We’re all looking for cheap meals that can be prepared quickly for work. During the middle of the week, the last thing we want to do is wake up early to prepare an extravagant meal. Trust me I’ve been there. There are so many mornings I’d give anything to spend just a few extra minutes in bed.
I feel like we get sick of many of our common lunch ideas, but there are ways to spice them up so you don’t get sick of them!
Here are a few quick and cheap lunch ideas you can use for your next shift at work.
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Main Items
PB & J
Honestly a classic. Sometimes I forget about good ol’ peanut butter and jelly. Switch it up by changing up the flavors of jelly you use. This is probably the cheapest lunch option out there.
Sandwiches
There are so many ways to spice up your basic sandwich so you never get sick of it.
Buy regular white sandwich bread or sub sandwich bread if you want to be a little extra with it.
Switch up the meats, cheeses, and veggies you add from time to time. Personally, I tend to switch between turkey and provolone, ham and cheddar, and tuna or chicken salad.
Some of my favorite add-ins are: lettuce, tomato, black olives, avocado, pickles, onion, bacon, banana peppers, green peppers, and mayo.
Salads
There are so many ways to eat a salad! Pinterest is a great place to find new and exciting salad recipes to spice up your lunch.
A few common salads for lunches are:
- Caesar salad: romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese, caesar salad dressing (add chicken for more protein)
- Greek salad: cucumbers, tomatoes, green bell peppers, red onions, olives, and feta cheese, greek vinaigrette
- Cobb salad: lettuce, chicken, bacon, tomatoes, boiled eggs, blue cheese, avocados, dressing of your choice
- Taco salad: lettuce, tomato, black olives, cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, ground beef, crushed up tortilla chips
- Garden salad: lettuce, tomato, cucumber, radishes, carrots, dressing of your choice
- Spinach & Strawberry Salad: baby spinach, strawberries, chopped walnuts, feta cheese, poppyseed vinaigrette
I have the perfect lunch container which gives me a space to pack both a sandwich and salad in one container! I use this all the time for my long shifts. You can find it linked below.
DIY Lunchables
Get yourself a cracker assortment along with salami or pepperoni slices. Then, pick your favorite cheeses to top it off with like pepperjack, cheddar, or colby jack!
Be sure to separate the crackers so they don’t get soggy before you’re able to eat lunch.
Soup
Soups are some of the easiest grab and go items for work. I especially enjoy eating soups when working a long night shift. Some of my favorites are: broccoli cheese, tomato, and chicken noodle but the possibilities really are endless!
I highly recommend making a large amount of your favorite soup in a crockpot or large soup pot so you have soup for all week long!
I have the perfect container for packing my soup. It’s basically soup in a mug while you’re at work! It has a vented lid and is microwave safe for heating up your soup. Not to mention it fits an entire can of soup in it if you don’t have time to make your own. My favorite on-the-go soup container can be found linked below.
Wraps
Whenever I want to spice up my basic sandwich or salad recipes I take those and put them in a wrap instead! Pretty much any of these recipes can successfully and tastefully be transformed into a wrap recipe.
Spice up your wraps by changing up the tortillas you use. Some of my favorites are spinach and sun dried tomato basil. Try a carb-balance tortilla if you’re trying to cut out extra carbs.
Leftovers
This is an idea that I use throughout my week all the time. Whenever cooking a meal, make a little extra so you can pack it in your lunch! Some really great things to do this with are:
- Casseroles
- Meat & mashed potatoes
- Pasta (especially pasta salads)
- Chili
- Lasagna
The possibilities are really endless!
Sides & Snacks
It’s really important for you to pack some snacks for your longer work days so you don’t have to hit the vending machine after your lunch box is empty and you’re still hungry.
Here are some of my favorite snack ideas:
- Fruits (apple slices, berries, orange slices)
- Vegetables (cucumber slices, baby carrots, bell pepper slices, snap peas)
- Pickle chips
- Trail mix
- Fruit snacks
- Mixed nuts
- Pretzels
- Chips
- Popcorn
- Cookies
- Your favorite candy
- Hard-boiled eggs
- String cheese
I hope these basic lunch ideas are useful as you navigate packing your lunches for the week ahead! I know they’re pretty basic but there are endless ways to spice up your boring old lunch so you don’t get sick of it. These are some of the cheapest options, much cheaper than spending your money at the work cafeteria!
If you need more ideas on how to save money with your grocery budget, check out my other post: Ways To Cut Your Grocery Bill
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