These Meal Prep Lunch Ideas are Better than Takeout

Forget takeout. With these meal prep lunch ideas, you’ll eat well, save money and look forward to lunchtime every day.

This image shows a grid of meal prep bowls including salads, pasta, meatballs and shrimp.

Lunch meal prep starts with a plan. What do you want to eat? What do you like to snack on? What will you pack for your main lunch dish?

If it’s been awhile since you last packed lunches — or if you are just getting started — the key is to be organized about it. Start small, meal prepping one dish. Then work your way up to using more meal prep lunch ideas. By starting with a little meal prepping and working your way toward lots of meal prepping, you ensure that it doesn’t become an arduous or overwhelming process.

These meal prep lunch ideas will help. Beyond being easy to prepare for several days’ meals, these dishes are also big in flavor and flexible too. Mix and match the recipes you find here with pasta, rice or even a big, fluffy batch of quinoa.

Salads for Easy Lunches

A plate with a salad featuring arugula, grains and other ingredients sits on a yellow napkin with a fork nearby.

Some salads — like caesar salad or tossed salad — are best made in the morning, transported with dressing on the side and enjoyed the same day at lunch time. Others, like the ones included here, are perfect for meal prep since they can be completely made in advance.

Make Ahead Lunch Salads

French Lentil Salad

Filled with bits of onions, carrots and celery and dressed with a variation on my very favorite dressing, Shallot Vinaigrette, this lentil salad is best served warm. It's a little tangy and totally satisfying.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad

This sultry Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad combines shredded Brussels sprouts, sweet shallots and carrot and potato, all roasted together simply with olive oil, salt and pepper. It’s then tossed with a little balsamic vinegar before roasting some more.

Asian Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes, Parsnips and Arugula

Tender, sweet roasted sweet potatoes, parsnips and shallots with quinoa and peppery baby arugula are tossed with a bold sesame soy dressing. You can dig into this hot or cold — it’s delicious both ways.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

This tangy, briny salad with sweet bell peppers with cool cucumbers, feta, kalamata olives and tuna is dressed simply with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Very Veggie Tabbouleh

Loaded with tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers and more, this salads’ flavors improve day after day. Plus, it’s quick and easy to make.

Seasoned Rice Noodle Salad

Filled with sweet bell peppers, pea shoots and scallions, this easy recipe for Seasoned Rice Noodle Salad is excellent served with warm chicken.

Packable Soups

A saute pan with chili sits on a wood table with a bowl of cheese, a bowl of avocado and a bowl of tomatoes nearby. In the background, there is a stack of bowls.

One batch of soup can be lunch for several people for days. It’s simple, easy and great for making ahead. Pack them with sides like bread, crackers, a small salad or fruit.

Make-Ahead Soups for Lunch

Easy Split Pea Soup

This smoky, salty soup with a hint of sweetness is easy to make — just make sure to set aside enough time to whip it up.

Super Easy Potato Leek Soup

Creamy and smooth, with a slight sweetness from the leeks, this recipe for Super Easy Potato Leek Soup is a cinch to make. Dress it up with fresh herbs and/or hot sauce to make it your own.

Slow Cooker Tomato Lentil Soup

Thick and satisfying, this recipe for Slow Cooker Tomato Lentil Soup is flavored with garam masala, lemongrass, onions and more. It’s delightful and warming on a cool day.

Slow Cooker Beef and Veggie Stew

This stew has a faint French onion-ness to the broth that’s also flavored with roasted garlic. FIlled with beef, vegetables and potatoes, it’s delightful.

Spaghetti Squash Chili with Toppings

Easy Chili Spaghetti Squash is a beanless chili with corn that’s baked to finish for a filling, satisfying, delicious dinner.

Butternut Squash Soup

This quick and easy recipe for Butternut Squash Soup can be topped with crispy shallots for a comforting fall and winter meal.

Proteins to Meal Prep for Lunch

A meal prep chicken dish with a brown sauce in another bowl sits on a granite countertop.

These protein recipes can be eaten in a variety of ways: with a grain, on salad, alone, on rolls. The flexibility means that you can transform one dish into several easily during the week. Also consider making a batch of hard-cooked eggs, which make a great protein for lunches too.

Make-Ahead Proteins for Lunch

Satay-Style Chicken with Peanut Sauce

If you like chicken satay, the traditional Thai dish, you’ll love this recipe for Satay-Style Chicken with Peanut Sauce. It has all the flavor! Plus, it’s great to make ahead for lunches.

Easy 5-Ingredient Chicken Snow Pea Skillet

This easy, garlicky entree is lovely served with rice or mashed potatoes. With just five ingredients (oil, salt and pepper don’t count!), Chicken Snow Pea Skillet is a perfect stress-free dinner for tonight. Serve this easy, garlicky stir-fry with rice or mashed potatoes.

Lemon Garlic Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

From turkey sandwiches to salads to stock for soups, this is the slow cooker recipe that keeps on giving to fresh, delicious make-ahead meals. And it's easy too.

Hearty Turkey Meatballs

Big, tender and delicious with pasta, serve these big meatballs with zucchini noodles, pasta or on rolls.

Smoky Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

This sweet-smoky beef brisket cooks with a rich sauce slowly to fork tender. It's great on sandwiches (add a little cheddar!), nachos and wraps.

Easy Chicken Souvlaki

Chicken tenders are marinated in a tangy mixture of lemon, olive oil and spices in this easy recipe for chicken souvlaki.

Meal Prep Condiments and Sides

A meal prep bowl with a grain, arugula and picked red cabbage sits on a desk.

Scooped onto bowls, served alongside, dipped or spooned onto things, these condiments and sides will elevate your make-ahead meals. I especially love including these with meal prep bowls and salads, adding new dimension to favorite recipes.