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  5. 21 Simple 10-Minute Lunches to Pack for Work

21 Simple 10-Minute Lunches to Pack for Work

Leah Goggins headshot
Leah Goggins April 24, 2022
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Cucumber Sandwich
Credit: Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Ruth Blackburn

Whether you prep these lunches the day of or make a batch to get you through the week, these simple recipes promise to get you in and out of the kitchen in 10 minutes or less. Put together a veggie-filled sandwich for a midday refreshment or make some quick lentil curry for a microwaveable meal—in either case, you'll have something healthy and delicious on your hands. Recipes like our Mashed Chickpea Salad with Dill & Capers and Cucumber Sandwich will soon be weekday go-tos in the break room.

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Cucumber Sandwich

Cucumber Sandwich
Credit: Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Ruth Blackburn
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This creamy, crunchy cucumber sandwich recipe strikes a lovely balance between decadent and light. The cream cheese-yogurt spread complements the crisp refreshing cucumber while the hearty flavor and texture of the whole-wheat bread holds everything together. Removing the crusts makes it more delicate than your average sandwich.

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Mashed Chickpea Salad with Dill & Capers

Mashed Chickpea Salad with Dill & Capers
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This creamy yet light vegan salad is full of bright, herby goodness. On its own, it's great to serve alongside a sandwich or veggie burger in place of potato salad or coleslaw. You can also make it into a light lunch by adding a handful of arugula to enjoy it as a green salad. Double the recipe and refrigerate to have on hand throughout the week.

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Avocado Egg Salad

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This quick recipe takes classic egg salad to the next level with the addition of creamy avocado. Serve it on a piece of toasted whole-grain bread or inside a tender lettuce leaf. Avocados brown quickly, so plan on making it no more than two hours before you plan to serve it.

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Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich
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This mile-high vegetable and hummus sandwich makes the perfect heart-healthy vegetarian lunch to go. Mix it up with different flavors of hummus and different types of vegetables depending on your mood.

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Caprese Sandwich

Caprese Sandwich
Credit: Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely
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This caprese sandwich is fresh from the basil and hearty from thick, crusty ciabatta. The sun-dried tomatoes deepen the flavor. Topping the bread with a layer of basil leaves and using toasted bread helps to keep the sandwich from getting soggy if you need to make it a few hours ahead.

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Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad

Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad
Credit: Greg DuPree
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Avocado adds creaminess while sunflower seeds provide texture and crunch in this easy tuna-spinach salad.

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Tuna Salad with Egg

Tuna Salad with Egg
Credit: Photography / Jennifer Causey, Styling / Ali Ramee / Audrey Davis
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This simple tuna salad with egg has a clean and balanced flavor. The capers and lemon bring acidity to help everything come together and chopped arugula adds a peppery kick. Enjoy it with greens or on a slice of your favorite whole-grain bread.

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3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad

3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad
Credit: Carolyn Hodges
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We put a flavor twist on the classic chicken salad by using a lemon-herb mayonnaise. Try other mayo varieties, like roasted garlic or chipotle lime, in this fast, no-cook lunch recipe. Serve with whole-grain crackers.

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3-Ingredient Farro Bowl with Rotisserie Chicken

3-Ingredient Mediterranean Farro Bowl
Credit: Carolyn Hodges
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To make this hearty grain bowl, grab a salad kit from the grocery store. Then, top the kit with farro and chicken for a high-protein lunch or dinner that's ready in minutes.

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Lentil Curry with Cauliflower Rice

Lentil Curry with Cauliflower Rice
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Combine precooked lentils (often located in the produce section of your grocery store) with an Indian-style simmer sauce for a super-fast and flavorful curry. Serving it over riced cauliflower bumps up the vegetable count and keeps carb servings in check. This 3-ingredient dinner (not counting salt, pepper and oil) is really as easy as it gets. To be mindful of the salt, look for simmer sauces with less than or close to 350 mg sodium per ¼-cup serving.

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3-Ingredient Chicken Tabbouleh Bowls

3-ingredient chicken tabbouleh bowls
Credit: Photo by: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.
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This almost-instant grain bowl makes the most of the prepared-foods section at your grocery store. Toss together a ready-made salad with proteins for a healthy, quick dinner.

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Egg Salad English-Muffin Sandwich

Egg Salad English-Muffin Sandwich
Credit: Brie Passano
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When you boil eggs ahead of time, it's easy to create a lickety-split and delightful lunchtime egg salad. And using the flavorful leafy carrot tops in it is like getting herbs for free.

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3-Ingredient Green Goddess White Bean Salad

3-Ingredient Green Goddess White Bean Salad
Credit: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.
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Bagged salad and slaw blends are great shortcut ingredients for adding variety without needing to wash and chop lots of different vegetables. Toss a kale-and-broccoli slaw mix with canned white beans and yogurt-based green goddess dressing for a crunchy main-dish salad in minutes.

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Shrimp Niçoise Meal-Prep Bowls

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This low-carb meal-prep version of the classic composed salad comes together in about 10 minutes thanks to a handful of shortcut ingredients, like pretrimmed green beans and prepared olive tapenade. With a whopping 41 grams of protein per serving, these bowls will keep hunger at bay all afternoon. To switch things up, feel free to swap in canned tuna or leftover roasted salmon for the shrimp. We love going to Trader Joe's for fast shortcut ingredients--see Tip (below) for our product recommendations.

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Chopped Veggie Grain Bowls with Turmeric Dressing

veggie grain bowl in a glass to-go container
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In about 10 minutes, you can prep a week's worth of lunches using 4 simple ingredients from your local specialty grocery store. To minimize prep, we're taking advantage of prechopped fresh veggie mix and frozen quinoa (which heats in the microwave in under 5 minutes). These crunchy chopped salad bowls are high in fiber but lower in calories, making them perfect for those following a reduced-calorie diet.

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Chickpea "Chicken" Salad

Chickpea "Chicken" Salad
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This chickpea salad is a vegetarian version of a classic chicken salad--and, thus, can be eaten in the exact same way. Let's be clear, though: it doesn't taste like chicken, but it is a delicious (and fiber-packed) vegetarian alternative! Plus, it's easily transportable, perfect for picnics and will surely step up your sad desk lunch.

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Chopped Cobb Salad with Chicken

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This healthy chopped salad is a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken. You can reserve the remaining hard-boiled egg half for a snack.

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Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps

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We love the retro vibe of these egg salad lettuce wraps. Iceberg lettuce makes a perfect low-carb swap for bread to serve the egg salad.

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Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna

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This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don't need to massage or cook it to make it tender.

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White Bean & Veggie Salad

White Bean & Veggie Salad
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This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables.

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Mixed Greens with Lentils & Sliced Apple

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This salad with lentils, feta and apple is a satisfying vegetarian entree to whip together for lunch. To save time, swap in drained canned lentils--just make sure to look for low-sodium and give them a rinse before adding them to the salad.

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 21 Cucumber Sandwich
    2 of 21 Mashed Chickpea Salad with Dill & Capers
    3 of 21 Avocado Egg Salad
    4 of 21 Veggie & Hummus Sandwich
    5 of 21 Caprese Sandwich
    6 of 21 Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad
    7 of 21 Tuna Salad with Egg
    8 of 21 3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad
    9 of 21 3-Ingredient Farro Bowl with Rotisserie Chicken
    10 of 21 Lentil Curry with Cauliflower Rice
    11 of 21 3-Ingredient Chicken Tabbouleh Bowls
    12 of 21 Egg Salad English-Muffin Sandwich
    13 of 21 3-Ingredient Green Goddess White Bean Salad
    14 of 21 Shrimp Niçoise Meal-Prep Bowls
    15 of 21 Chopped Veggie Grain Bowls with Turmeric Dressing
    16 of 21 Chickpea "Chicken" Salad
    17 of 21 Chopped Cobb Salad with Chicken
    18 of 21 Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps
    19 of 21 Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna
    20 of 21 White Bean & Veggie Salad
    21 of 21 Mixed Greens with Lentils & Sliced Apple

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    21 Simple 10-Minute Lunches to Pack for Work
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