20 Easy Vegetarian Lunch Ideas for Work to Inspire Your Lunchbox
Looking for easy vegetarian lunch ideas for work that go beyond the same sandwich? Chickpea wraps, colorful pasta salads and veggie-filled bowls give you plenty to choose from.
There are simple combinations here, plus a few ideas for turning dinner leftovers into lunch.
You can keep things simple or add a few extras. Two photos need a closer ingredient check before they belong in a vegetarian roundup, so those are flagged below with suggested swaps rather than treated as confirmed vegetarian meals.
Lunchbox ideas worth saving
chickpea and avocado wraps
We’re starting off strong with this generously filled chickpea wrap. I love the avocado tucked around the edges and all those leafy greens.
The cut halves show just how much filling is inside.
For your own version, try chickpeas, chopped lettuce and avocado with a vegetarian dressing. Keep the filling a little less generous if you want an easier wrap to close!
tomato and mozzarella pasta
How pretty is this pasta salad? The little mozzarella balls and halved tomatoes look so cute among the spirals. There are green leaves scattered all through it too.
Try this combination with basil and mozzarella made with vegetarian rennet. Pack it in a wide container so you have room to give everything a stir.
quinoa with chickpeas and greens
If you’re looking for a bowl with plenty going on, this one is for you. Quinoa, chickpeas and spinach mingle with dark olive pieces and little red tomato pieces.
I’d keep this loose, mixed-together style rather than arranging every ingredient separately. A scoop of everything is the whole idea here.
fajita veggie bowls
I am obsessed with the orange peppers in this bowl. The curved strips sit beside black beans and white rice, with a scoop of green avocado topping right in the middle.
Try packing the avocado topping separately if you plan to reheat the rice, beans and vegetables. Add it when you’re ready to eat.
divided lunchbox with pita
Love a lunch with little sections? This box has cucumber rounds, pita wedges, grapes, a grain salad and a pale dip, all tucked into their own spaces.
This image needs review: the browned strips in the upper-left compartment appear to be chicken, so the pictured meal isn’t confirmed vegetarian. For a vegetarian adaptation, replace them with clearly labeled meat-free strips or chickpeas.
colorful noodle jars
These layered jars are so cute! Purple cabbage, orange carrot and leafy greens sit beneath blocks of dry noodles.
I especially love how you can see each layer through the glass.
Use this as packing inspiration for a verified vegetarian noodle-jar recipe. The photo alone doesn’t tell you the broth ingredients or how the noodles should be prepared.
avocado egg salad toast
Don’t want another grain bowl? No problem!
This avocado egg salad sits on a thick slice of bread with leafy greens underneath. The chunky topping is the part I’d keep.
Read also: 20 High Fiber Meals and Colorful Ideas for Your Weekly Menu
For a work lunch, pack the filling separately and spoon it onto your bread when you’re ready. Add a second slice if you’d rather have a closed sandwich.
vegetable soup with lemon
This is such a lovely change from a sandwich. The reddish broth is filled with chickpeas, orange vegetable pieces and dark leafy greens, with lemon slices resting on top.
Choose a vegetable-broth recipe for your version. A separate piece of toast, like the one beside the bowl, would be a nice extra.
orzo with olives and spinach
The olive fans are going to love this! Green and dark olives are mixed through the orzo with spinach, cucumber, red onion and white cheese crumbles.
I love how many little pieces there are in this salad. For your own bowl, choose vegetarian feta and keep the vegetables chopped small enough to scoop up with the pasta.
golden tofu fried rice
Those golden tofu cubes may just be my favorite part of this pan. They sit among rice, peas, diced carrots and pieces of scrambled egg.
If you’re making a vegetarian fried rice for dinner, set aside a lunch portion. Follow safe cooling and refrigeration guidance for cooked rice rather than leaving it out until packing time.
hummus and spinach wrap ingredients
Want a wrap you can make your own? This photo lays out tortillas, hummus, spinach, feta, a red bell pepper and garlic rather than showing a finished lunch.
Try spreading hummus onto a tortilla, then adding spinach, sliced pepper and vegetarian feta. The garlic is pictured as an ingredient, but you don’t need to add raw garlic to your version.
layered egg and vegetable salad
I love the cucumber rounds and bright tomatoes layered through this jar. Carrot strips, leafy greens and sliced egg fill the spaces between them.
Read also: 20+ Mason Jar Salad Recipes for the Week You Need to Try
This image also needs review: there are pale shredded pieces that could be meat or fish, so it can’t be confirmed vegetarian from the photo. Keep the vegetable-and-egg idea, but use chickpeas in place of that unidentified ingredient.
sweet potato and black beans
This bowl may just be one of my favorites here. I love the browned sweet potato pieces next to the black beans and avocado.
Those pink onion strips are so pretty on top.
Rice and greens round out the bowl. If you want to follow the same arrangement, keep the ingredients in little groups and finish with a drizzle of your chosen vegetarian dressing.
green pesto penne
If you are looking for something simple to put together, this one is for you. Green pesto coats the penne, with cherry tomatoes and spinach mixed throughout.
Choose a vegan pesto or one made with vegetarian cheese for your lunch. You don’t need lots of extra toppings to follow this bowl.
vegetable frittata slices
How pretty is this slice? The cut side shows leafy greens and vegetable pieces beneath a golden top dotted with tomatoes.
Read also: 20 New Years Day Lunch Ideas From Cheesy Sliders to Soup Bowls
Try a slice of vegetable frittata in your lunchbox instead of a sandwich. A little side salad would be a nice addition, though the pictured serving keeps things simple.
falafel pita pockets
I am obsessed with these stuffed pita pockets. The falafel, red tomatoes and greens look so good together, especially with that pale green sauce tucked around the filling.
Use your favorite vegetarian falafel and sauce to try the combination. Don’t forget to leave a little space at the opening so the filling isn’t spilling out before lunch.
couscous with browned cheese
This is another lovely grain salad, but the browned cheese pieces make it a little different. There are chickpeas, cucumber rounds, tomatoes and thin red onion slices scattered through the couscous.
Read also: 20 Healthy Lunch Ideas for Work With Colorful Bowls, Wraps and More
For a similar lunch, try halloumi labeled suitable for vegetarians. I’d keep the chopped herbs too.
avocado and cucumber sushi
Don’t want to cook a whole lunch from scratch? These vegetable sushi rolls are a nice starting point for a bought lunch.
The cut centers show avocado, cucumber and thin carrot strips surrounded by rice.
Check the fillings, sauces and side items when ordering rather than assuming the entire tray is vegetarian. The rolls are the visible idea to borrow here.
sesame noodles with carrots
Who else loves a noodle lunch with lots of toppings? These cold sesame noodles have carrot strips, green onion curls and leafy herbs piled over the sauce-coated strands.
The sliced green chilies are a detail you can keep or skip in your own version. I’d keep the carrots for that lovely orange color.
colorful stuffed peppers
Last but definitely not least, we have these colorful stuffed peppers. I love the red and yellow halves!
Black beans, corn and rice fill the centers beneath the cheese topping.
Choose vegetarian cheese when making your own. Pack the pepper halves upright in a snug container to help keep the filling in place.
