If you're tired of the same old lunch ideas and hunting for new options worth making, I've got you covered. From the best taco salad and triple decker sandwich to every soup you could want, plus kid-friendly picks, meal prep wins, and healthy salads I rotate through every week. If you want even more inspiration once you've worked through this list, my 60+ Best Salad Recipes That Aren't Boring and Game Day Sandwich Bar are great companion roundups. And if you love leaning on leftovers, my 17 Dinner Recipes That Make Great Leftover Lunches will change your meal-prep game entirely. Without further ado, here are 50 lunch ideas to get you out of your rut.
Table of Contents
Sandwich & Wrap Ideas
These sandwich recipes are anything but average. There's everything from crunchy lettuce wrap ideas to a tuna melt sandwich.
• Ginger Scallion Chicken Wraps
• Triple Decker California Club
• Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Open Faced Bell Pepper and Scallion Tuna Melt
• Leftover Asian Chicken Wraps
Salad
There's no missing out on any of the flavors with these salad recipes. There's a salad for every season of the year. Some of my favorites are the viral cucumber salad, a super colorful farmers market chicken salad, and the perfect taco salad topped with crispy homemade tortilla strips. Trust me, they'll be your favorites in no time too.
• Brussels Sprouts Salad with Persimmons
• Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Taco Salad
Soup
If you didn't know, we're big fans of soup over here, so you bet these soup recipes are going to be the best of the best! You must try the most delish potato soup, my all-time favorite lentil soup, and this minestrone soup loaded with every vegetable under the sun! Talk about easy lunch ideas right here!
• Potato Leek Soup
• Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili
• Not your Grandma’s Minestrone Soup
Bowls
I'm all for a quick and easy lunch bowl! From a quinoa bowl to a grain bowl to my DIY burrito bowl that rivals the one from chipotle - I know it's a big claim, and I stand by it.
• Summer Grain Bowl with Green Goddess Feta Dressing
• Ginger Scallion Chicken Bowls
Meal Prep Lunch Ideas
These are the kinds of recipes that only get better with time which means they're perfect for meal prep and quick lunch ideas. So, for example, you could make a big batch of this greek pasta salad that would last you for days or whip up the chicken salad for these stuffed pitas, and boom, not only will you have a delicious lunch for work but also save yourself a ton of time.
• Castelvetrano Greek Pasta Salad
• Deconstructed Falafel Salad
• Green Goddess Quinoa Bowls
• Greek Chicken Stuffed Pitas
Lunch Ideas for Kids
I've even got school lunch covered for you! If you're looking for kids lunch ideas, I have plenty of kid-friendly recipes like gnocchi, cheesy quesadillas, and even how to make the cheesiest grilled cheese. Most of these recipes are also meal prep friendly, so you can make them ahead and pack them up in the morning before school drop off. And if you're looking out for the best things to pack lunch in, this Yeti lunch box is great at keeping things cool, or if you're wondering how to keep food warm for lunch, try using this Thermos which will keep everything hot for hours!
• Garlic Buttered Angel Hair with Burrata
• Mexican Corn and Quinoa Salad
• Schinkennudeln (Ham & Cheese Pasta)
Most Popular Lunch Ideas on WGC
Some of the most popular lunch recipes on What's Gaby Cooking that I'm sure you'll love as well, like these 25 minute chicken tacos or five different ways to make avocado toast. And I must add this chicken fajita Cobb salad is a must-try! I mean, it is seriously incredible. Think everything you'd normally wrap up in a tortilla but over a crisp bed of greens.
• Chicken Fajita Bowls with Guacamole
• Basil Vinaigrette Pasta (The ONLY summer pasta you need)!
• Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Looking for more easy lunch ideas?
Take a look at this roundup of 10 easy make ahead lunches. If you're looking for dinner ideas next check out this roundup of 50 easy dinner ideas.
Great post - I can whip up breakfast or dinner with no issues but when it comes to lunch I am always stuck in the rut!