I’ve been meal prepping lunches for the last few months for my husband and I. I usually make 4 serves of 2 meals per week to cover 4 work lunches for each of us and give us some variety. These are the favourites in our rotation and I’m always trying to find new ideas to test out. I’ve done a bunch of research and some trial and error so I thought I’d share in case anyone else needs ideas for work lunches. Happy to answer any questions!
Served with mix of baked baby red potatoes, baked carrots, and beans (pumpkin pictured but looks nicer with some green)
–
**Pasta salad**
– 1 cup cooked spiral or penne pasta per serve (usually go 1 cup measure plus a bit because pasta doesn’t squish so well) – I like to have this pea/chickpea/lentil pasta as I feel it gives extra nutrients and I like the texture, my husband prefer the plain spiral pasta (also gluten free) so we end up with heaps of pasta which is great for either a second prep option or we have pasta for dinner that night and have leftovers for another night.
– Choice of veg, I use:
– Small handful of baby spinach
– Celery
– 4 cherry tomatoes
– Sometimes 1/2 grated carrot per serve
– Sometimes broccoli
– Sometimes capsicum cheek for me
– Added for husband: mushroom and sometimes avocado, really the veg options are endless
– Salt
– Approx 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
– Couple of shakes of paprika
– 1 serve shredded chicken (100g-150g depending on which brand is available), have used ham before as substitute
I usually make up one portion/serve in a bowl to help with ingredient control
1 Comment
I’ve been meal prepping lunches for the last few months for my husband and I. I usually make 4 serves of 2 meals per week to cover 4 work lunches for each of us and give us some variety. These are the favourites in our rotation and I’m always trying to find new ideas to test out. I’ve done a bunch of research and some trial and error so I thought I’d share in case anyone else needs ideas for work lunches. Happy to answer any questions!
–
**Frittata**
Choice of any meat, I have made with with ham and one with smoked salmon
Essentially followed this base recipe:
https://workweeklunch.com/easy-baked-frittata/
Using cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli (pre-cooked mushroom and broccoli), easily serves 4
–
**Stir-fry**
– Misc veg, generally mix of carrot, broccoli, mushroom, bean sprouts, or snow peas
– 1kg of beef or kangaroo strips
– Hoisin sauce – about half a bottle
– Big splash of soy sauce
– 1 cup of cooked rice per serving
–
**Loaded salad**
Base of: lettuce, carrot, cucumber, celery
I add: pickled veg, cheese
Husband adds: mushrooms, avocado
Add shredded chicken and half bag of croutons (pictured)
–
**Mixed bibimbap**
– 4 cups cooked rice
– Four eggs fried
– Packet of seaweed snacks or 2-3 sheets cut up smaller
– 1 large carrot finely sliced, fried alone in small amount of sesame oil until a little soft
– 2 large mushrooms cooked as above
– Two large handfuls of baby spinach cooked as above
– Approx 1 tablespoon kewpie mayo
– Two handfuls of bean sprouts cooked as above
– Zucchini strips cooked as above
– Sesame seeds
– Tea spoon gochujang (can be adjusted to taste)
– Choice of meat option: shredded and baked tofu, mince, spam, etc
Leave out one or two veg or substitute for other options. Soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil to preference/taste.
Pile all ingredients on top of rice, push and mix into rice until well/evenly combined
–
**Chicken + rice + veg**
– Chicken breast halved and marinated in sauce (teriyaki pictured), 3 large breasts over 4 meals or 4 smaller breasts
Cooked through in pan then chopped
– 1 cup cooked of rice per serve
– 2 large florets of broccoli per serve
–
**Burrito bowls**
– 3 large breasts or 4 small over 4 meals, all halved
Packet of burrito seasoning, rubbed over meat
Chicken cooked on stove until cooked through
– 4 cups cooked rice mixed with handful of corriander and juice of 1 lime
Hot container:
– 1 cup rice spread across bottom of container
– Cooked chicken
– For me: black beans and corn
Cold container:
– Lettuce
– Avocado
– Tomato
Heat chicken container then mix all together to eat.
–
**Fried rice**
– 1 large carrot or 2 small
– Roughly 1cup of peas or equivalent in diced/chopped broccoli florets and stems
– 1 cup cooked rice per serve
– 1 egg per serve
– Choice of cooked meat: chicken, mince, or ham/bacon
– Soy sauce, hoisin sauce to taste
– Roughly 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
Fry vegetables, move them to the side of the pan, cook scrambled eggs, mix together, add rice, cook for a few minutes then add sauces and taste
–
**Sushi bowls**
– 1 cup cooked rice spread on bottom of container (optional sushi rice or other)
– Choice of meat – I used 300g smoked salmon across 4 serves
– 1/4 avocado sliced
– Edamame beans (half small can per serve)
– 1/4 large carrot per serve
– Half packet seaweed snacks cut into strips or use seaweed sheets cut into strips
– 1/4 peeled cucumber, cut into chunks
– Pickled ginger as desired (I like a lot)
– Added 1/4 of large mushroom to husbands
– Kewpie mayo
– Sesame seeds optional
–
**Roast beef and vegetables**
I follow this recipe for roast beef:
https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a23584914/perfect-roast-beef-recipe/
Served with mix of baked baby red potatoes, baked carrots, and beans (pumpkin pictured but looks nicer with some green)
–
**Pasta salad**
– 1 cup cooked spiral or penne pasta per serve (usually go 1 cup measure plus a bit because pasta doesn’t squish so well) – I like to have this pea/chickpea/lentil pasta as I feel it gives extra nutrients and I like the texture, my husband prefer the plain spiral pasta (also gluten free) so we end up with heaps of pasta which is great for either a second prep option or we have pasta for dinner that night and have leftovers for another night.
– Choice of veg, I use:
– Small handful of baby spinach
– Celery
– 4 cherry tomatoes
– Sometimes 1/2 grated carrot per serve
– Sometimes broccoli
– Sometimes capsicum cheek for me
– Added for husband: mushroom and sometimes avocado, really the veg options are endless
– Salt
– Approx 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
– Couple of shakes of paprika
– 1 serve shredded chicken (100g-150g depending on which brand is available), have used ham before as substitute
I usually make up one portion/serve in a bowl to help with ingredient control