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Advice / Succeeding at Work / Break Room

75 Easy, Healthy, Delicious Lunches for the Office

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When all you have in your lunchbox arsenal is Lean Cuisine, soup from a can, and peanut butter and jelly, your lunch hour can get a little repetitive (not to mention that your meal of choice probably won't help you power through your jam-packed afternoon).

What you really need is a healthy lunch that's easy to prepare, filling, and packed with some energy-boosting nutrients. Oh yeah—and preferably tasty.

Impossible? Not with this list of incredible lunch options we've compiled from across the web. So let go of the freezer meal, and embrace one of these tasty, healthy, and easy options.

Pasta

These recipes may start with a simple ingredient, but when topped with everything from beans to veggies to cheese, there are countless ways to make pasta dishes exciting. Whip up one big pot over the weekend, then dish it out all week.

Zucchini Lasagna

1. The Healthiest Lasagna EverThe Daily Muse

2. Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta SaladYumSugar

3. Three-Bean Pasta SaladMartha Stewart 

4. Chili-Spiked Orzo Salad With Pinto BeansThe Daily Muse

5. Chicken, Corn, and Tomato Pasta SaladMy Recipes

6. Spicy Sesame-Soy Soba NoodlesThe Daily Muse

7. Roasted Pepper-Corn Pasta SaladWomen's Health

asian noodle salad

8. Steak Noodle Salad, YumSugar

9. Greek Orzo SaladAllrecipes

10. Zucchini and Almond Pasta SaladSmitten Kitchen

11. Chilled Sesame Soba With CashewsThe Daily Muse

tuscan bow ties

12. Tuscan Bow TiesWomen's Health

13. Pasta With Quinoa Meatballs, The Daily Muse

14. Fast and Fresh Orzo Salad With Tomatoes, Basil, and FetaMel's Kitchen Cafe

15. Teriyaki Soba SaladThe Daily Muse 

Soup

You may have left your thermos full of SpaghettiOs in the third grade, but there's something comforting about a steaming bowl of hot soup, stew, or chili—and it's the perfect excuse for a break during a hectic day at work. Pick up a fun bento lunch canister, pack some bread on the side, and whip up one of these perfect lunch recipes.

chunky-moroccan-soup-1

16. Chunky Moroccan SoupRefinery 29

17. Chickpea, Vegetable, and Pesto SoupReal Simple

18. Roasted Carrot-Coconut SoupThe Daily Muse

19. Easy Minestrone SoupGreatist

20. Spicy Tomato Soup, YumSugar

21. Chunky Turkey and White Bean SoupFitness Magazine

Pasta-e-Fagioli-by-Cravings-of-a-Lunatic-2

22. Pasta e FagioliCravings of a Lunatic

23. Quick and Easy Veggie ChiliGreatist

24. Tortilla Soup With Black Beans, Martha Stewart

25. Lentil SoupMartha Stewart

26. Slow Cooker Shredded Beef ChiliThe Daily Muse

tomato soup

27. Classic Tomato SoupMartha Stewart

28. Chicken Noodle SoupThe Daily Muse

29. Chili with Chicken and HominyBetter Homes and Gardens

Salads

When you default to a typical salad—lettuce, carrot shreds, and few strategically placed cherry tomatoes—it's hard to get excited for your lunch hour. But when you throw in an unusual mix of ingredients (um, blood oranges and feta?), those leafy greens get a whole lot more appetizing.

Mason Jar Mexican Salad

30. Mason Jar SaladsThe Daily Muse

31. Warm Steak, Feta, and Artichoke SaladIowa Girl Eats

32. Chickpea, Cherry Tomato, and Feta SaladMartha Stewart 

blt lettuce wraps

33. BLT Lettuce WrapsSkinny Taste

34. Asian Green Bean SaladMy Recipes

35. Avocado, Corn, and Cilantro BlissThe Daily Muse

36. Cannellini Bean and Escarole SaladBlue Apron

37. Neiman Marcus Chicken SaladSaveur

38. Solie’s Signature SaladThe Daily Muse

wheat berry salad

39. Wheat Berry Salad With Blood Oranges and FetaThe Kitchn

40. Persian Shirazi Salad With a Protein TwistThe Daily Muse

41. Radish and Pecan Grain SaladThe Daily Muse

42. Mediterranean Garden WrapsMy Recipes

43. Spectacular Spinach and Persimmon SaladThe Daily Muse

44. Greek Tuna SaladMy Recipes

kale salad lentils

45. Kale Salad With Lentils and Apricot VinaigretteBuzzfeed

46. Arugula Salad With Roasted Chicken, Quinoa, and Lemon-Tahini DressingThe Daily Muse

47. Tabbouleh With Chicken and Red PepperMy Recipes

Sandwiches

Whether it's between bread, rolled up in a tortilla, or stuffed in a pita, whatever you put in a sandwich, you really can't go wrong. But instead of opting for blah tuna or turkey, try these fun twists on your go-to lunch item.

black bean burgers

48. Black Bean Burgers Bento StyleVeggie Bento Love

49. Chicken and Hummus WrapsBetter Homes and Gardens

50. Spicy Vegetable Hummus WrapThe Daily Muse

51. Mashed Chickpea Salad SandwichThe Simple Veganista

Food52

52. Pan Bagnat: Le French Tuna Salad SandwichThe Daily Muse

53. Mediterranean Turkey WrapIowa Girl Eats

54. Thai Chicken Roll-UpsMy Recipes

55. Curried Chicken Salad on FlatbreadYumSugar

Food52

56. The World’s Easiest Falafel and TzatzikiThe Daily Muse

57. Grilled Zucchini Sandwiches With Sundried Tomato PestoThe Daily Muse

chicken bahn mi

58. Chicken Banh MiBlue Apron

59. Little Italy Chicken PitasMy Recipes

60. Eggplant Pita PizzaShape

thai chicken wraps

61. Healthy Thai Chicken Lettuce WrapsThe Daily Muse

62. Asian Chicken Lettuce WrapsBetter Homes and Gardens

Casseroles, Starches, and Grains

Potatoes, rice, and quinoa, oh my! If it's not between bread, in a broth, or plated on a bed of greens, you'll find it here.

one pot kale

63. One Pot Kale and Quinoa PilafThe Daily Muse

64. Quick Fried RiceBon Appetit

65. Homemade Chipotle Burrito BowlIowa Girl Eats

66. Baked Quinoa CasseroleYumSugar

67. Heart Healthy Potato SaladThe Daily Muse

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68. Tomato Basil QuinoaA Couple Cooks

69. Fuss-Free FrittataShape

70. Louisiana Style Red Beans and RiceThe Daily Muse

71. Breakfast Fried RiceiPackLunch

72. 20-Minute Kale and Quinoa BowlBuzzfeed

73. Mexican-Style Sweet PotatoesGreatist

miso sweet potato

74. Miso Sweet Potato and Broccoli BowlSmitten Kitchen

75. Veggie Rice Bowls, Mary Makes Dinner

Photos courtesy of Martha Stewart, Niki Lowry, YumSugar, Women's Health, Refinery 29, Cravings of a Lunatic, Gina's Recipes, The Kitchn, Buzzfeed, Veggie Bento Love, Food52, Blue Apron, A Couple Cooks, and Smitten Kitchen.