26 Easy Lunch Ideas You Can Make In Under 5 Minutes For 2022
Breakfast might be the first meal of the day, but easy lunch ideas are just as important. Between picking the easiest option (cold leftovers!) and dreaming up lunch ideas in the middle of the workday, it's no wonder we need that afternoon cup of coffee so desperately. Despite what you may think, eating a healthy, delicious lunch every day doesn't mean you have to devote your entire Sunday to meal prep, and we're here to prove it. Keep reading for easy lunch ideas and recipes you can make in a matter of minutes.
Blood Orange + Thyme + Toasted Walnut Fennel Salad
The great thing about salads is how customizable and easy they are to put together. Just reach for whatever fruits and veggies you have in your fridge and mix them up in a bowl! This fennel salad is already making our mouths water. (via Brit + Co)
Like a poke bowl, this veggie-friendly lunch is easily customizable with whatever chopped veggies you have on hand. Top with your favorite poke classics, like seaweed salad and pickled ginger. (via Brit + Co)
If you think about it, nachos are kind of like a different type of salad. This one features cheese, capers, sun dried tomatoes, and pine nuts for a totally easy but totally delicious. This is also a great way to get rid of leftovers if you have extra veggies in the fridge! (via A Spicy Perspective)
Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar Toast
If you're looking for something that will go a little bit easier on your stomach, consider this toast recipe! Not only is cinnamon sugar toast a classic that has us feeling all kinds of nostalgic, but the addition of dark chocolate gives it a grown-up spin. (via Half Baked Harvest)
Okay we know this dish technically takes 7 minutes to make but we could not pass up the opportunity to make mug mac and cheese!! Since the recipe calls for a bag of shredded cheese, you can just add your fave. (via Feel Good Foodie)
Watermelon Radish Salad
Watermelon radishes receive the name for their pink hue and green exterior alone. Flavor-wise, they are the opposite of sweet (the earthy, spicy veg goes best with a simple balsamic vinaigrette). But we don't mind. They're one of the prettiest veggies we've ever seen! (via Brit + Co)
This version has cheese both on the inside and outside of the bread for the absolute best grilled cheese possible. (via Brit + Co)
Easy Quinoa Salad
If you have leftover quinoa, add in all your fave fruits (dried or fresh), nuts, and herbs for a psuedograin salad that will satiate. Whether you eat it cold or warm, this is a lunch that won't leave you wanting more. (via Brit + Co)
As long as you have all the ingredients on hand, you can certainly whip up this nostalgic bite in 5 minutes. Make sure you have plenty of napkins! (via Brit + Co)
Shaved-Egg Avocado Toast
Beef up your usual avocado toast with a shaved hard-boiled egg, salt, and pepper. After noshing on that, you’ll have all the energy you need to conquer the rest of your day, even when that afternoon slump hits. (via How Sweet Eats)
Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
Juicy grapes, tart apples, and cranberries is comfort food between two slices. (via Damn Delicious)
Easy Chickpea Spinach Salad
This is one amazing salad in terms of taste, nutritional value, and meal prep-ability. (via She Likes Food)
This low carb dip mixes smoked salmon, dill, cream cheese, and lemon juice. It will go perfectly with some toasted bread for an easily-to-handle lunch at your disk. (via A Spicy Perspective)
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
For lunch on-the-go, blend up bananas, Greek yogurt, oats, almond milk, and peanut butter. You can change up the ratios depending on whether you want it thicker (more pb) or thinner (more milk) and voilà! That's probably one of the easiest lunches we've ever had. (via Feel Good Foodie)
Quick Spinach-Artichoke Turkey Panini
This panini is packed with fresh turkey, spinach-artichoke dip, and sun-dried tomatoes. Buy pre-made dip and already sliced turkey, and lunch basically makes itself. (via Whitney Bond)
Pressure-Cooker Ramekin Eggs
An Instant Pot will help cook your mix of eggs, mushrooms, and cream into something truly divine. Dig in with a spoon or spread on a slice of your favorite bread for a breakfast-for-lunch feast. (via Brit + Co)
The combination of sweet pears with salty blue cheese and prosciutto (on a piece of naan) makes this a toaster-oven lunch you’ll crave even after you’re done eating it. (via Plain Chicken)
Sweet Potato Tostadas
Make this mouthwatering lunch extra easily with store-bought tostadas, which you spread with refried beans and your choice of taco toppings, such as shredded sweet potato and grated cheese. (via She Likes Food)
Asian Chicken Salad Healthy + Easy
Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for this salad, and you’ll have plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week. Switch up the fruits + veggies that you add on top depending on your mood. The more colorful, the better! (via Damn Delicious)
Turkey Panini
It doesn't have to be Thanksgiving to enjoy a turkey + cranberry + cheese sandwich. We'd eat this everyday of the year. (via Feel Good Foodie)
We're throwing it back to elementary school days with a dip that's perfect for carrots, celery, and all other kinds of finger foods. (via A Spicy Perspective)
Coconut Bacon BLT
Use pre-made coconut bacon (or your favorite meat substitute) to make this soft-yet-crispy vegetarian BLT in no time. (via Hello Glow)
Keto Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
This handheld take on chicken salad will please your tummy and your carb count. (via Brit + Co)
Super Quick Shrimp Avocado Salad
Three-minute poached shrimp, avocado, cucumber, and fresh herbs compose a salad you never knew your lunch repertoire needed. (via Pinch of Yum)
Use leftover chicken, pre-crumbled bacon, hard-boiled eggs, and your favorite dressing to quickly assemble a hearty lunch that hardly feels like a salad. (via No. 2 Pencil)
