7 Easy, Make-Ahead Lunches to Make This Week

These low-maintenance, high-payoff dishes are so craveable that when you eat your midday meal, you’ll almost forget there’s a full email inbox in the background.

Whether you’re in the mood for salmon-cucumber wraps or chicken stir-fry, we’ve got a work lunch idea you can get behind. The best part is that all of these meals can be made ahead; we love to double the recipe for dinner and save half for lunch the next day, that way we can enjoy something new every day of the week.

Vietnamese Slaw with Lemongrass Shrimp and Peanuts This light, fresh seafood lunch channels the sweet and sour flavors that are characteristic of Southeast Asian cuisine.

Sesame Soba Noodles with Tofu and Sugar Snap Peas Here’s a meat-free meal that has it all: crispy vegetables, sustaining plant protein and noodles that keep well overnight.

Bacon, Cheddar and Potato Hand Pies Savory hand pies might sound like a strange choice for a make-ahead lunch, until you realize that this warm, flaky pastry is stuffed with everything you need for a balanced meal—bacon, peas, potatoes and more—and perfect for those days when you’re running from one meeting to the next.

Pancetta, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Orecchiette Orecchiette, or short, thick ear-shaped pieces of pasta, keep better overnight than their noodle counterparts. Here, they’re the star of a dish that features asparagus and goat cheese.

Panzanella With Tomatoes, Chickpeas & Tuna Use this Italian bread salad recipe as a template for easy lunches, mixing different vegetables and proteins with the same dressing and bread.

Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Wraps Take a break from sandwiches, opting instead for a hands-friendly wrap filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber slices and nutrient-dense sprouts.

Chicken, Broccoli and Cashew Stir-Fry Stir-fries make some of the most satisfying lunches, because they hold up well when reheated in the microwave. We love this chicken, broccoli and cashew version.