20 Healthy Cold Lunches to Pack for Work By Leah Goggins Leah Goggins Leah Goggins is a journalist and an editor at EatingWell. She assigns and edits all kinds of news content, from delicious grocery roundups to new studies in health and nutrition. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 22, 2024 Close Credit: Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn No microwave at work? No problem. These healthy cold lunch ideas can hang out in the fridge or an insulated bag with an ice pack until you're ready to chow down. These midday meals are impossible to resist, from cool quinoa bowls and simple salads to mini charcuterie boards. Recipes like our Spicy Salmon Sushi Roll-Ups and Chickpea Salad Sandwich are packable lunches perfect for a refreshing bite during the workday. Most of these recipes can be prepared in advance, allowing you to enjoy them for dinner and have leftovers for the next day. If you opt for a sandwich recipe, most sandwiches can last a few days in the refrigerator if stored properly in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in foil or plastic wrap. Consider separating the ingredients in airtight containers for a fresher-tasting sandwich, especially if they add moisture to the bread. This makes it easy to assemble before you're ready to leave the house. The same applies to salads—keeping ingredients separate is often best. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 20 Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowls View Recipe Save This pesto chicken quinoa bowl is packed with herbs from the basil pesto and the Italian spice mix and gets a slight kick of heat from the red pepper. If you enjoy the flavor profile, this dish can also be made with orzo in place of quinoa. 02 of 20 Spicy Salmon Sushi Roll-Ups View Recipe Save These sushi roll-ups are filled with spicy salmon, crunchy carrot, cucumbers and creamy avocado. You can also serve these up as bowls and chop up the nori to sprinkle on top. 03 of 20 Shrimp Pasta Salad View Recipe Save This fresh and bright cold shrimp pasta salad features classic shrimp scampi flavors. Lemon and Dijon mustard brighten the dressing, and asparagus adds a nice crunch. Farfalle pasta works well with this dish, but any medium pasta shape will work. 04 of 20 Shrimp Cobb Salad with Dijon Dressing View Recipe Save We've replaced chicken with shrimp in this delicious and easy spin on the classic Cobb salad. This satisfying salad takes just 20 minutes to make, so it's perfect for weeknight dinners, but it's elegant enough to serve to guests. 05 of 20 Rainbow Veggie Wraps View Recipe Save There's definitely a sushi vibe to these kid-friendly wraps, which are stuffed with vegetables, cheese and hummus and then rolled and sliced. Serve them with store-bought green goddess, a creamy herb-filled dressing, to take it up a notch with ease. They look impressive but they're easy enough for kids to assemble themselves for an easy lunch or dinner. 06 of 20 Chopped Cobb Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing View Recipe Save Joy Howard In place of bacon, this satisfying salad uses store-bought crispy chickpeas for lower saturated fat and less prep time. Using fresh herbs, bright citrus and a creamy base of yogurt and mayonnaise for the dressing gives it a flavorful finish. 07 of 20 Chickpea Salad Sandwich View Recipe Save Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn This vegan chickpea salad sandwich is lemony, bright and surprisingly delicious. It's got all the flavors of a classic tuna salad sandwich—dill, lemon and a bit of garlic—but with chickpeas instead to add a vegan source of protein and a healthy boost of fiber. Celery brings a nice crunch. 08 of 20 Shrimp & Avocado Salad View Recipe Save Jennifer Causey Peppery fresh radishes complement sweet shrimp and creamy avocado in this quick salad. Enjoy this healthy salad as a quick light dinner or for lunch. 09 of 20 Egg Salad English-Muffin Sandwich View Recipe Save Brie Passano When you boil eggs ahead of time, it's easy to create a lickety-split and delightful lunchtime egg salad. And using the flavorful leafy carrot tops in it is like getting herbs for free. 10 of 20 Caprese Sandwich View Recipe Save Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely This caprese sandwich is fresh from the basil and hearty from thick, crusty ciabatta. The sun-dried tomatoes deepen the flavor. Topping the bread with a layer of basil leaves and using toasted bread helps to keep the sandwich from getting soggy if you need to make it a few hours ahead. 11 of 20 Orange-Mint Freekeh Salad with Lima Beans View Recipe Save Jacob Fox This salad is loaded with colorful produce: fresh mint, snap peas, radishes and oranges. For pretty snap pea slices, cut them into long, thin strips. 12 of 20 Goddess Veggie Bowls with Chicken View Recipe Save Dark green lacinato kale contrasts with the warm tones of bell peppers and tomatoes in this healthy green goddess salad recipe. 13 of 20 Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps View Recipe Save We love the retro vibe of these egg salad lettuce wraps. Iceberg lettuce makes a perfect low-carb swap for bread to serve the egg salad. 14 of 20 Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Lettuce Wraps with Tahini Dressing View Recipe Save A tangy, nutty tahini dressing brings together no-cook ingredients like canned chickpeas and roasted red peppers for these easy meal-prep lettuce wraps. Make these wraps ahead of time for a grab-and-go lunch or dinner. A few wedges of warm pita finish off the meal perfectly. 15 of 20 Chicken & Kale Taco Salad with Jalapeño-Avocado Ranch View Recipe Save This healthy, super-fast salad recipe swaps out romaine for kale, giving you more than 10 times the vitamin C. Easy flavor hacks like store-bought ranch and pickled jalapeños help make a creamy, tangy and spicy dressing you'll want to drizzle on everything from salad to sliced veggies and shredded poached chicken. 16 of 20 Chopped Cobb Salad View Recipe Save This single-serving recipe for Cobb salad swaps chicken in for bacon, which makes it a great source of protein for lunch. If you prefer another salad dressing, feel free to use that instead of our honey-mustard vinaigrette. 17 of 20 Chickpea Tuna Salad View Recipe Save Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn This chickpea tuna salad with capers, feta and cucumber makes for the perfect lunch to pack for work or school. You can prep the salad the night before (just be sure to keep the spinach separate and dress the salad right before serving). 18 of 20 Green Veggie Bowl with Chicken & Lemon-Tahini Dressing View Recipe Save For this healthy 30-minute dinner, treat your veggies like pasta and cook until al dente, or just done. If you have a little extra time, double or triple the lemon-tahini dressing and use it to quickly dress a salad or as a sauce for steak or shrimp. 19 of 20 3-Ingredient Farro Bowl with Rotisserie Chicken View Recipe Save Carolyn Hodges To make this hearty grain bowl, grab a salad kit from the grocery store. Then, top the kit with farro and chicken for a high-protein lunch or dinner that's ready in minutes. 20 of 20 Fruit, Veggie & Cheese Plate View Recipe Save This healthy fruit, veggie and cheese plate is easy and affordable to pull together for a fun snack-style dinner at home or can be packed up and enjoyed as an outdoor picnic. Explore more: Healthy Recipes Mealtime Lunch Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit