9 Easy Meal Prep Lunches To Work You Need to See

I sat in my car last Tuesday at Whole Foods, staring blankly at a $14 pre-packaged salad that smelled like wet dog. That was my breaking point. I realized right then I needed a foolproof routine for easy meal prep lunches. I’m Esperanza Eliza, and I write for simpleprepsunday.com. I’ve spent the last three years figuring out how to stop wasting my hard-earned money on sad desk lunches. I’m obsessed with making food that actually tastes good by Wednesday. You’re probably tired of eating the same dry chicken and unseasoned rice every day. I’ve been there. It’s miserable. Your coworkers are ordering warm, fragrant takeout while you choke down rubbery chicken. Let’s fix that. I’m going to walk you through my exact recipes, the specific brands I buy, and the terrible mistakes I made so you don’t have to repeat them. Grab a cup of coffee, and let’s get your fridge stocked.

1. The Classic Mason Jar Salad (My Favorite Easy Meal Prep Lunches To Work)

I’m starting with a classic. I did this wrong for months before I figured it out. I used to throw everything into a cheap plastic tub. By Tuesday, my lettuce was a slimy, black mess. The secret is the jar. You need the Ball 32 oz Wide Mouth Mason Jars. They cost $12.99 for a 12-pack at Target. The wide mouth is crucial. If you buy the regular ones, you won’t get your fork in there.

Here’s the formula I use every Sunday. Pour 2 tablespoons of Primal Kitchen Ranch dressing—it’s $5.99 a bottle—into the bottom of the jar. Drop in 1/2 cup of hard vegetables like cherry tomatoes or diced cucumbers. Add 4 oz of cold, diced grilled chicken breast. Finally, pack the top with 2 cups of fresh, dry romaine lettuce. The dressing stays trapped at the bottom. The lettuce stays dry at the top. When you’re ready to eat, shake the jar for ten seconds. The sharp, herby smell of the ranch hits you the second you unscrew the lid. The crunch of the lettuce is loud. It’s perfect. Skip the fat-free stuff. It tastes like wet cardboard. You’ll want full-fat dressing so it coats the greens and keeps you full until dinner. Trust me.

2. Spicy Peanut Noodle Bowls

I’m obsessed with cold noodle salads. But I’ve made some gummy mistakes. Last month, I made a giant batch of noodles on Sunday. By Monday, they clumped together like a brick. Pro tip: you must rinse your noodles in freezing cold water for at least two minutes immediately after boiling. This stops the cooking and washes away the sticky starch. I swear by Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice Spaghetti. It’s $2.99 for a 16 oz bag.

For the sauce, whisk 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of spicy sriracha. Toss 2 oz of the cooked, cold noodles in the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of frozen shelled edamame and 1/4 cup of shredded red cabbage for crunch. The texture contrast is amazing. You get the slippery, cold noodles mixed with the snappy crunch of raw cabbage. The smell of toasted sesame and spicy peanut sauce makes my mouth water every time I open my container at my desk. I pack this in a glass container. Plastic stains and holds garlic smells forever. I buy the Pyrex 3-cup rectangular glass containers. They’re $19.99 for a 3-pack at Target. The glass keeps the noodles colder, too.

3. Greek Chicken Quinoa Bowls

Most people get this wrong. They cook their quinoa in tap water. That’s a mistake. It tastes like wet dirt. You have to cook it in chicken broth. I buy Kirkland Signature Organic Quinoa at Costco. It’s $10.99 for a 4.5 lb bag, and it lasts for months. I cook 1/2 cup of dry quinoa in 1 cup of chicken broth. It changes the flavor from bland to savory.

For the bowl, I combine 1/2 cup of that fluffy quinoa with 4 oz of diced, cooked chicken breast. Add 1/4 cup of salty kalamata olives and 1/2 cup of diced English cucumbers. Now, the cheese. I bought cheap, fat-free feta once. It was a disaster. Skip the fat-free stuff. It tastes like wet cardboard. You want the full-fat feta block swimming in brine. I get President Feta Cheese for $6.49 at Kroger. Crumble 2 tablespoons over your bowl. The salty, creamy bite of real feta mixed with the refreshing crunch of the cucumbers is incredible. The brine smells sharp. I keep the cucumbers in a separate baggie until the morning of to keep them from getting soggy. You might also like: 20 Lovely Work Lunch Ideas to Inspire Your Next Project

4. Adult Lunchables With A Crunchy Twist

I’m a fan of snacking for lunch. Sometimes you don’t want a heavy, hot meal. I’ve tried buying those pre-made protein snack boxes at Starbucks. They cost seven dollars for three pieces of cheese and a grape. It’s ridiculous. You can build a better, cheaper version at home. I go to Walmart and buy Great Value Sliced Pepper Jack. It’s $2.48 for a 10 oz pack. I cut 2 oz of the cheese into tiny squares. You might also like: 15 Inspiring Chicken Meal Prep Ideas You Haven’t Thought Of

The secret is the crackers. You can’t use regular saltines. They turn to dust. I love Mary’s Gone Crackers. They’re $4.99 a box at Sprouts. I measure out 1/2 cup of crackers. They have an intense, toasted seed smell and a loud crunch. Add 1/4 cup of raw almonds and 1/2 cup of green grapes. Here’s a warning: keep your crackers in a separate Ziploc bag. I put them in the container with washed grapes once. The moisture made the crackers chewy and stale by Tuesday. I learned that the hard way. I toss in one tablespoon of dark chocolate chips, too. The contrast between the spicy pepper jack, the salty crackers, and the bitter chocolate is amazing. You might also like: 20 Gorgeous Meal Planning Ideas for Any Style

5. Burrito Bowls Better Than Chipotle (More Easy Meal Prep Lunches To Work)

I used to spend too much money on takeout burrito bowls. I’m embarrassed to admit how much I was dropping on delivery fees. Now, I make them at home. It changed how I look at my lunch hour. You need a solid base. I start with 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice. Then I add 1/2 cup of Kroger brand black beans. They cost $0.89 per 15 oz can. You must rinse the beans thoroughly under cold water. If you don’t, you get a starchy, metallic sludge at the bottom of your bowl.

Next, I cook 4 oz of lean ground turkey with 1 tablespoon of Old El Paso Taco Seasoning ($1.19 a packet). The smell of cumin and chili powder fills my kitchen. It smells like a real taqueria. I add 1/4 cup of frozen sweet corn and 2 tablespoons of chunky salsa. Let me share a horror story. Last year, I packed my salsa in a cheap plastic cup. It exploded in my canvas tote. My laptop smelled like onions for a week. It was a nightmare. Now, I use 2 oz stainless steel condiment containers with silicone lids. They cost $8.99 for a 4-pack on Amazon. They won’t leak. Ever.

6. Cold Soba Noodle Salad With Sesame Dressing

I’m always looking for things I don’t have to heat up in the office microwave. It’s usually disgusting anyway. Cold soba noodles are my favorite solution. I buy Eden Foods 100% Buckwheat Soba at Whole Foods. It’s $8.79 for an 8 oz package. It’s pricey, but the deep, nutty flavor is unmatched by cheaper brands.

Boil 2 oz of the noodles. Here’s a mistake I made: I overcooked the soba. Buckwheat noodles turn to mush in four minutes. Set a timer. Don’t walk away. Once they’re done, rinse them in ice water. Toss the cold, firm noodles with 1/4 cup of shredded carrots and 1/4 cup of sliced scallions. The dressing is the best part. I use 2 tablespoons of Kewpie Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing. It costs $6.49 a bottle. The dressing is thick and rich. It smells of toasted sesame and soy. It clings to the noodles perfectly. You’re going to crave this texture. The chewy noodles and the crunchy raw carrots are a perfect match for a hot day.

7. Turkey And Hummus Pinwheels

Traditional sandwiches get boring. Pinwheels feel fancy, even though they take five minutes to make on a Sunday. I swear by Mission Flour Tortillas. You need the large burrito size. They cost $3.48 for an 8-count bag at Walmart. Lay the tortilla flat on your cutting board. Spread 2 tablespoons of Sprouts Organic Traditional Hummus ($3.99 for an 8 oz tub) all over. Go all the way to the edges so it seals.

Here’s the trick. If you put turkey directly on the wet hummus, the tortilla gets soggy. I learned this the hard way. I bit into a pinwheel on Thursday and the tortilla dissolved like wet paper. You need a moisture barrier. Lay down 1 cup of fresh, dry spinach leaves on top of the hummus. Then add 3 slices of Applegate Naturals Oven Roasted Turkey Breast ($6.99 a pack). Roll it tight. Cut it into one-inch slices. The spinach keeps the tortilla dry. The crunch of the spinach combined with the garlic smell of the hummus is fantastic. I pack six of these for lunch.

8. Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad

I’m a fan of cold pasta salad for lunch. It holds up in the fridge. It tastes better on day three because the flavors soak into the noodles. I always use Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale Pesto. It’s $3.99 for an 8 oz tub. The sharp basil and garlic smell hits you when you pop the lid. It’s bright and fresh.

Cook 1 cup of dry rotini pasta. Let it cool on a baking sheet. Toss the cold pasta with 2 tablespoons of pesto. Add 1/2 cup of BelGioioso Mozzarella Pearls. They cost $4.49 a tub at Target. Throw in 1/2 cup of halved cherry tomatoes. Here’s a pro tip: pesto dries out in the fridge. The pasta absorbs the oil, leaving it chalky. To fix this, I stir in 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil when I’m prepping the bowls. It keeps the pasta slick and chewy all week. The creamy bite of the mozzarella against the acidic pop of the tomatoes is heaven. You won’t even miss the meat.

9. Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

I’m ending with a recipe that replaced tuna salad for me. I hate opening canned tuna in the office. The fishy smell lingers, and everyone secretly hates you. Smashed chickpeas are a polite alternative. I buy Good & Gather Garbanzo Beans at Target. They’re $0.89 per 15 oz can.

Drain and rinse the can under cold water. Mash them. I tried mashing chickpeas with a plastic fork once at my desk. I snapped the fork and sent a chickpea flying across the room. Prep this at home with a metal potato masher. Mix the chickpeas with 2 tablespoons of Sir Kensington’s Classic Mayonnaise ($6.49 a jar). Add 1/4 cup of diced celery for a watery crunch. Stir in 1 teaspoon of spicy Dijon mustard. The tangy smell cuts right through the heavy mayo. I scoop 1/2 cup of this mixture onto two slices of Dave’s Killer Bread ($6.99 a loaf). It’s hearty, keeps you full, and won’t make your coworkers complain.

I’ve shared all my battle-tested secrets. Meal prep doesn’t have to be an exhausting chore, and you don’t have to eat soggy lettuce ever again. I recommend starting with the burrito bowls or the mason jar salads. They’re the easiest to scale up, and they require little cooking. Once you get the hang of this, you’ll save money and precious morning time. You won’t be staring at expensive, sad salads at the grocery store anymore. These recipes aren’t just easy; they taste amazing. If you loved these, please pin this article to your Pinterest meal prep board. Save it for Sunday afternoon when you’re making your grocery list. I’d love to hear which recipe you try first. Let’s make this week delicious and perfectly prepped.