20 Insanely Simple but Healthy Lunch Box Ideas for Work

Want to start eating healthier at work? The solution is so simple, it’s insane.

According to a 2014 research by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the key to a healthier diet is simply to cook more at home, and to start bringing home cooked meals to work. Home-cooked meals consistently contain fewer carbohydrates, sugar, and fat than take out or restaurant food. The bottom line: The more you cook yourself, the healthier you live.

To help you get into the habit of bringing more healthy meals for lunch to work, we’ve come up with 20 simple but healthy lunch box ideas anyone can prepare in batches and bring to work, so you can start eating better – and saving money- at work. Let’s start cooking!

1. Asian Noodles and Grilled Chicken Box

Lunch Box Ingredients

Special Instructions: To cook the egg noodles, simply boil water, and throw in the dried egg noodles for around 40 seconds. That’s it. Then set aside and drain. Once the lunch box is assembled, drizzle some sesame seed oil to really give it that Asian kick!

2. Cheesy Baked Tomatoes

Lunch Box Ingredients

3. Grilled Chicken Pitas

4. BBQ Chicken Kebab

Lunch Box Ingredients

Special Instructions: Simply thread the chicken, pineapple, bell pepper, and onion using skewers (metal ones work best). Mix the olive oil and lemon juice, and drizzle over the prepared skewers. You can also add honey to the mixture if you like a bit sweet, or cayenne if you prefer it with a kick. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Another option is to broil the skewers in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, turning them every now and then.

5. Vegetable Medley

6. Easy Peasy Salad with Zesty Vinaigrette

Special Instructions: Put the vinaigrette ingredients in a small mason jar. Shake well before drizzling over the salad.

7. Pan-Fried Chicken with Sauteed Vegetables

Lunch Box Ingredients

8. Refreshing Vegetable Salad

Lunch Box Ingredients

9. Sesame Vermicelli and Pork Salad Lunch Box

Lunch Box Ingredients

Special instructions: To cook the vermicelli, boil 1 quart of water with ½ teaspoon of salt. Once the water starts to boil, add 4 ounces of vermicelli noodles. Cook for 5 minutes or until al dente, stirring every now and then to prevent sticking. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Mix the sesame oil, honey, and lemon juice. Drizzle over your veggies and pasta when you’re ready to eat.

10. Smoked Salmon Toast

Lunch Box Ingredients

• Toasted sliced bread (preferably something high-fiber like wheat)
• Smoked or lightly grilled salmon, sliced paper thin
• Thin slices of cucumber
• Ground pepper

11. High-Fiber Lunch Box

Lunch Box Ingredients

Special Instructions: When cooking rice, the rice to water ratio is very important. This ratio depends on the type you’re using, but for brown rice, stick to 1 cup brown rice to 2 ½ cups liquid. Instead of water, feel free to use chicken stock for more flavorful rice.

Put the right amount of rice and liquid in a saucepan, and place over medium heat. Once it’s boiling, keep it simmering by turning down the heat. Cook for 40 more minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.

12. Easy Egg Wraps Lunchbox

Lunch Box Ingredients

Special instructions: To create the egg skin, in a small bowl, beat 2 eggs and season with a pinch of salt. Place a medium-sized skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with olive oil. Pour the beaten egg mixture, swirling the pan, so that the egg covers the entire pan. Cook for 25 seconds. Flip the egg crepe and cook for 15 seconds. Set aside the egg.

Saute the ground meat, carrots, and zucchini in the same pan. Season with salt and pepper. Once the ground meat is golden brown, turn off the heat.

Lay the egg crepe flat and fill it with some of the ground meat filling. Roll the egg crepe. Use some toothpicks to keep the egg roll secure, while you slice it into bite-sized pieces. You can also sprinkle some sesame seeds, and use whatever vegetable you have on hand for the filling.

13. Buckwheat and Stir-Fried Veggies Box

Lunch Box Ingredients

Special Instructions: In a saucepan, cook 1 cup toasted buckwheat groats with 1 3/4 cups liquid over medium heat. Once it starts to boil, simmer on low with a tight-fitting lid for 20 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes. In the meantime, use sesame oil to stir-fry the mushrooms and green beans. If you’re using dried mushrooms, you need to soak them in some water while cooking the rice. Season with the oyster sauce. Once half-cooked, remove the vegetables from the pan. Take your cooked buckwheat groats and stir it in the pan you used to soak up the juices.

14. Healthy Meatballs and Veggies Box

Lunch Box Ingredients

Special instructions: Combine the first eight ingredients in a medium bowl. The key to juicy meatballs is to mix until just combined. Overmixing can result in tough meatballs. Shape into evenly-sized balls. Using an ice cream scoop can help keep the balls uniformly sized. This is important in making the meatballs cook at the same rate. Pan-fry or bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes.

15. Herb-Infused Chicken and Vegetables Box

Lunch Box Ingredients

Special instructions: Combine the herbs, olive oil, chili flakes, salt, and pepper, and use this to marinate the chicken breasts for 15 minutes. Pan-fry each side until light brown. Before eating the herb-infused chicken and vegetables, drizzle with a bit of lemon juice.

16. Nutella Banana Sandwich

Lunch Box Ingredients

• Toasted sliced bread (preferably something high-fiber like wheat)
• Nutella
• Sliced bananas
• Broken walnuts
• Pineapple or lemon juice

Special instructions: To prevent your bananas from changing color, dip them into some pineapple or lemon juice. The acidity will prevent oxidation.

17. Garlic Butter Shrimp with Vegetables

Lunch Box Ingredients

Special instructions: Melt the butter in a pan using medium heat. Saute the garlic. Add shrimp, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Overcooking will make the shrimp rubbery. Remove shrimp. In the same pan, saute the sliced mushrooms.

18. Pan-Roasted Salmon and Vegetables

Lunch Box Ingredients

Special instructions: Season the salmon with some salt and pepper. Preheat a skillet using medium heat for 3 minutes. Add a bit of olive oil. Put the salmon, and turn up the heat to high. After 3 minutes, turn over the salmon, and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from the pan. In the same cookware, pan-roast the carrots, zucchini, and plantains until half-cooked.

For the dip, just combine some soy sauce and lemon juice. Add sliced chilis if you want it with a bit of a kick.

19. Chicken with Egg Salad Lunchbox

Lunch Box Ingredients

Special instructions: To keep the apple slices from turning brown, dip or brush them with some lemon or pineapple juice.

20. Mushroom Toast

Lunch Box Ingredients

With a little bit of planning and simple recipes like the above, bringing your own lunch to work is one of the easiest, most cost effective ways to lower your sugar, fat, and sodium in your diet. Start with a few recipes above and start noticing a difference in just a few weeks.