Healthy Meal Prep Lunch Ideas

The best way to prevent soggy lunches is to use meal prep containers with separators so you can keep foods in their own compartments. If you’re making a sandwich or wrap, pack the filling separately and assemble the sandwich right before you eat.

If you have a microwave where you eat lunch, it’s easy to reheat your lunch. Use glass meal prep containers instead of plastic if you want to reheat in the storage container or put the food on a microwave-safe plate or bowl. Don’t microwave food in plastic containers.

Don’t have access to a microwave or prefer cold lunches? Sandwiches, salads and bowls are some of the best meal prepped lunches. You can also bring a selection of cold finger foods, such as rolled deli, cut up veggies and dip, nuts and fruit.

To keep your lunch safe to eat, pack it in an insulated cooler with an ice pack. This should keep it cool enough until it’s time to eat. If your lunch will be subjected to high heat (such as being outside for hours in summer heat), consider bringing lunches that won’t easily spoil.

Not only can you save time and money when meal prepping lunches, but you can also eat healthier. By making your own food at home, you have control over portion sizes and what goes into your lunch so you can limit the fat, sodium, sugar and calories.

Many people meal prep lunches for the whole week. Sunday is a popular meal prep day and you can make enough food so you have lunch throughout the week. If your prepped meals include food that spoils quickly, just eat those meals earlier in the week.

The simplest way to meal prep is to pack up leftovers from dinners you’ve made. Salads require some work to cut everything but store easily. Sandwiches are easy meal prep lunches, although you may not want to put the filling on the bread until you’re ready to eat so it doesn’t get soggy.

Most foods will last in the fridge for up to a week, but that timeframe may be shorter if your lunch includes foods that spoil easily, such as those containing fish, mayo or other delicate items

A great way to keep meal prepped lunches fresher if you’re not going to eat them until later in the week is to freeze them. This works well for soups, stews and other cooked foods. Freezing is not recommended if you’re meal prepping salads or sandwiches.

The best meal prep containers are ones that fit the types of foods you eat. Many people prefer meal prep containers with individual compartments so they can keep foods separate. You may also want to buy silicone cups to separate foods like fruit, veggies and nuts.

If you’re prepping a cooked lunch to take on the go, it’s best to fully cook the meal so it just has to be reheated. But if you’re eating at home, you may prefer preparing ingredients in advance but cooking at the last minute (like many people do for meal prepped dinners).

The amount of time it takes to meal prep lunch depends on what kinds of food you’re making and how many meals you’re prepping. It often doesn’t take long to meal prep lunch, however. Get the family involved and it may go even faster!

Don’t want lunch to be bland or boring? Add sauces and seasonings to kick up the flavor. In fact, using the same ingredients but adding different sauces throughout the week can make the same foods taste different each day.

New to meal prepping and feel overwhelmed? Start small and just meal prep one or two lunches at a time. An easy way to do this is to make extra for dinner and pack the leftovers for lunch. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find easy ways to meal prep lunch that don’t take much time.