14 Easy Make-Ahead Lunch Ideas to Add to Your Repertoire

Creamy BLT Pasta Salad

You bet pasta salad can be a full meal. With plenty of vegetables and protein, this make-ahead lunch is the star—not just a side dish. The curlicue pasta (or any short-cut pasta you have handy) is accessorized with crispy bacon, vitamin-rich leafy greens and tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, and a luscious garlic-chive dressing. Store the dressing in a Mason jar, pack the salad into another container, then refrigerate both for up to a day.

Chicken Cobb Wraps

Savor the best of salad and a sandwich in one easy make-ahead lunch. These wraps are inspired by a classic cobb salad, complete with chicken, greens, tomatoes, bacon, eggs, and avocado. Instead of dressing, we suggest getting saucy with our simple green onion aioli. Drizzle that over a tortilla, add the salad ingredients, then wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Pressure Cooker Ham and Mixed Bean Soup

Kick the canned soup aside and use your pressure cooker to make soup from scratch, surprisingly quickly. We love this hearty ham and bean option when we're in the mood to prep in advance. It's one of the best make-ahead lunches to freeze. Simply toss some veggies, ham, broth, beans, and herbs in the pot, cook for 40 minutes, then divide each batch into six portions. Enjoy that week (after refrigerating, of course) or pop any or all of them into the freezer to thaw and reheat at a later date.

Buy It: Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker ($250, Bed Bath & Beyond)

Chickpea Salad with Tuna

Seeking lunch ideas that will please both your budget and your taste buds? We've got your back. Three of our go-to, affordable pantry staples—canned beans, tuna, and roasted red peppers—star in this quick and easy option. Fresh parsley, feta, and a lemon vinaigrette lend enough brightness to help this inexpensive chickpea salad taste so much better than a ho-hum (and sodium-packed) store-bought freezer meal. Chill up to four hours, then scoop up this hearty salad with crackers, wrap it in a pita, or serve it atop leafy greens.

Citrus Wheat Berry Salad

This homemade lunch is as beautiful as it is filling, and it just so happens to be vegan (opt for maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing). Fresh berries, oranges, and clementines echo the tangy flavors in the zippy homemade vinaigrette. Nutty wheat berries cooked in vegetable broth lend a welcome savory counterpoint. Prepare the dressing on Sunday to use all week, and cook the wheat berries up to three days ahead.

Picnic Taco Jars

Don't be fooled by the name. This easy make-ahead lunch can be enjoyed anytime, no picnic basket required. In just 20 minutes, you can assemble a batch of these to-go taco salads for the whole family. Stack the beef, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and salad in mason jars and refrigerate.

Greek Egg Salad Sandwiches

An all-American picnic staple meets the Mediterranean diet in this easy make-ahead lunch. Feta, olives, and tomatoes add pops of color and Greek flair. But all the traditional elements of egg salad are still here, including mayo and flaky croissants. Construct each sandwich in the morning, store it in foil or plastic wrap, then chill until lunch. (Or for more than four hours, prep and store the egg salad in an airtight container and refrigerate up to three days.)

Thai Shrimp and Cucumber Lettuce Wraps with Rice

You probably think "appetizer" when you imagine lettuce wraps, but this variation falls firmly into the main dish category. Packed with fiber and protein from jasmine rice, vegetables, and shrimp, this homemade lunch is gluten-free yet flavorful—and remarkably satisfying. Pack the components in separate containers, refrigerate until lunch, then simply BYOW (build your own wraps).

Turkey-Quinoa Salad

You can hit every food group at lunch tomorrow with just one salad. Packed with fresh kale, turkey, quinoa, apple pieces, and Gouda cheese, this healthy and easy make-ahead lunch will brighten your work day—and get you well on the way to your five-a-day. Stack the salad in the morning, then chill until lunchtime, when you'll drizzle it with champagne, raspberry, balsamic, or Italian-style vinaigrette.

Homemade Cup of Noodles

Don't limit your lunch to store-bought noodle cups. Create any combination you want with this copycat entrée. We'll show you how to customize with your favorite protein, pasta, and veggies. When lunchtime rolls around, just add water, microwave, and enjoy. Since it can be made up to five days in advance, this is one of our best make-ahead recipes.

Chicken Enchilada Wraps

Refresh last night's leftover chicken in this easy make-ahead lunch. After just 25 minutes of prep—which you can do 24 hours in advance—these zesty enchilada wraps are so much more exciting than a fast-food sub. They may not be baked in a cheesy sauce, but they're still extra-creamy, thanks to cream cheese, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.

Fast Niçoise Salad

Wondering what to make for lunch today that will actually keep the hangries at bay? Ward off afternoon pangs with this easy grab-and-go tuna salad. Sautéed potato wedges and hard-cooked eggs ensure this 247-calorie meal won't leave your stomach growling two hours after lunch. Build the salad itself up to 24 hours ahead, then add the dressing just before digging in.

Orzo Chicken Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing

Take a break from rice and pasta. Try toting an orzo salad for your lunch entrée in this well-balanced Mediterranean meal. The entire dish can be assembled up to 24 hours ahead and is an ideal vehicle for leftover or rotisserie chicken, along with sweet corn, juicy grape tomatoes, and salty feta cheese.

Hot and Saucy Tortellini

This zesty ground beef pasta recipe is ideal when you need a comforting lunch. Just as good as the flavor is the fact that the entire dish requires only five ingredients—which actually get better after chilling overnight, so the sauce elements can really meld.