I love all of these lunch ideas for 2025! So many of my favorite meals to make ahead for lunches – all things you can prep the day before! Tons of flavor, super satisfying and nourishing meals.
I’ve got over 100 lunch ideas for 2025 today! Lots of my faves all in one place.
Whether you are still working from home or heading into the office, these are lunch ideas for 2024 that you can make and prep ahead of time. Woohoo!
While I’m all about having a fried egg for lunch or topping my avocado toast with a fried egg or grilling and roasting some vegetables for lunch, when you work out of the home I know that just isn’t feasible. These are all dishes that you can make or prep ahead of time and ones that will taste great come lunch time.
That’s the biggest thing for me. No matter how fantastic the salad was that I would make for lunch when I sat behind a desk, whether it had croutons or last night’s chicken on top, it still tasted like a sad desk lunch and I just wanted something more delicious. Now I AM sharing a bunch of my favorite substantial salads below, but there are a ton of other lunch ideas here that range from soups to bowls to full blown meals! Eddie requires an actual MEAL, so there are some of those below too.
You can always find me sharing lunch ideas over on instagram too!
100+ Make-Ahead Lunch Ideas for 2025
CLASSICS
These recipes are some of my most-lunched recipes on the blog. They are my favorites, the ones I eat frequently or that you guys tell me you’re loving.
The Best Ever Egg Salad
Pickle Lovers Egg Salad
Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
Smashed Chickpea Salad
Chickpea Tortellini Salad
Pickled Vegetable Sandwiches
Avocado Chicken Salad with Chipotle and Lime
Summer Chicken Salad
Herby White Bean Tuna Salad
Pesto Smashed Chickpea Salad
Tomato and Avocado Bagelwiches
Hot Honey Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Lemon Chicken Caesar Wraps
Green Goddess Tuna Melts
Nicoise Bagel Sandwiches
Crunchy Roasted Chickpea Pitas (pack the chickpeas separately, along with some hummus and tomatoes!)
Loaded Hummus Havarti Veggie Sandwiches
Thai Turkey Burgers (these are amazing made ahead of time and served on salads or in wraps!)
Asian Turkey Burgers (same as above!)
Tuscan Tuna Melts
Goat Cheese Tartines with Egg Vinaigrette
Southwest Chicken Salad Slider Melts
Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocados. (Be sure to peel and stuff the avocado right before eating.)
Shaved Egg Avocado Toast. (If you don’t want to actually shave an egg at work, just slice it!)
Smoked Salmon Bagels
Breakfast Quinoa (this is so satisfying that I don’t mind having it for lunch)
Marinated White Beans with Toast (this is equally good with some whole grain crackers!)
Lemon Almond Roast Chicken Salad
Greek Chicken Lettuce Wrap
Make Ahead Mediterranean Chickpeas
Sweet and Savory Brussels Slaw
SALADS & BOWLS
Most of these salads can be prepped the night before, and if they don’t have a protein, add one of your choice if desired. A few of them, like the greek salads and chickpea salad, get more delicious as they sit.
Chickpea Pasta Salad
Summer Rotisserie Chicken Salad
Chickpea Salad Bowl with Dilly Croutons
Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Ginger Dressing
Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad
Golden Cauliflower Chickpea Bowls
Bruschetta Pasta Salad
Grilled Chicken Rice Bowls
Mediterranean Beef Bowls
Butternut Couscous Bowls
Cilantro Lime Tortellini Salad
Broccoli Caesar Salad
Fall Pasta Salad
Grilled Chicken Caprese Bowl
Winter Chickpea Salad with Smoked Provolone
Winter Citrus Farro Salad
Warm Winter Farro Salad
Warm Brussels Crunch Salad
Italian Chopped Salad with Baguettes
Winter Slaw Salad
Summer BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad
Roasted Salmon Salad with Hot Ginger Dressing
Grilled Chicken Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
Strawberry Crunch Salad with Grilled Chicken
Chili Lime Sweet Potato Taco Bowls with Chipotle Ranch
Honey Mustard Chicken Chopped Salad
Roasted Cauliflower Farro Salad
Summer Squash Pasta with Goat Cheese
Zucchini Corn Orzo Salad
Rosemary Chicken, Bacon Avocado Salad
Mediterranean Kale Salad with Chicken
Spring Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Honey Mustard Dressing
Cheeseburger Chopped Salad
Fuji Apple Chicken Salad
Slow Roasted Tomato Farro Salad
My Favorite Greek Salad
Crispy Chickpea Chopped Salad
Chickpea Bacon Ranch Chopped Salad
Winter Crunch Salad
Honeycrisp Quinoa Kale Salad
Nacho Quinoa Taco Salad
Black Pepper Balsamic Strawberry Pasta Salad
Goat Cheese and Arugula Pasta Salad
BBQ Quinoa Salad
Summer Chicken Tortellini Salad
Baja Grain Bowls
Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls
Thai Chicken Quinoa Bowl
BLT Chopped Salad
Greek Orzo Salad in a Jar
The Best Simple Chickpea Salad
Ramen Noodle Crunch Salad
SOUPS
All of these soups are delicious if you make them a day or so ahead of time. For the soups with pasta, you can always cook it separately and add it the morning of or right before eating so it doesn’t soak up too much liquid. I like preparing a soup for lunches, and freezing half of it. That way lunch will already be prepared in a few weeks/months or you can even have it for dinner at some point.
Easy Maple Turkey Chili
Black Bean Chicken Chili
Creamy Chicken and Orzo Soup
Fire Roasted Minestrone with Kale Pesto
Parmesan Chickpea Soup
Chicken Taco Soup
Lemon Ginger Couscous Chicken Soup
Chicken and Stars Soup
Roasted Carrot Coconut Soup
Lemon Chicken Soup
Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder
Ginger Lime Chicken and Rice Soup
30 Minute Asian Chicken Soup
Game Day Chili
White Chicken Quinoa Chili
Mini Chicken Meatball Soup
Butternut Squash Quinoa Chili
Ginger Sweet Potato Soup
Chickpea Pasta Soup
Spicy Sausage, Kale & Whole Wheat Pasta Soup
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MEALS
Of course, I use the term “meals” loosely here, because everyone’s idea of a meal is subjective! These meals have a little more substance. They feel more like actual MEALS than lunches, if that makes sense. They are served hot, they aren’t a cold bowl of salad. And if you’re anything like Eddie, that is what he loves – lunch that tastes and satisfies like dinner. These are some of my favorites that can be made a day or two ahead of time and still reheat nicely. If you prefer leftovers for lunch, these are for you.
Bruschetta Quinoa Zucchini Boats
Ranch Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Couscous
One Pot Fall Vegetable Orzo
Cashew Shrimp and Mango Stir Fry
Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken and Broccoli
20 Minute Basil Chickpea Curry
Sheet Pan Smoked Sausage Tortellini
One Pot Salsa Chicken Quinoa
Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs
Korean Chicken with Coconut Rice
Kung Pao Cauliflower
Grilled Shrimp Corn Feta Orz0
Grilled Vegetable Orzo
Chicken Feta Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles
Lemon Chicken Meatballs with Hummus
Broccoli Bacon Pasta
Broccoli Cheddar Spaghetti Squash
Pasta with Chickpeas, Spinach and Garlic
15 Minute Sesame Ramen Noodles
Farfalle with Arugula, Pine Nuts and Marinated Feta
Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
One Pan Sesame Chicken
Sesame Chicken and Green Bean Skillet
Slow Cooker Mini Turkey Meatballs
Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers
Korean Beef Bowls
Thai Drunken Zucchini Noodles with Honey Chicken
I’d love to hear more of your favorite lunches! Whether they are something you meal prep, or an easy idea that you throw together everyday. Share ’em below!
