20 Easy Cold Lunch Ideas to Pack for Work

By

Danielle DeAngelis

Published on June 26, 2022

pickle sub

These cold lunch ideas are perfect for bringing to the office to enjoy during your lunch break. Ready in just 15 minutes or less, these lunches will keep you cool and satisfied for the remainder of the work day. Once you try them, you will want to make recipes like our Cucumber Sandwich and Avocado Tuna Salad day after day.

01 of 20

Cucumber Salad, Hummus & Pita Bento Box Lunch

Enjoy this refreshing bento box idea over your lunch break that combines cucumber salad, hummus, pita and more for a satisfying work lunch.

02 of 20

Cucumber Sandwich

Cucumber Sandwich — Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Ruth Blackburn

This creamy, crunchy cucumber sandwich recipe strikes a lovely balance between decadent and light. The cream cheese-yogurt spread complements the crisp refreshing cucumber while the hearty flavor and texture of the whole-wheat bread holds everything together. Removing the crusts makes it more delicate than your average sandwich.

03 of 20

Avocado Tuna Salad

Avocado-Tuna Salad — Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ruth BlackBurn / Julia Bayless

Jazz up a can of tuna with this easy avocado tuna salad recipe. Silky avocado adds creaminess that's cut with a hit of acidity from lemon and a briny punch from feta cheese. Romaine hearts and cucumber offer refreshing crunch.

04 of 20

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Chickpea Salad Sandwich — Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn

This vegan chickpea salad sandwich is lemony, bright and surprisingly delicious. It's got all the flavors of a classic tuna salad sandwich—dill, lemon and a bit of garlic—but with chickpeas instead to add a vegan source of protein and a healthy boost of fiber. Celery brings a nice crunch.

05 of 20

Cucumber, Tomato & Arugula Salad with Hummus

Tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and feta top arugula in this quick Greek-inspired salad. Served with whole-wheat pita and prepared hummus, it makes a filling, yet healthy lunch.

06 of 20

Caprese Sandwich

Caprese Sandwich — Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely

This caprese sandwich is fresh from the basil and hearty from thick, crusty ciabatta. The sun-dried tomatoes deepen the flavor. Topping the bread with a layer of basil leaves and using toasted bread helps to keep the sandwich from getting soggy if you need to make it a few hours ahead.

07 of 20

Cream Cheese & Veggie Roll-Up

Jacob Fox

With sliced vegetables, a whole-wheat tortilla and baby spinach, these roll-ups make the perfect healthy lunch for your kids to take to school.

08 of 20

Loaded Cucumber & Avocado Sandwich

loaded cucumber and avocado sandwich — Jacob Fox

This loaded cucumber-and-avocado sandwich is filled with creamy avocado and crispy cucumbers. Ricotta cheese mixed with extra-sharp Cheddar adds flavor while sliced red peppers offer a splash of color.

09 of 20

Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad

Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad — Greg DuPree

Avocado adds creaminess while sunflower seeds provide texture and crunch in this easy tuna-spinach salad.

10 of 20

Tuna Salad with Egg

Tuna Salad with Egg — Photography / Jennifer Causey, Styling / Ali Ramee / Audrey Davis

This simple tuna salad with egg has a clean and balanced flavor. The capers and lemon bring acidity to help everything come together and chopped arugula adds a peppery kick. Enjoy it with greens or on a slice of your favorite whole-grain bread.

11 of 20

Egg Salad English-Muffin Sandwich

Egg Salad English-Muffin Sandwich — Brie Passano

When you boil eggs ahead of time, it's easy to create a lickety-split and delightful lunchtime egg salad. And using the flavorful leafy carrot tops in it is like getting herbs for free.

12 of 20

Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Lettuce Wraps with Tahini Dressing

A tangy, nutty tahini dressing brings together no-cook ingredients like canned chickpeas and roasted red peppers for these easy meal-prep lettuce wraps. Make these wraps ahead of time for a grab-and-go lunch or dinner. A few wedges of warm pita finish off the meal perfectly.

13 of 20

Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps

We love the retro vibe of these egg salad lettuce wraps. Iceberg lettuce makes a perfect low-carb swap for bread to serve the egg salad.

14 of 20

Chicken & Cabbage Salad Bowls with Sesame Dressing

Everything you need (just 4 ingredients!) to prepare a week's worth of healthy, low-carb lunches can be found at your neighborhood grocery store. A bag of prechopped red and green cabbage serves as the crunchy low-carb base in these chicken salad bowls, which only require 10 minutes to assemble. Top with sesame-flavored almonds and a sesame dressing and you have one irresistible lunch you'll look forward to all week.

15 of 20

Catchall Lunch Salad

Catchall Lunch Salad

This easy salad is great for using up any small amounts of leftover canned foods and produce you have on hand.

16 of 20

Pickle Sub Sandwiches with Turkey & Cheddar

pickle sub

Cut down on carbs by swapping out the bread for slices of pickle to make these fun turkey and Cheddar sandwiches. Roma tomatoes are the perfect oblong shape for these mini sandwiches but feel free to use regular tomatoes--simply cut the slices in half so they fit nicely on the pickle sandwich. These sandwiches are an easy lunch, but they're also great on a party tray for a casual get-together.

17 of 20

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

This mile-high vegetable and hummus sandwich makes the perfect heart-healthy vegetarian lunch to go. Mix it up with different flavors of hummus and different types of vegetables depending on your mood.

18 of 20

Black Bean & Slaw Bagel

Black Bean & Slaw Bagel — Ted & Chelsea Cavanaugh

This easy open-face sandwich recipe uses a jalapeño-Cheddar bagel, but a plain bagel would work just as well. Top each bagel half with black beans and fresh slaw for a satisfying bite.

19 of 20

Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna

This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don't need to massage or cook it to make it tender.

20 of 20

Whole-Wheat Veggie Wrap

Use whichever veggies you have on hand to fill up this veggie wrap. The avocado and hummus help hold the wrap together--and provide heart-healthy fat and fiber.

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Cucumber Sandwich