern BLT

You can never go wrong with the classics, and this sandwich is supremely easy to toss together.

17 of 20

Gulf Crab Cakes with Lemon Butter

Gulf Crab Cakes with Lemon Butter
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Gulf Crab Cakes with Lemon Butter

Make these crab cakes for dinner and take the leftovers to work the next day with a side green salad for a fancy midweek treat.

18 of 20

No-Bake Granola Bars

No-Bake Granola Bars
Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: No-Bake Granola Bars

When you're in a pinch, these no-bake bars will fill up a lunch box or save snack time.

19 of 20

Gourmet Grilled Cheese with Bacon

Gourmet Grilled Cheese with Bacon
Callie Nash

Recipe: Gourmet Grilled Cheese with Bacon

Don't let the name fool you—this grilled cheese is as kid-friendly as it gets.

20 of 20

Chicken and Fontina Panini

Chicken and Fontina Panini
Greg Dupree; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Recipe: Chicken and Fontina Panini

You wouldn't guess this fancy-feeling lunch panini only calls for five ingredients.

Was this page helpful?
Related Articles