20 Healthy Lunch Ideas for Work With Colorful Bowls, Wraps and More
Looking for healthy lunch ideas for work that go beyond the same sandwich? These colorful bowls, packed salads and little lunch boxes give you plenty to choose from.
There’s chicken, tofu, salmon and lots of vegetables, with simple combinations worth saving for your next grocery list.
You can keep things simple or pack a few different sides. Pick whatever fits your appetite and your workday.
Just remember to keep perishable lunches chilled until you’re ready to eat.
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Work Lunch Ideas Worth Saving
layered chickpea salad
We’re starting off strong with this colorful salad jar. I love the layers of chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes and quinoa, with crumbled white cheese and lettuce up top.
Bring a bowl along if you want room to toss everything together. Those pretty layers don’t have to stay separate at lunchtime!
chicken and avocado quinoa bowl
How good does that browned chicken look? The thick slices sit over quinoa beside avocado, chopped greens and bright yellow and orange pieces.
Read also: 20 High Fiber Meals and Colorful Ideas for Your Weekly Menu
Try roasted squash for the colorful corner of your own bowl. Finish with chopped green onions like the ones scattered over the chicken.
lettuce-wrapped deli rolls
If you want a little change from a sandwich, this one is for you. Big lettuce leaves surround rolled deli slices, pale cheese, pickles and red onion.
I especially love how you can see every layer through the middle. Wrap yours in parchment to help hold it together while you eat.
pinwheels and berry lunch box
I am obsessed with this little lunch box. The pinwheels are so cute next to the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.
Cucumber slices, tomatoes and hummus fill another section, with pretzel sticks and cheese cubes alongside. Save this one if you’d rather have a little of everything than one big dish.
chickpeas with cucumber and olives
Don't want to pack lettuce? No problem! Try this combination of chunky cucumber, tomatoes, chickpeas, dark olives and white cheese.
The thin red onion slices are a lovely finishing touch. Keep your dressing in a little separate cup like these until you're ready to mix it in.
salmon with rice and avocado
This salmon bowl may just be one of my favorites here. I love the glossy browned pieces beside the fan of avocado and overlapping cucumber slices.
Rice sits underneath everything, with sesame seeds and green onions scattered on top. If you plan to reheat your salmon and rice, pack the cucumber and avocado separately.
chicken and black bean bowl
Want lots of color in your lunch? This chicken bowl has corn, black beans, chopped tomato and a generous scoop of mashed avocado around the rice.
Keep the ingredients in little sections like this or mix them together. I’d pack a lime wedge alongside for a squeeze before eating.
green pasta and cherry tomatoes
If you're looking for a pasta lunch without lots of separate toppings, go with this one. Short pasta coated in green sauce sits with cherry tomatoes and chunks of white cheese.
For your own version, try pesto and mozzarella. That red, white and green combination is so pretty.
carrots cucumber and two dips
Calling all dip fans, this is such a nice starting point for a lunch box. Carrots and chopped cucumber sit beside hummus and a thick white dip.
You could add pita and a boiled egg if you want a more substantial lunch. Keep the vegetables in their own compartments so you can dip as you go.
tofu soup in a lunch flask
Prefer soup to salad? This flask holds broth with tofu cubes, dark leafy pieces and sliced green onions.
There are seaweed-wrapped rice triangles beside it too.
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Try that pairing for your own lunch. Use a food flask according to its instructions rather than assuming any container will keep soup safely hot.
cabbage and crumbled meat bowls
This is another lunch idea that keeps everything in one container. Crumbled meat is mixed with ribbons of cabbage, thin carrots and chopped green onions.
I love the little bits of purple cabbage throughout. For your own version, choose ground turkey, chicken or pork and use a tested recipe for the cooking details.
stuffed avocado halves
How cute are these avocado boats? Each half holds a mound of creamy shredded filling with red onion and green onion pieces.
Try tuna salad or chicken salad for your own filling. Pack a lemon wedge like the one pictured if you want a bright finishing squeeze.
peanut tofu noodles
I am obsessed with this noodle bowl. The browned tofu cubes, thin vegetable strips and chopped peanuts look so good together.
This peanut tofu combination is worth saving if you want something other than rice. Keep a few chopped peanuts separate if you'd like to sprinkle them on just before eating.
chicken and egg chopped salad
If you are looking for lots of topping ideas, then this one is for you. There’s sliced chicken, egg, avocado, tomatoes, bacon pieces and crumbled cheese over lettuce.
Read also: 20 High Protein Lunch Ideas for Work That Keep You Full
The photo shows a large platter, so borrow the combination rather than the serving size. Choose the toppings you want for your own lunch container.
chicken pesto wrap parcels
These chicken pesto parcels are such a nice change from an open bowl. I love how the browned wrap surrounds that green filling, with leafy pieces tucked throughout.
If you want something on the side, try cherry tomatoes or sliced cucumber. There’s no need to make the whole lunch complicated.
lentils and broccoli over rice
Don't want chicken or fish in your bowl? No problem there!
This one has lentils and broccoli piled over white rice, with a glossy sauce coating the topping.
The sliced green onions and sesame seeds are my favorite little details. Keep those if you want to follow the same idea.
a little-of-everything lunch plate
This is another lovely option if you like picking from lots of little sides. Carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper and celery surround shredded meat, cheeses, olives and dips.
You don't have to include every single item. Pick your favorites and move the combination into a divided lunch box.
glazed tofu rice box
Those browned tofu slices look so good over the rice. The cucumber rounds, green pea pods and cherry tomatoes give you a few different vegetables alongside.
Read also: 20 Easy Vegetarian Lunch Ideas for Work to Inspire Your Lunchbox
I especially love the sesame seeds over the glossy tofu. Pack the vegetables separately if you'll be reheating the rice and tofu at work.
tofu and rainbow vegetables
This may be my favorite mix of colors on the list. Golden tofu cubes sit between quinoa, edamame, cucumber, broccoli, carrots and purple cabbage.
The pale dressing runs across the whole bowl. Bring yours in a small cup if you prefer to add it at lunch.
shrimp rice and lime
Last but definitely not least, we have this colorful shrimp bowl. I love the browned shrimp with the corn, avocado and chopped tomato and red onion topping.
Rice fills the base, with pale sauce drizzled over everything. Don't forget a couple of lime wedges if you want to follow this combination.
