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Cold Lunch Ideas for Work: 16 No-Microwave Lunches

No microwave at work, or no time to wait in line for one? These 16 lunches are meant to be eaten cold: 8 snack-style lunch boxes and 8 jar or container salads.

No-cook adult lunch box with turkey, cheese, crackers, hummus and vegetables, plus chickpea and pasta salads
Keep it cold and crisp: pack an ice pack, keep crackers and dressing separate, and for jar salads put the dressing on the bottom and greens on top. Most of these keep 3 days in the fridge.

No-cook lunch boxes and jar salads

Mediterranean Snack Box

10 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Hummus
  • 1/2 Cucumber
  • 1/2 cup Cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp Kalamata olives
  • 1 oz Feta cheese, cubed
  • 1 Whole-grain pita

Directions

  1. Cut cucumber into spears and halve the tomatoes.
  2. Pack hummus in a small lidded cup.
  3. Fill a divided container with vegetables, olives, feta and pita wedges.

Make it different: Swap feta for grilled halloumi or add 3 oz sliced chicken for more protein.

Turkey & Cheese Protein Box

5 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 3 oz Sliced turkey breast
  • 1 oz Cheddar cheese
  • 10 Whole-grain crackers
  • 1/2 cup Baby carrots
  • 1 Apple
  • 2 tbsp Almonds

Directions

  1. Roll the turkey slices and cut cheese into cubes.
  2. Slice the apple and toss with a squeeze of lemon if you have one.
  3. Pack everything in a divided container.

Make it different: Use ham or roast beef instead of turkey; swap the apple for grapes or berries.

Egg & Veggie Bistro Box

5 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 2 Hard-boiled eggs
  • 1/2 Bell pepper
  • 1/2 Cucumber
  • 2 tbsp Hummus
  • 8 Whole-grain crackers
  • 1/2 cup Grapes

Directions

  1. Peel the eggs (or buy them pre-boiled).
  2. Slice pepper and cucumber into sticks.
  3. Pack with hummus, crackers and grapes.

Make it different: Add a cheese stick or a handful of almonds to make it more filling.

Tuna Salad Snack Plate

10 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 1 can Canned tuna (5 oz)
  • 2 tbsp Plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 stalk Celery
  • 10 Whole-grain crackers
  • 1/2 cup Cherry tomatoes

Directions

  1. Drain tuna and mix with yogurt, chopped celery, salt and pepper.
  2. Pack in a lidded container with crackers and tomatoes on the side so the crackers stay crisp.

Make it different: Use canned salmon or chicken instead of tuna; add chopped pickles for crunch.

Cottage Cheese Power Box

5 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Cottage cheese
  • 1/2 cup Cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 Cucumber
  • 1 tsp Everything bagel seasoning
  • 8 Whole-grain crackers

Directions

  1. Spoon cottage cheese into a container and sprinkle with seasoning.
  2. Pack chopped tomatoes and cucumber alongside, with crackers separately.

Make it different: Go sweet instead: top cottage cheese with berries and a drizzle of honey.

Caprese Pasta-Free Box

5 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Fresh mozzarella pearls
  • 3/4 cup Cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 bunch Fresh basil
  • 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
  • 4 slices Whole-grain baguette slices

Directions

  1. Toss mozzarella, halved tomatoes and torn basil with balsamic, salt and pepper.
  2. Pack baguette slices separately.

Make it different: Add 3 oz sliced chicken or a few slices of salami for more protein.

Chicken Salad Lettuce Boats

10 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 4 oz Cooked chicken breast
  • 3 tbsp Plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 stalk Celery
  • 1/4 cup Grapes
  • 1 Romaine hearts

Directions

  1. Chop chicken, celery and halved grapes; mix with yogurt, salt and pepper.
  2. Pack the salad in one container and whole romaine leaves in another. Spoon in at lunch.

Make it different: Use leftover rotisserie chicken; swap grapes for chopped apple or dried cranberries.

Hummus & Veggie Bento

10 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Hummus
  • 1/2 cup Baby carrots
  • 1/2 Bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup Snap peas
  • 1 Whole-grain pita
  • 1 Hard-boiled eggs

Directions

  1. Slice the pepper and halve the egg.
  2. Pack everything in a bento-style container with hummus in its own cup.

Make it different: Swap the egg for a cheese stick or a few slices of turkey.

Chickpea Greek Salad

10 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 1/2 can Chickpeas (15 oz can)
  • 1/2 Cucumber
  • 1/2 cup Cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp Kalamata olives
  • 2 tbsp Feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil

Directions

  1. Rinse chickpeas and chop the vegetables.
  2. Toss everything with vinegar, oil, oregano, salt and pepper.
  3. Keeps 3 days in the fridge.

Make it different: Add 3 oz grilled chicken or a hard-boiled egg for more protein.

Cobb Salad in a Jar

10 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Ranch or yogurt dressing
  • 1/2 cup Cherry tomatoes
  • 1 Hard-boiled eggs
  • 3 oz Cooked chicken breast
  • 1 oz Cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 Romaine hearts

Directions

  1. Pour dressing into the bottom of a quart jar.
  2. Layer tomatoes, chopped egg, chicken and cheese.
  3. Pack chopped romaine on top. Shake into a bowl at lunch.

Make it different: Swap chicken for turkey or ham; use any creamy dressing you like.

Lemon Quinoa Salad

5 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Cooked quinoa
  • 1/2 Cucumber
  • 1/2 cup Cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 bunch Fresh parsley
  • 1/2 Lemon
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

  1. Toss quinoa with chopped vegetables, parsley and feta.
  2. Dress with lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper.

Make it different: Stir in a half can of chickpeas or 3 oz chicken.

Asian Peanut Noodle Jar

15 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Whole-wheat spaghetti
  • 1 tbsp Peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp Low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup Shredded cabbage
  • 1 Carrots
  • 1/3 cup Edamame (frozen, shelled)

Directions

  1. Cook pasta, rinse with cold water and drain.
  2. Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce and 1 tbsp warm water in the bottom of a jar.
  3. Layer edamame, shredded carrot, cabbage and noodles. Shake at lunch.

Make it different: Add 3 oz cooked chicken or shrimp; swap spaghetti for brown rice noodles.

Southwest Chicken Salad

10 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 3 oz Cooked chicken breast
  • 1/4 can Black beans (15 oz can)
  • 1/4 cup Frozen corn
  • 1/2 cup Cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 Romaine hearts
  • 3 tbsp Salsa
  • 1/2 Avocado

Directions

  1. Pack salsa in the bottom of a container or jar.
  2. Layer beans, thawed corn, tomatoes and chicken; top with lettuce.
  3. Add avocado at lunch (or toss with lime to keep it green).

Make it different: Use ground turkey taco meat instead of chicken.

Tuna Niçoise Box

15 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 1 can Canned tuna (5 oz)
  • 4 Baby potatoes
  • 2 oz Green beans
  • 1 Hard-boiled eggs
  • 2 tbsp Kalamata olives
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil

Directions

  1. Boil potatoes 12 minutes, adding green beans for the last 3. Cool.
  2. Whisk mustard, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
  3. Pack potatoes, beans, egg, olives and tuna with dressing on the side.

Make it different: Use canned salmon instead of tuna; swap potatoes for white beans.

Lentil & Feta Salad

10 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 1/2 can Lentils (15 oz can)
  • 1/2 Cucumber
  • 1/8 Red onion
  • 2 tbsp Feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil

Directions

  1. Rinse lentils and toss with chopped cucumber and onion.
  2. Dress with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper; top with feta.

Make it different: Add chopped roasted red peppers or a handful of baby spinach.

Kale Caesar with Chickpeas

10 minutes · 1 lunch

Ingredients

  • 1/4 bunch Kale
  • 1/2 can Chickpeas (15 oz can)
  • 2 tbsp Parmesan, grated
  • 2 tbsp Caesar dressing
  • 1/2 Lemon

Directions

  1. Strip and chop kale; massage with lemon juice for 1 minute.
  2. Toss with rinsed chickpeas and parmesan.
  3. Pack dressing on the side. Kale holds up for 2 days dressed.

Make it different: Add 3 oz grilled chicken; use romaine instead of kale.

Want 4 weeks of work lunches planned for you?

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More: 40 easy lunch ideas for work