How Sweet Eats

100+ Make-Ahead Lunch Ideas for 2024.

I love all of these lunch ideas for 2024! So many of my favorite meals to make ahead for lunches – all things you can prep the day before! Tons of flavor, super satisfying and nourishing meals.

I’ve got over 90 lunch ideas for 2024 today! Lots of my faves all in one place.

Whether you are still working from home or heading into the office, these are lunch ideas for 2024 that you can make and prep ahead of time. Woohoo!

While I’m all about having a fried egg for lunch or topping my avocado toast with a fried egg or grilling and roasting some vegetables for lunch, when you work out of the home I know that just isn’t feasible. These are all dishes that you can make or prep ahead of time and ones that will taste great come lunch time.

That’s the biggest thing for me. No matter how fantastic the salad was that I would make for lunch when I sat behind a desk, whether it had croutons or last night’s chicken on top, it still tasted like a sad desk lunch and I just wanted something more delicious. Now I AM sharing a bunch of my favorite substantial salads below, but there are a ton of other lunch ideas here that range from soups to bowls to full blown meals! Eddie requires an actual MEAL, so there are some of those below too.

You can always find me sharing lunch ideas over on instagram too!

100+ Make-Ahead Lunch Ideas for 2024

CLASSICS

These recipes are some of my most-lunched recipes on the blog. They are my favorites, the ones I eat frequently or that you guys tell me you’re loving.

The Best Ever Egg Salad

Pickle Lovers Egg Salad

Dill Pickle Chicken Salad

Smashed Chickpea Salad

Chickpea Tortellini Salad

Pickled Vegetable Sandwiches

Avocado Chicken Salad with Chipotle and Lime

Summer Chicken Salad

Herby White Bean Tuna Salad

Pesto Smashed Chickpea Salad

Tomato and Avocado Bagelwiches

Hot Honey Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Lemon Chicken Caesar Wraps

Green Goddess Tuna Melts

Nicoise Bagel Sandwiches

Crunchy Roasted Chickpea Pitas (pack the chickpeas separately, along with some hummus and tomatoes!)

Loaded Hummus Havarti Veggie Sandwiches

Thai Turkey Burgers (these are amazing made ahead of time and served on salads or in wraps!)

Asian Turkey Burgers (same as above!)

Tuscan Tuna Melts

Goat Cheese Tartines with Egg Vinaigrette

Southwest Chicken Salad Slider Melts

Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocados. (Be sure to peel and stuff the avocado right before eating.)

Shaved Egg Avocado Toast. (If you don’t want to actually shave an egg at work, just slice it!)

Smoked Salmon Bagels

Breakfast Quinoa (this is so satisfying that I don’t mind having it for lunch)

Marinated White Beans with Toast (this is equally good with some whole grain crackers!)

Lemon Almond Roast Chicken Salad

Greek Chicken Lettuce Wrap

Make Ahead Mediterranean Chickpeas

Sweet and Savory Brussels Slaw

SALADS & BOWLS

Most of these salads can be prepped the night before, and if they don’t have a protein, add one of your choice if desired. A few of them, like the greek salads and chickpea salad, get more delicious as they sit.

Summer Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Chickpea Salad Bowl with Dilly Croutons

Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Ginger Dressing

Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad

Golden Cauliflower Chickpea Bowls

Bruschetta Pasta Salad

Grilled Chicken Rice Bowls

Butternut Couscous Bowls

Cilantro Lime Tortellini Salad

Broccoli Caesar Salad

Winter Chickpea Salad with Smoked Provolone

Winter Citrus Farro Salad

Warm Winter Farro Salad

Warm Brussels Crunch Salad

Winter Slaw Salad

Summer BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

Roasted Salmon Salad with Hot Ginger Dressing

Grilled Chicken Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

Strawberry Crunch Salad with Grilled Chicken

Chili Lime Sweet Potato Taco Bowls with Chipotle Ranch

Honey Mustard Chicken Chopped Salad

Roasted Cauliflower Farro Salad

Summer Squash Pasta with Goat Cheese

Zucchini Corn Orzo Salad

Rosemary Chicken, Bacon Avocado Salad

Mediterranean Kale Salad with Chicken 

Spring Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Honey Mustard Dressing

Cheeseburger Chopped Salad

Fuji Apple Chicken Salad

Slow Roasted Tomato Farro Salad

My Favorite Greek Salad

Crispy Chickpea Chopped Salad

Chickpea Bacon Ranch Chopped Salad

Winter Crunch Salad

Honeycrisp Quinoa Kale Salad

Nacho Quinoa Taco Salad

Black Pepper Balsamic Strawberry Pasta Salad

Goat Cheese and Arugula Pasta Salad

BBQ Quinoa Salad

Baja Grain Bowls

Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls

Thai Chicken Quinoa Bowl

BLT Chopped Salad

Greek Orzo Salad in a Jar

The Best Simple Chickpea Salad

Ramen Noodle Crunch Salad

SOUPS

All of these soups are delicious if you make them a day or so ahead of time. For the soups with pasta, you can always cook it separately and add it the morning of or right before eating so it doesn’t soak up too much liquid. I like preparing a soup for lunches, and freezing half of it. That way lunch will already be prepared in a few weeks/months or you can even have it for dinner at some point.

Easy Maple Turkey Chili

Creamy Chicken and Orzo Soup

Fire Roasted Minestrone with Kale Pesto

Parmesan Chickpea Soup

Chicken Taco Soup

Lemon Ginger Couscous Chicken Soup

Chicken and Stars Soup

Roasted Carrot Coconut Soup

Lemon Chicken Soup

Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder

Ginger Lime Chicken and Rice Soup

30 Minute Asian Chicken Soup

Game Day Chili

White Chicken Quinoa Chili

Mini Chicken Meatball Soup

Butternut Squash Quinoa Chili

Ginger Sweet Potato Soup

Chickpea Pasta Soup

Spicy Sausage, Kale & Whole Wheat Pasta Soup

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MEALS

Of course, I use the term “meals” loosely here, because everyone’s idea of a meal is subjective! These meals have a little more substance. They feel more like actual MEALS than lunches, if that makes sense. They are served hot, they aren’t a cold bowl of salad. And if you’re anything like Eddie, that is what he loves – lunch that tastes and satisfies like dinner. These are some of my favorites that can be made a day or two ahead of time and still reheat nicely. If you prefer leftovers for lunch, these are for you.

Bruschetta Quinoa Zucchini Boats

Ranch Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Couscous

One Pot Fall Vegetable Orzo

Cashew Shrimp and Mango Stir Fry

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken and Broccoli

20 Minute Basil Chickpea Curry

One Pot Salsa Chicken Quinoa

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

Korean Chicken with Coconut Rice

Kung Pao Cauliflower

Grilled Vegetable Orzo

Chicken Feta Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles

Lemon Chicken Meatballs with Hummus

Broccoli Bacon Pasta

Broccoli Cheddar Spaghetti Squash

Pasta with Chickpeas, Spinach and Garlic

15 Minute Sesame Ramen Noodles

Farfalle with Arugula, Pine Nuts and Marinated Feta

Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers

One Pan Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken and Green Bean Skillet

Slow Cooker Mini Turkey Meatballs

Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers

Korean Beef Bowls

Thai Drunken Zucchini Noodles with Honey Chicken

I’d love to hear more of your favorite lunches! Whether they are something you meal prep, or an easy idea that you throw together everyday. Share ’em below!

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    15 Comments on “100+ Make-Ahead Lunch Ideas for 2024.”

  1. All nice ideas, perfect for meal prep and/for dinner with guests

  2. This is only 88 more than I have 🤷‍♂️

    • Bahaha! Always love a funny Eddie cameo! 

  3. These all look lovely, thanks for the ideas.

  4. What is the first picture?  I’m trying to figure out the corresponding recipe haha!  I’m sure it’s like right there but…I’m tired.

    • Oops not the first picture, the second one with the chicken and corn and dates.

      • this chicken salad!

  5. Thank you for all these ideas!

  6. Thanks for compiling this list of amazing ideas. Could you tell me which recipe corresponds to the first picture (the orzo and veggies etc). I can’t seem to find it, thanks 

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  11. I love your lunch ideas for 2023! I’m always looking for creative and interesting ways to pack my lunch, and your list is full of great options. I especially love the idea of making soups and salads ahead of time so I can grab and eat in the morning. I’m also a big fan of your emphasis on flavor and satisfaction. I’ve had my fair share of sad desk lunches, and I know how imperative it is to have something delicious and nutritious . Your recipes look like they’ll hit the spot!
    Thanks for sharing your lunch ideas. I’ll definitely trying some of them out soon.

  12. I’m tired of our usual lunch takeouts my husband and I grab so that I will be making a few of these. Thank-you for the great list!