These non-sandwich lunch ideas for adults are easy, tasty, and the perfect way to switch up your lunch routine.
From cold lunch options, salads, and wraps that can be packed for work to nice cozy warm meals you can heat and eat too!
In this post, you’ll find a variety of nutritious meals that have both nutrition and delicious appeal.
I pack 2 adult office lunches and 3 kid school lunches, 2 morning snacks, and 4 afternoon snacks daily. That’s a lot of packing!
If I relied on a sandwich day in and day out to provide the bulk of the meal, I would get tired of it pretty quickly. Though I do make pretty amazing sandwiches.
Lunch Ideas that Aren’t Sandwiches
Cobb Pasta Salad
Save some plain pasta from dinner and top it with everyone’s favorite toppings like bacon, avocado, ham, and cheese.
Egg Roll in a Bowl
This filling meal is a low-carb lunch that’s high in protein too!
Roasted Chicken Wrap
Turn chicken leftovers into this epic flatbread wrap filled with veggies and drizzled with a simple hummus dressing.
Roasted Veggie Salad
If roasted veggies are a staple at dinner, make extra and turn them into the hero of your next meal.
Bacon & Avocado Pinwheels
When your avocados are very ripe, they’re perfect for being mashed and rolled up with crispy bacon and cheese into a wrap or pinwheels!
Crispy Chicken Tender Salad
Skip eating out for lunch and make your own crispy chicken tender salad at a fraction of the cost.
Southwest Quinoa Salad
A fiber and protein-rich meal that’s nutritious and convenient to make. A single batch can feed you for several days; it’s so good, you’ll want it on repeat.
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Everything you love about buffalo wings but a lot healthier! Shredded buffalo chicken breasts over a salad loaded with your favorite toppings.
Nicoise Salad with Salmon
Turn last night’s salmon dinner leftovers into a classic salad that’s both nutritious and delicious!
Turkey Club Wrap
Swap another turkey sandwich for this epic wrap that provides lots of nutrition.
Chicken Santa Fe Salad
Grilled chicken, black beans, corn, avocado… everything you love from the favorite restaurant favorite with an epic jalapeño ranch dressing!
Chicken Salad with Greens
Need to add get more leafy greens into your day? make a base and top them with this epic healthy chicken salad recipe!
Pasta Salad with Turkey
With this easy recipe, you can turn leftovers into a healthy lunch in 5 minutes. It’s simple, nutritious, and tasty!
Chicken Farro Bowls
All the classic Mediterranean flavors in one meal. Use farro or rice for an easy-to-make-ahead lunch!
Spinach Turkey Wrap
For days where you don’t want another salad, wrap your spinach and tomatoes up with turkey for protein!
Egg Salad Stuffed Avocado
Egg salad + avocado are the perfect match! Make this recipe in no time for a fresh, tasty, and satiating meal.
Asian Chicken Salad Wraps
Everything you love from the crunchy and tasty salad, but handheld! This fork-free lunch idea is healthy, satisfying, and packed with nutrition.
Burrito Bowls
No need to go to chipotle with this DIY recipe alternative! Use regular rice or cauliflower rice for a lower-carb lunch.
BLT Salad
Everything you love from a classic BLT sandwich deconstructed into a healthy and easy meal prep lunch that’s spectacular!
Healthy Pesto Salad
Got a little pesto in the fridge from another recipe? Use it up drizzled over your favorite salad ingredients like this!
Chicken Caprese Salad
More filling than the tomato + mozzarella option, this is a healthy lunch you can feel good about eating.
Cobb Salad Lettuce Wraps/Cups
Loaded with protein, veggies, and super crunch for a fresh, low-carb, and incredibly easy-to-make meal!
Thai Pasta Salad with Chicken
Super crunchy, filling, and packed with nutrition and protein this is a must-make recipe.
BLT Lettuce Wraps
This recipe shows you how to skip the tortilla and use lettuce to wrap up your favorite ingredients instead.
Related: Try these easy-prep adult lunchables!
Warm Lunch Ideas
If you’re heating lunch up at home, have a microwave at the office or a trusty thermos to pack your lunch in, try one of these warm lunches!
Chili Mac
A favorite of kids and grownups alike, this epic recipe is one of those that taste better the next day! Microwave your bowl or pack it warm in a thermos.
Enchilada Soup
This is an easy recipe that you can make ahead, freeze for later in single portions, and warm up a bowl whenever you need it.
Mac and Cheese
Grownups can eat mac and cheese for lunch too! Pack those leftovers in a thermos or microwavable container, and you’ve got yourself lunch!
Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Make this super delicious creamy pasta for dinner and enjoy leftovers for lunch packed in a thermos or in a microwave-safe bowl.
Korean Chicken Lunch
If Asian take-out is a go-to for lunch, make this recipe at home that packs great and is much healthier!
Salsa Verde Chicken Pasta
A simple dinner recipe that often yields leftovers can be packed for lunch in a thermos or microwavable lunch container.
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
Another take-out classic you can make healthier at home and enjoy for lunch for days to come.
Roasted Vegetable Salad with Chicken
Make it for dinner, save leftovers for lunch, or prep ahead… this is one epic recipe that will make you feel like you’re eating healthy as an adult!
Can’t wait to get started? Print one of my favorite lunch ideas below!
Print30+ Non-Sandwich Lunch Ideas for Adults
These non-sandwich lunch ideas for adults are healthy, pack great, and can help you eat healthy at work or at home. So many to choose from!
Ingredients
- 8 large lettuce leaves
- 8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1 large tomato, sliced thin
- Ranch dressing for drizzling
Instructions
- Make a base for the wraps with two of the lettuce leaves.
- Top each base with tomato slices and bacon. Drizzle with ranch dressing if you plan to enjoy the lunch right away; otherwise, pack the dressing in small lidded containers.
- Fold lettuce leaves over and the sides in and pack inside a lunch container.
Stephanie
just curious what type/brand of turkey you buy?
Laura Fuentes
Typically I buy Applegate if I can’t get to Whole Foods.
Lori
I have been searching all over for your Honey-orange chicken meatball recipe!!! Where can I find it?!? Thanks SO much!!!
Laura Fuentes
Lori, that recipe is inside the MOMables Menus.
Heidi
If u panini grill the wraps and Grill the pizzas, how do u maintain the texture bc mine usually become rubbery?
Thank u
Laura Fuentes
allowing them to completely cool down before packing inside a container eliminates this issue. Check out this video. I’m using a sandwich but the process is the same.
Theresa
Hi Laura. I really appreciate that you respond to people when they make comments. Seems like you respond to every one or almost every one. That’s hard to do. I can’t respond to all my texts some days. I can see that you really care about helping people.
I am a teacher aide at a high school. My niece who has special needs lives with me. She used to get free lunch at school so I only had to get my lunch. Of course when it was just me I bought the packaged frozen diet meals all the time. Now I have to pack us both a lunch. The lunch at school for my niece is $2.50 and for me $2.80. That’s a lot to spend each day. And besides it never filled us up and makes me feel gassy and bloated.
You give us recipes that are doable. I have checked other sites and their recipes have expensive ingredients or a ton of ingredients that I can not afford. I have packed my lunch like you do for the last week. It is such a hit that the kids at school are trying to steal my niece’s lunch every day. My niece has been looking at your recipes and she is so excited. She said yesterday ” I can do some of these by myself”. And she could. Some are really easy. We are dying to try the homemade marshmallows and chick fillet nuggets and sweet tator tots.
THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!!!!!!!
Laura Fuentes
Theresa, your comment made me so happy! I am thrilled that my recipes have made you realize that real food is not as expensive as we think and that they are doable! Im sure you’ve visited MOMables.com for more ideas. I’m excited to help you in your homemade journey! Thank YOU for reading my recipes.
Amanda
Hi Laura – where did you find your containers that the food is in? I love the three different compartments in one.
Laura Fuentes
Amanda, you can get the containers here.
wendy vides
This lunch boxes look delish. Laura I know you resently post all the flat breads pitas and bread. But i usually shop at sprouts or sam’s what products would you recommend from there?
Laura Fuentes
I am not sure what brands are sold at sprouts Wendy but I am sure they sell pitas and flat breads. I know Sams has wraps too!