Finding exciting and quick Food For Lunch can often feel like a daily challenge. Whether you’re working from home, in the office, or need a midday meal on the go, having a repertoire of easy and delicious lunch ideas is essential. This guide is packed with inspiration for your midday meal, offering a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches, bowls, and pasta dishes that are not only simple to prepare but also incredibly satisfying and healthy. Say goodbye to lunchtime boredom and discover your new favorite food for lunch right here!
Soup Recipes for a Comforting Lunch
Soup is an excellent choice for a comforting and nutritious lunch, especially on cooler days. Easy to make and often packed with vegetables, soups can be a fantastic way to get a healthy dose of nutrients during your midday break.
Lentil Soup
This five-ingredient lentil soup is a champion of simplicity and health. Made with stock, red lentils, carrots, leeks, and parsley, it’s a low-calorie and low-fat option that also counts towards your daily vegetable intake. It’s a perfect example of nutritious food for lunch that doesn’t compromise on taste or ease.
Cauliflower Soup
Indulge in this creamy and comforting cauliflower soup for a midday pick-me-up. Highly rated and incredibly satisfying, it’s delicious when topped with fresh parsley and served with crusty bread, making it a delightful and warming food for lunch.
Rustic Vegetable Soup
This vibrant and low-fat vegetable soup is bursting with goodness. Carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, lentils, celery, and tomatoes combine to provide a substantial serving of your daily vegetables. For a heartier food for lunch, consider adding borlotti beans or chicken breast to this already wholesome soup.
Meatball & Tomato Soup
For a super-filling and flavorful food for lunch, try this meatball & tomato soup. Packed with chunky meatballs and giant couscous, this highly-rated soup is both healthy and low in calories, while still delivering a satisfying and robust meal.
Mexican Bean Soup with Guacamole
Spice up your lunch routine with this healthy Mexican bean soup. Low in calories and fat, it’s an excellent way to utilize pantry staples like canned tomatoes and beans. The guacamole adds a fresh and creamy element, making it a delicious and vibrant food for lunch.
Orzo & Tomato Soup
This budget-friendly tomato, orzo, and chickpea soup is ready in just 30 minutes, making it perfect for a quick and easy food for lunch. Healthy, vegetarian, and low in fat, it’s a family-friendly meal that’s both satisfying and simple to prepare.
Carrot & Lentil Soup
This five-star carrot & lentil soup is a top choice for a reason. Packed with iron and low in fat, this healthy soup is not only nutritious but also incredibly easy to make, even in a slow cooker, offering a convenient food for lunch option.
Butternut Squash Soup with Chilli & Crème Fraîche
Celebrate the flavors of autumn with this creamy and warming butternut squash soup. Blended with onions, garlic, and chilli, and topped with crème fraîche, it’s a sophisticated yet simple food for lunch that’s perfect for a chilly day.
Curried Squash, Lentil & Coconut Soup
This vegan soup is infused with Indian-inspired spices, offering an exotic twist to your food for lunch. Make a large batch to freeze for future meals, making it a convenient and flavorful option for busy weeks.
Courgette, Pea & Pesto Soup
Another healthy and vibrant soup, this courgette, pea, and pesto soup is loaded with fibre, vitamin C, and folic acid. Packed with chunky ingredients like courgette, cannellini beans, and peas, it’s a satisfying and nutritious food for lunch.
Salad Lunch Ideas for a Light and Refreshing Meal
Salads are a fantastic way to enjoy a light, refreshing, and often quick food for lunch. Packed with fresh vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats, salads can be both satisfying and incredibly nutritious.
Lentil Salad with Tahini Dressing
This lentil and sweet potato salad is a nutritional powerhouse, providing calcium, iron, folate, vitamin C, and fibre. Packed with four of your five-a-day, and dressed with a delicious tahini dressing, it’s a healthy and substantial food for lunch.
Chicken Satay Salad
For a super-filling and flavorful food for lunch, this chicken satay salad is an excellent choice. Low in calories and fat, but high in protein, this top-rated salad is perfect for a busy weekday when you need a satisfying yet healthy meal.
Avocado Panzanella
This light and vibrant vegan avocado panzanella comes together in just 20 minutes, making it an ideal super-speedy food for lunch. Perfect for a quick working-from-home meal, it’s both refreshing and flavorful.
Halloumi with Lemony Lentils, Chickpeas & Beets
This gluten-free salad is a great way to use up pantry ingredients. Topped with golden-brown halloumi and quick pickled red onion, it’s a flavorful and satisfying food for lunch that’s also easy to prepare.
Epic Summer Salad
Plan ahead for the week with a big batch of this glorious epic summer salad. Packed with avocado, spinach, black beans, sweetcorn, feta cheese, and mango, and topped with a minty dressing, it’s a substantial and flavorful food for lunch option.
Green Goddess Chicken Salad
Treat yourself to this vibrant green goddess chicken salad. Bursting with colours and flavours, including basil, jalapeño, and lime, it’s a refreshing and healthy food for lunch that also provides four of your five-a-day.
Guacamole & Mango Salad with Black Beans
Get four of your five-a-day with this healthy and flavorful salad of mango, avocado, and black beans. A nutritional powerhouse that’s also vegan and gluten-free, making it a versatile food for lunch.
Tuna, Avocado & Quinoa Salad
Put canned tuna to good use with this pantry-friendly salad recipe. Combine tuna with filling avocado, quinoa, cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, and feta cheese for a quick and easy food for lunch.
Crunchy Bulgur Salad
This vibrant summer salad is loaded with radishes, edamame beans, peppers, almonds, and herbs. Finished with a homemade citrus dressing, it’s a crunchy and refreshing food for lunch option perfect for warmer days.
Miso Brown Rice & Broccoli Salad
Miso adds a savory umami flavor to this hearty salad. Using brown rice as a base and tossed with edamame beans, broccoli, spicy prawns, and a miso dressing, it’s a flavorful and substantial food for lunch.
Sandwiches & Wraps for a Convenient Lunch
Sandwiches and wraps are the epitome of convenient food for lunch. Easy to assemble and portable, they are perfect for taking to work or enjoying a quick meal at home. These options go beyond the ordinary, offering exciting flavor combinations and healthy ingredients.
Beetroot, Hummus & Crispy Chickpea Sandwich
Load up a sub with homemade hummus, beetroot, chickpeas, and salad to create this filling vegan sandwich. This colorful and plant-based sandwich is a delicious and satisfying food for lunch, perfect for those on a vegan diet.
Rice Paper Wraps
Customize these versatile rice paper wraps with whatever fillings you have on hand. Dip them in sweet chilli sauce or a homemade satay peanut sauce for a flavorful and interactive food for lunch experience.
Green Club Sandwich
You can’t go wrong with a classic sandwich filled with nourishing ingredients. Top wholegrain or rye bread with hummus, avocado, rocket, and cherry tomatoes for a healthy and satisfying food for lunch.
Healthy Tuna Lettuce Wraps
Try using lettuce in place of tortillas for a low-carb food for lunch idea. These high-protein wraps are packed with omega-3-rich tuna and provide three of your five-a-day, making them a nutritious and light option.
Crispy Chicken & Smashed Avocado Baps
Pack these healthy chicken, avocado, and lettuce sandwiches for a delicious food for lunch on the go. The crispy coating on the chicken, made from flour, almonds, and sesame seeds, adds a delightful texture and flavor.
Hummus Rainbow Wraps
Make these vibrant rainbow wraps with hummus, beetroot, carrot, feta, and baby spinach for a quick and easy veggie food for lunch that’s perfect for the whole family.
Falafel Wrap
Create ultimate veggie wraps with homemade five-ingredient falafels. Packed with falafels, avocado, herbs, and topped with a delicious tahini sauce, they are a flavorful and satisfying food for lunch.
Veggie Olive Wrap
Raid your fridge and assemble this easy veggie olive wrap with leftover ingredients. Red cabbage, spring onions, courgette, basil, and green olives combine for a quick and customizable food for lunch.
Roasted Chickpea Wraps
This super-healthy vegetarian wrap packs in four of your five-a-day, with avocados, roasted red peppers, and spiced chickpeas. It’s a nutritious and flavorful food for lunch choice.
Rainbow Baguette
Fill a baguette with hummus, pesto, and colorful veggies like beetroot, red pepper, carrot, and green leaves to create this vegetarian rainbow sandwich. It’s a vibrant and satisfying food for lunch that’s also visually appealing.
Bowls for a Nutritious and Versatile Lunch
Lunch bowls are incredibly versatile and offer a fantastic way to combine grains, proteins, and vegetables into one satisfying and nutritious meal. Perfect for meal prep or a quick assembly, these bowls are a great food for lunch option.
Prawn & Grain Poke Bowls
Poke bowls are a fantastic light and easy food for lunch option. Quickly marinated prawns in chilli & lime dressing, served with grains, mango, radishes, avocado, and spring onions, create a refreshing and flavorful bowl.
Chicken Hummus Bowl
This chicken hummus bowl is perfect for using up leftovers. Loaded with hummus, mixed grains, baby spinach, avocado, sliced chicken breast, pomegranate seeds, and toasted almonds, it’s a hearty and customizable food for lunch.
Sesame & Ginger Sushi Bowl
This vegan sushi bowl is packed with goodness, including fibre-rich wholegrain rice and protein-rich edamame beans, plus a tangy tamari & sesame dressing. It’s a healthy and flavorful food for lunch that’s also vegan-friendly.
Peanut Butter Chicken Rice Bowl
Make your own homemade satay sauce with peanut butter, sesame oil, and soy sauce for this peanut butter chicken rice bowl. Using chicken thighs makes it a budget-friendly and delicious food for lunch.
Burrito Bowl
This healthy burrito bowl is full of veggies and greens, perfect for a filling food for lunch. This vegetarian meal is as tasty as it is visually appealing, offering a vibrant and satisfying option.
Bulgur & Quinoa Lunch Bowls
These meal-prep grain bowls are made with one base and two deliciously different toppings. Choose from avocado, olives, and rocket, or chickpeas, beetroot, and orange for a customizable and convenient food for lunch.
Chicken Burrito Bowl
Whip up a simple chicken burrito bowl for a satisfying food for lunch for two. Pile on avocado, sweet potato wedges, and tortillas for an easy and filling midday meal.
Coconut Curry Noodle Bowl
Make a big batch of these coconut curry noodles to enjoy throughout the week as a convenient food for lunch. Pok choi, green beans, carrots, and udon noodles create a flavorful and satisfying bowl.
Quick Sushi Bowl
This speedy sushi bowl is a quick and flavorful food for lunch option. Containing a tasty mix of salmon, sushi rice, carrots, radishes, and pickled red cabbage, it’s a simple dish packed with flavor.
Roasted Cauli-Broc Bowl with Tahini Hummus
This vegan lunch bowl is both healthy and gluten-free. Roasted cauliflower and broccoli florets are assembled with quinoa, beetroot, spinach, and walnuts for a nutritious and satisfying food for lunch.
Pasta Dishes for a Satisfying Midday Meal
Pasta is a wonderfully versatile ingredient that can be transformed into countless delicious and satisfying dishes perfect for food for lunch. Whether you’re looking for something creamy, veggie-packed, or with lean protein, pasta offers a great range of options.
Pasta with Salmon & Peas
This top-rated salmon pasta is a fantastic filling food for lunch option, especially during the midweek. Low in calories and rich in fibre and omega-3 fatty acids, it’s both healthy and satisfying.
Creamy Pesto & Kale Pasta
Enjoy creamy pesto and kale pasta for a tasty and nutritious food for lunch. Made with just a handful of ingredients and pantry staples, it’s a simple yet flavorful midday meal.
Ratatouille Pasta Salad
Use up leftover ratatouille to create a substantial vegetarian food for lunch that’s quick to prepare and super-healthy. Providing all five of your five-a-day, it’s a nutritious and flavorful choice.
Mexican Penne with Avocado
Get all five of your five-a-day in this mildly spiced and healthy Mexican penne dish. Rich in iron, fibre, and vitamin C, as well as being low-fat and low-calorie, it’s a nutritious and flavorful food for lunch.
Salmon Pasta Salad
Use frozen, skinless wild salmon fillets for a cheap and filling food for lunch on the go with this salmon pasta salad. Low-calorie and healthy, this dish is incredibly easy to whip up.
Pesto Pasta Salad
Prepare a big batch of this pesto pasta salad to enjoy throughout the week as a convenient food for lunch. Loaded with cucumber, peas, cherry tomatoes, and basil, it’s a refreshing and flavorful option.
Tomato, Courgette & Prawn Pasta
This healthy pasta dish is low in fat and full of fresh ingredients. Packed with courgettes, cherry tomatoes, juicy prawns, and leafy basil, it’s a light yet satisfying food for lunch.
Asparagus & Lemon Spaghetti with Peas
This healthy vegan pasta dish is ready in under 20 minutes, perfect for a quick food for lunch. Low in calories and providing three of your five-a-day, along with fibre, vitamin C, and iron, it’s a nutritious and speedy choice.
Charred Broccoli, Lemon & Walnut Pasta
Make this quick broccoli, lemon, and walnut pasta with simple pantry ingredients. Healthy, low in fat and calories, and full of texture and flavour, it’s a delightful and easy food for lunch.
We hope this collection of quick and easy food for lunch ideas inspires your midday meals. From comforting soups to refreshing salads, convenient sandwiches, versatile bowls, and satisfying pasta dishes, there’s something here for everyone to enjoy. Explore the linked recipes for full instructions and even more lunch inspiration!
