21 Meal Prep Lunch Recipes That Are Better Than an Expensive Salad
We love a kale Caesar for lunch as much as the next person...until it rings up to a cool 15 bucks. Yep, your bank account is basically begging you to bring your own lunch. But we're not talking peanut butter and jelly. All it takes to make fabulous weekly lunches is a little planning and some Sunday cooking to become your office’s brown bag queen. Here, 21 easy meal-prep lunch recipes to get you started.
1.
Greek Kale and Quinoa Salad Bowls
Salty feta and creamy hummus make it so satisfying.
2.
Radish Barbecue Bowls with Tangy Honey-Mustard Dressing
Brined, charred veggies are so much tastier than a slab of grilled chicken.
4.
Avocado Chickpea Tuna Salad
Remember when you hid your salad leftovers in the back of the communal fridge?
6.
Kale Salad with Pomegranate
Hefty greens are perfect for meal prep: The longer they sit, the better they get.
9.
Grilled Veggie and Black Bean Meal Prep Bowls
Does the salad bar down the street have barbecue vinaigrette?
11.
Keto Sheet-Pan Chicken and Rainbow Veggies
The healthiest, easiest make-ahead meal.
13.
Brown Rice Salad with Kale and Sesame Seeds
The roasted pepita topping is everything.
14.
Mediterranean Avocado Chickpea Pasta Salad
With a delicious lemon-basil dressing, courtesy of PureWow Coterie member Monique Volz.
15.
Spicy Chicken and Sweet Potato Meal Prep Magic
All you need are a few sheet pans and 45 minutes.
17.
Spicy Cobb Salad with Cajun Grilled Steak
Make everything ahead and assemble as needed.
18.
Roasted Sweet Potato and Salmon Soba Noodle Bowl
The secret to enjoying your lunch break is homemade sweet chili sauce.
20.
Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry Meal Prep Lunch Boxes
Complete with made-from-scratch sauce. Swoon.
Former Senior Food Editor
- Headed PureWow’s food vertical
- Contributed original reporting, recipes and food styling
- Studied English Literature at the University of Notre Dame and Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education