19 Easy Lunch Ideas That Will Shake Up Your Usual Routine (2024)

On the hunt for a quick lunch? Each one of these easy lunch recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less. Find a make-ahead lunch to pack up and take to the office, or a quick meal you can whip up at home. Every single recipe will make lunchtime something to look forward to!

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Santa Fe Turkey Wraps

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Spice up your traditional routine by making turkey wraps with a kick. These easy meal prep lunches can be assembled ahead in the morning and then chilled and toted to work. The combo of jalapeño cream cheese, turkey, roasted corn, and avocado will perk you right up.

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Chicken Cobb Pitas

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Turn one of your favorite salad recipes into a heartier lunch. Stuff each pita pocket with chicken, bacon, hard-cooked eggs, avocado, and tomato. If you want to speed this quick and easy lunch idea along even more, make the bacon and eggs ahead so you can just assemble and enjoy.

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Make-Ahead Taco Salad Cups

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Whether you're working from home, in the office, or just need a quick lunch for the weekends, this freezer recipe delivers. Make the taco cups and turkey filling whenever you have time, then freeze for up to three months. When you need a quick, easy lunch idea, heat the fillings up and add fresh toppings.

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Chipotle-Ranch Egg Salad Wraps

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It's time to give traditional egg salad an upgrade. For an easy lunch to make at home, mash eggs and avocado with ranch dressing and chipotle pepper. The result is a creamy, spicy, completely delicious egg salad that's great for wrapping up and eating in a tortilla.

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Turkey-Cucumber Sandwiches with Cilantro Spread

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Salmon Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

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Great for welcoming spring or enjoying in the summer, this hearty salad is bulked up with no-prep precooked salmon. Add in fresh strawberries and a homemade vinaigrette to make this easy lunch idea one of a kind. If you love the vinaigrette but want to switch up the salad, try making it with leftover grilled chicken.

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Homemade Cup of Noodles

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Create a cup of noodles just the way you like them with this easy lunch recipe. Make the soup base up to five days in advance and store in the fridge. When it's time for lunch, just add water to the soup base, then microwave and dig in.

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Creamy BLT Pasta Salad

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Pasta salad is one of the best dishes for making ahead and pulling out at lunchtime. This ultra-yummy recipe gets its flavors from another lunchtime favorite sandwich. Stir together pasta, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, and a creamy mayo dressing to prep this easy lunch idea, then grab it from the fridge (or your lunch bag) whenever you're hungry.

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Cubanos

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Take advantage of leftover pulled pork to make this hearty sandwich recipe in just 25 minutes. Assemble it with classic toppings—Swiss cheese, mustard, and dill pickle slices—then toast in a skillet or panini press. It's a delicious, hot meal to make on a weekend or when you're working from home.

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Paleo Waldorf Lettuce Salad Wraps

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These lettuce wraps are stuffed with goodies! Chopped apple, celery, cauliflower, grapes, and walnuts make a healthy, tasty, easy lunch recipe. If you use a lettuce wrap, your lunch is Paleo-friendly, but it can also be swapped for a tortilla, sandwich bread, or anything you want.

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20-Minute Ramen Noodle Bowls

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Forget about the store-bought ramen soup mixes. You can make your own ramen in just 20 minutes with four ingredients. Combine your favorite broth, peanut sauce, stir-fried veggies, and ramen noodles. Let it all simmer for a few minutes, then enjoy.

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Lemon-Parsley Tuna Salad

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Tuna salad has always been a favorite for easy lunches, and for good reason. This version is dressed up just a bit with the addition of fresh parsley and lemon zest. Serve on your favorite sandwich bun for a super quick, 15-minute meal.

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Turkey-Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

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Upgrade plain grilled cheese and turn it into something to really get excited about. Sweet onions, apple jelly, roasted turkey, and Granny Smith apple slices take grilled cheese to the next level of lunchtime deliciousness. Assemble everything and cook in a skillet for a yummy, easy lunch.

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Tarragon Chicken Salad with Cranberries

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15-minute chicken salad? Yes, please! Cooked chicken, cranberries, and toasted almonds mixed with a creamy mayo sauce makes a quick and easy lunch. Serve on sandwich bread with a few leaves of lettuce, and lunch is ready to eat in no time.

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Spinach-Filled Egg Wrap

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Instead of grabbing a tortilla, add extra protein to your lunch by creating an egg sandwich wrap. The egg is cooked a little like an omelet so you can remove it from the skillet and add your favorite fillings. Try spinach, chicken, and roasted sweet peppers for a hearty, protein-filled easy lunch idea.

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Mushroom and Beef Ravioli Soup

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If you're craving something to warm you up, make this easy lunch idea. Frozen beef ravioli is the shortcut to this mushroom-loaded soup that can be ready in 20 minutes. Brighten the ultra-savory flavors with fresh thyme and red sweet pepper.

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No-Cook Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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If you're looking for easy lunch ideas that don't involve bread, lettuce wraps are the way to go! These chicken-packed wraps get tons of flavor from crunchy sweet peppers, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Plus, this easy lunch recipe is no-cook thanks to leftover (or pre-cooked) chicken.

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Tomato-Tortellini Soup

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Just 15 minutes and four ingredients are all it takes to make this creamy and filling soup. Prep it in the morning and bring it to work for a quick lunch that will add some well-deserved lusciousness to your day. Top this soup with fresh chives just before eating it to give this quick and easy lunch recipe some extra flavor.

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Cucumber and Apricot Sandwiches

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If you're seeking easy lunch recipes that travel well beyond the predictable, take a look at these sweet and savory sandwiches. A slather of cream cheese on each bread slice will keep the bread from getting soggy for a few hours, making this a particularly good to-go option. And it's a great way to get away from the usual lunch meat sandwiches that are popular in brown bags.