19 Quick Lunches to Help You Save Time All Week
We know you’re busy. From work to being creative to making delicious-but-time-intensive meals, you barely have time to think. That’s why it can be sooo much easier to grab lunch from a nearby deli or food truck (or skip it). We’ve been there, and we totally get it. But we’re here to help! Making any of the meals listed here will take you no more than 30 minutes from start to finish, and you’ll have a delicious and mostly nutritious meal to eat at your desk, during your walking meeting, or whereever your day takes you.
1. Easy Chicken Gyros and Tzatziki Sauce: Wrap it up and get a move on! This wrap can be made in a snap. Throw chicken, tzatziki sauce and veggies in a pita, and you’re done. What’ll you do with your extra time? (via Creme de la Crumb)
2. Asian Inspired Bean Salad and Salmon: This protein-packed lunch comes together in no time and will give you tons of energy to boot. (via Shop, Cook, Make)
3. Granny Smith and Arugula Stack Salad: Stack up sweet, tart and peppery flavor in this layered salad. Apple, arugula and a balsamic-mustard dressing make for a quick lunch that’s far from boring. (via Brit + Co)
4. Totally Green Salad With Quinoa: Bring Greek flavors together with quinoa for a lunch that’s ready fast and healthy. The creamy avocado and pop of the quinoa is a texture contrast that works wonderfully. (via The Healthy Cook)
5. Quick + Easy Banh Mi: What do rotisserie chicken, pickled carrots and a baguette have in common? They all make a killer banh mi. Bring some Vietnamese flair to lunch with this delicious and easy-to-make sandwich. (via The Sugar Hit)
6. Mini Greek Salad Pita Pockets: These pita pockets are filled to the brim with crunchy greens. Add some turkey if you want a little bit of meat in there, and you’ve got yourself a salad you can eat with your hands. (via Fabtastic Eats)
7. Black Bean Avocado Salad: We’re all about the avocado. Give your day tropical vibes by mixing up avocado, black beans, tomato, mango and a few other goodies. Scoop it all into your avocado shell and dig in! (via Flourishing Foodie)
8. Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad: Feeling adventurous? Give ramen noodles a change of scenery by crushing them up and adding them to a salad! Modernize this three-minute meal with edamame, mango, honey and almonds and still have lunch in just 10 minutes. (via Gimme Some Oven)
9. Creamy Beet Linguine: If the fact that this pasta is such a great hue isn’t enough for you, let’s break it down a bit more. Shredded beets get sauteed with onion and garlic and tossed with cooked linguine. Add some ricotta, and dig into the loveliest pink pasta you ever did see. (via A Beautiful Mess)
10. The FAB (Fig, Avocado + Bacon) Sandwich: When it comes to this sandwich, FAB is more than just an acronym. If you thought the BLT was good, wait until you try this slamming combo. We hope you’re ready, because this one is a lunchtime game-changer. (via Brit + Co)
11. Thai Peanut Chicken Bowls: Bring pad Thai tastes into a bowl of quinoa. This delicious, nutrient-packed lunch is easy to prepare and delicious… in other words, a total winner. (via MayPurr)
12. Vegan Portobello Pizzas: If loving pizza is wrong, we don’t wanna be right. Save yourself the trouble of making a dough and the grease fest of picking up a slice from a takeout spot, and capture the goodness of pizza by putting it in a portobello mushroom. (via The Minimalist Baker)
13. Tuna Salad: Tuna salad is a classic quick lunch option, but this take promises tastier times ahead. Go beyond the basics by adding in dill, red onion and celery for a more texture-tastic sandwich. (via The Cozy Apron)
14. Summer Frittata: Got 30 minutes to make a meal? A frittata is a great choice for those who don’t have too much time but still want to pack lots of different foods into one package. (via A Beautiful Mess)
15. Deconstructed Vegetable Sushi Bowl: Get ready to unravel your California roll, kids. This deconstructed sushi roll in a salad comes together in a few short minutes, and you don’t even need the takeout menu. (via Nutrition Stripped)
16. No Cook Veggie Pasta: You read that right: For this pasta, you don’t even have to cook anything! Get out the mandolin to make your noodles and top with pesto + parmesan for a midday meal that’s equal parts simple and delicious. (via Brit + Co)
17. BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza: This is not your school lunch’s French bread pizza. Barbecue sauce, chicken and green onion make this a more modern take, and it comes together in the blink of an eye. (via Like Mother, Like Daughter)
18. Mason Jar Salad: Fact: Everything is better in a mason jar. Assembly is easy, and all you need to do is layer your food so the parts that can get soggy won’t. Easy peasy. (via She Knows)
19. Raspberry Chipotle Bacon Grilled Cheese: Take grilled cheese to new heights with smokey bacon and fruity chipotle. The mashup of sweet, savory, spicy and cheesy is exactly what your lunchtime is missing. (via The Law Student’s Wife)
What’s your favorite take on “fast” food? Drop a line in the comments!
