10 Easy And Delicious Lunch Ideas For Work

Finding exciting lunch ideas for work is one of the best ways to start saving money on your food spending. That’s because buying lunch at work can really add up if you do it too often. When I worked as a financial analyst, I tried to bring my lunch as much as possible. But, it…

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Last Updated: May 24, 2023

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Finding exciting lunch ideas for work is one of the best ways to start saving money on your food spending. That’s because buying lunch at work can really add up if you do it too often.

When I worked as a financial analyst, I tried to bring my lunch as much as possible. But, it was easy to get caught up with others who were going out to grab a quick lunch. The leftovers or sandwich I packed never sounded as exciting as going out.

Sure, it’s fun to go out to lunch from time to time, but it adds up quickly.

I would find myself spending anywhere from $10-$15 when I did go out for lunch. Even just $5 for lunch here and there can add up to a lot of money when you’re trying to cut your budget.

So, to help you save money on lunch, I have some delicious and healthy lunch ideas for work that will get you excited about packing your lunch.

This list is full of healthy lunch ideas for work, including a great vegetarian quinoa bowl with beans, corn, and a lime vinaigrette. There are low carb options like chicken fajita bowls and an avocado chicken salad (this one looks so pretty in the pictures!).

The recipe I’m most excited to try is the chicken hummus naan wrap. It’s packed full of veggies, and if you are vegetarian, you can easily leave out the chicken and still have a great and filling lunch.

One thing I recommend doing with these lunch ideas for work is to make them even easier by doing your prep work on the weekend or spending one night cooking and preparing several days worth of lunches. You can divide them up into containers and label each, which will help you stay organized.

Even if you don’t prepare your lunches in advance, all of these recipes are still easy lunches for work. That means you’ll be even more likely to remember that there is food in your fridge so that you can save money each week on lunch. 

You might even find yourself making some of these for dinner!

Note: If you’re looking for easy weekly meal plans, full of budget recipes, I recommend $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal planning service that sends you a delicious meal plan and shopping list every week for just $5 a month. You can even add some of these recipes into your list of lunch ideas for work.

Related: Does bringing lunch to work actually save money?

Other helpful content to read:

Here are 10 easy and delicious lunch ideas for work.

 

1. Cheesy Taco Pasta

Get the recipe here.

 

2. Southwest Quinoa Salad

Get the recipe here.

 

3. Chicken Fajita Meal-Prep Bowls

Get the recipe here.

 

4. Cold Chicken Pasta Salad

Get the recipe here.

 

5. Chicken Hummus Naan Wraps

Get the recipe here.

 

6. Korean Chicken Meal Prep Bowl

Get the recipe here.

 

7. Vegan Curry Ramen Noodles

Get the recipe here.

 

8. Crispy Vegan Potato Tacos with Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce

Get the recipe here.

 

9. Smashed Avocado Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Get the recipe here.

 

10. Avocado Chicken Salad

Get the recipe here.

What are your favorite lunch ideas for work? Do you bring your lunch to work?


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Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Author: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.

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  1. DNN

    If I’m out and I don’t want to spend money to eat, I’ll have something with me on the go so i can nibble by myself. This way, people don’t see how much I’m enjoying my food and i can lick my fingers! LOL

  2. Wow, this food looks delicious and I have gotten all of the recipes, too. I am definitely going to make these delicious treats. These would be great recipes to make for lunch and to bring with you to work, instead of going to a higher priced restaurant to eat. And also, it’s cheaper to make.

  3. So true! When I was working in finance I ALWAYS tried to pack lunch. Eating out on a daily basis will absolutely DESTROY your pocket!

  4. After many years of buying food from canteen and vending machines I finally bought meal boxes and started to prepare food. 🙂

  5. 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.