I am a person that doesn’t do boring lunches.  I want to be excited about my meals, because eating should be fun!  When it comes to my packed work lunches, I have a variety of packable vegetarian lunch recipes that I go to again and again.

First off is the salads – not lettuce, but veggies and grains.  These salads highlight a variety of wholesome foods including black beans, sweet potato, edamame, wheat berries, millet, broccoli, and more.  They are diverse, easily prepped in advance, and will keep all week long in the fridge. 

Kale is the only green I prep in advance for lunches because it can be massaged with toppings added on Monday, and still have great taste and texture on Friday! Toss soggy lettuce salads aside!

I also added a few recipes that I like to meal prep in large batches to eat throughout the week.  On those, check out the tips included just above the recipe picture to see how I pack each of those types of meals.  Salads can be tossed in any lunch container or bowl.

Packable Salads

Cilantro Lime Black Bean Salad | Vegan & Gluten Free

 Sweet Potato Black Bean Cilantro Salad | Vegan & Gluten Free

Broccoli Salad with Creamy Lemon Caper Dressing | Gluten Free

Quick Edamame Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette | Vegan & Gluten Free

Mediterranean Kale Salad with Golden Balsamic Vinaigrette | Gluten Free

Grain Salads or Bowls

Moroccan Sweet Potato Millet Bowl | Vegan & Gluten Free

One Pot Spanish Wheat Berries with Chickpeas | Vegan

Fried Chickpea Gyro Bowl with Tzatziki Sauce | Gluten Free

Broccoli Orzo Salad with Olives | Vegan

Meal Prep Ideas

Kale and Potato Fritatta | Gluten Free

I like to double this recipe and cook it in a 10 inch cast iron to make packable lunches.  Cut the double recipe into 4 wedges, and serve with some fruit!

Italian Lentil and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers | Gluten Free

Individual stuffed peppers can be baked in these oven-proof Corningware lunch containers.  After cooling, top with its take and go lid. This way, you won’t have a large baking dish to clean!

Best Ever Vegetable Soup | Vegan & Gluten Free

Really, all soups make great lunches, but this is my favorite soup for lunch.  It’s light but filling, and loaded with nutrients from all the different veggies!

Black Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato Cakes 

Store cakes and sauce separately until ready to eat!  The recipe makes 12 cakes, I usually eat 3 for a lunch serving!  You can also stuff these into pita pockets!

Bread

Buffalo Blue Cheese Smashed Chickpea Toast

This recipe is best if you have a toaster available at work.  Toasting the bread in advance isn’t quite the same.

Chinese Mustard Baked Tofu Sandwiches

To pack this sandwich, keep the tomato on the side until ready to eat!  The tofu recipe is vegan & gluten free, but the sandwich with bread and mayo is not.