90 Healthy No-Heat Lunches for Taking to Work
Here are 90 Healthy No-Heat Lunches for Taking to Work and most of these healthy lunch ideas are low-carb and gluten-free. Use Lunches to find more recipes like these.
PIN 90 Healthy No-Heat Lunches for Taking to Work to try some later!
During the years I taught elementary school and also worked on this blog, I was grateful for leftovers that I could take to school and warm up for lunch. But without a place to heat food at the workplace, healthy lunches are a lot more challenging. Years ago I had a request on the Kalyn’s Kitchen Facebook page to share ideas for healthy brown bag lunches that don’t need to be heated, and I worked hard on a collection of 90 No-Heat Lunches for Taking to Work that ended up being a big hit on the blog.
Now fast forward quite a few years and I’m focused more on low-carb eating, and my blog has changed a lot since this was first posted. So I’m updating this collection of healthy lunches with a lot more low-carb options, although there are still plenty of ideas for readers who follow other diets as well. And now my site has diet-type tags above the recipe title on every post, so if a recipe in this round-up sounds good to you, just click the link to go to that post and you can see what diets I feel it’s suitable for!
I focused on no-heat lunches for taking to work that I think will keep in the fridge for at least a day or two, but check individual recipes for more information about that. Some of these dishes contain ingredients (like fresh tomatoes or avocados) that I’d cut up in the morning and add when I eat the lunch. And some salads might be best if you refrigerate the dressing and salad separately and combine at lunchtime, and a few dishes (like the tostadas) would definitely need to be packed separately and then assembled when you eat them. But all these are tasty ideas that I hope can make your brown-bag lunches a lot more interesting’ enjoy!
(90 Healthy No-Heat Lunches for Taking to Work was first posted in 2012. Updated in 2020 with new photos and lots more low-carb lunch ideas.)
Salads with Tomatoes for a No-Heat Lunch:
Spicy Tomato-Cucumber Salad with Peperoncini (shown above)
Not-so-Dumb Salad with Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Onions, Avocado, and Balsamic Vinegar
Heart of Palm Salad with Tomato, Avocado, and Lime – with or without Cilantro
Effie’s Easy and Amazing Cottage Cheese Salad with Za’atar
Tomato, Cucumber, and Radish Salad with Yogurt and Tahini Dressing
Tuna and Tomato Salad with Sunflower Seeds
Chopped Greek-Style Salad with Red, Yellow, and Orange Bell Peppers
Tomatoes, Hearts of Palm, Olives, and Feta with Basil Vinaigrette
Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Marinated Garbanzo Beans
Garbanzo, Tomato, and Cilantro Salad with Lime and Chile Dressing – with or without avocado
Tomato Salad with Avocado, Tuna, Cilantro, and Lime
Tomato, Olive, and Fresh Mozzarella Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
Pitas, Tostadas, and Wraps for a No-Heat Lunch:
Easy Guacamole Tostadas (shown above)
Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps with Capers and Tomatoes
Spicy Shredded Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos (the spicy chicken is good hot or cold)
Egg Salad in Pita with Green Olives, Green Onions and Dijon
Easy Leftover Turkey Pita Sandwiches with Fresh Cranberry Salsa
Deviled Ham Spread for Filling Whole Wheat Pita or Celery
Mediterranean Tostada with Hummus, Feta, and Kalamata Olives
Seven Layer Tostadas (a little more complicated to pack, but delicious)
Salads with Eggs and Cheese for a No-Heat Lunch:
Low-Carb Loaded Cauliflower Mock Potato Salad (shown above)
Low-Carb and High Protein Avocado Egg Salad
Low-Carb Marinated Cauliflower Antipasto Salad
Kalyn’s Favorite Antipasto Salad
Snack Foods and Appetizers, for a No-Heat Lunch:
Tuna-Stuffed Avocado with Cilantro and Lime (shown above)
Shrimp Cocktail with Low Sugar Cocktail Sauce
Sriracha Deviled Eggs plus Ten More Interesting Ideas for Deviled Eggs
Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Ham
Air Fryer Spicy Shrimp with Mustard-Horseradish Sauce (this is delicious cold)
Hummus and Cucumber Appetizer Bites with Sesame Seeds
Ham and Dill Pickle Appetizer Bites
Salads with Chicken for a No-Heat Lunch:
Low-Carb Chicken Pesto Salad with Olives and Peas (shown above)
Chicken and Avocado Salad with Lime and Cilantro
Low-Carb Curried Chicken Salad with Asparagus and Pine Nuts
Low-Carb Greek Peperoncini Chicken Salad
Chicken, Black Bean, and Red Pepper Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing
Low-Carb Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan
Shredded Chicken Salad with Green Olives, Celery, and Green Onion
Leftover Chicken Chopped Salad with Red Pepper, Olives, and Feta
Chicken Salad with Tarragon and Peas
Salads with Beans or Lentils for a No-Heat Lunch:
Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Peppers, Cilantro, and Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette (shown above)
Spicy Pinto Bean and Tuna Salad with Peperoncini, Tomatoes, and Parsley
White Bean Salad with Tuna and Parsley
Butter Bean Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Feta, and Basil Vinaigrette
Marinated Pepper Salad with Garbanzos, Olives, and Feta
Curried Chickpea Salad – From Joan’s on Third, Los Angeles
Southwestern Bean Salad with Black Beans, Black-Eyed Peas, Peppers, and Cilantro
Garbanzo, Tomato, and Cilantro Salad with Lime and Chile Dressing – with or without avocado
Middle Eastern Bean Salad with Parsley and Lemon
Salads with Greens for a No-Heat Lunch:
Baby Arugula Chopped Salad with Chicken, Fresh Mozzarella, and Tomatoes (shown above)
Raw Baby Kale Salad with Apples, Sunflower Seeds, and Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette
Arugula Chickpea Salad with Feta and Balsamic-Tahini Vinaigrette
Baby Kale, White Bean, and Tuna Salad with Lemon
Low-Carb Caesar Salad with Kale, Romaine, and Shaved Parmesan
Asian Spinach Salad with Chicken, Mushrooms, Pepper, and Almonds
Salads with Lettuce or Cabbage for a No-Heat Lunch
Perfect Low-Carb Taco Salad (shown above)
Peperoncini Chopped Salad with Romaine, Red Bell Pepper, and Feta
Fattoush – Lebanese “Crumbled Bread” Salad with Sumac and Pita Chips
Mediterranean Salad with Hummus Dressing, Olives, Capers, and Feta
Thai-Style Spicy Cabbage Slaw with Mint and Cilantro
Crunchy Low-Carb Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw
Red Cabbage and Chicken Asian Salad with Tangy Cilantro Dressing
Low-Carb Chicken Cabbage Salad with Mustard and Celery Seed
Salads with Grain or Quinoa for a No-Heat Lunch:
Brown Rice Salad with Olives, Bell Peppers, Peas, and Basil Vinaigrette (shown above)
Southwestern Quinoa Salad with Black Beans, Red Bell Peppers, and Cilantro
Lentil and Barley Greek-Style Salad with Tomatoes, Feta, and Capers
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad with Parsley and Mint
Black Bean, Rice, and Cilantro Salad
Salads with Vegetables or Fruit for a No-Heat Lunch:
Marinated Zucchini Salad with Olives, Artichokes, and Red Pepper (shown above)
Jicama and Carrot Slaw with Radishes, Cilantro, and Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette
Green Bean, Tomato, and Feta Salad Oreganato
Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Lime, Mint, and Feta
Barely-Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds
Easy Thai-Flavored Raw Broccoli Salad with Red Onion, Mint, and Peanuts
Spicy Shredded Carrot Salad with Mint
Green Apple, Celery, and Walnut Salad with Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette
Winter Fruit Salad with Persimmons, Pears, and Grapes
Whole Wheat Couscous Salad with Persimmon, and Grapes
Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Green Onions, Basil, Thyme, and Feta
Dips for a No-Heat Lunch:
Sheila’s Low-Carb Shrimp Dip (shown above)
Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip
White Bean and Artichoke Dip with Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips
Black-Eyed Pea Hummus with Olive Oil and Sumac
Parsley Hummus with Whole Wheat Pita Chips
57 Comments on “90 Healthy No-Heat Lunches for Taking to Work”
The vegetarian taco salad with lentils is one of my favorites. Our church does a big salad luncheon every May. This salad is a must on the list. Thank you for the well organized recipes..
So glad to hear you have enjoyed it Ginny, thanks for taking time to tell me!
The only problem with your site is, it addicting I stay way to long. THANK YOU for all the deliciuos recipes.
Can we agree that’s what my mom used to call “a good problem to have”? Thanks Gina!
How do you do the no heat chicken avocado lime and cilantro salad
The point of this post is that you don't have to heat these lunches up at work, not that there are no cooked foods included in the recipes.
I am so impressed with this collection. I was hunting for ideas for a cold lunch to take on a camping trip. These will also help when my picky little one who loves fruit & veggies (but won't always eat carbs or meat) goes out to school. Thank you!
So glad it is useful for you!
These are awesome. Great variations. Sometimes it's hard to eat healthy because lack of ideas and ordering unhealthy food just seems easier.
Thanks, glad it is useful for you!
Ellen, there are a few things here that would work; look through them and find things that don't have ingredients that need to be refrigerated.
I am trying to find some bag lunches for my husband to take to work. He is a truck driver so it has to be something that does not have to be heated up or kept cold. I know that is a lot to ask but he also has to be able to eat it on the go. He is a truck driver and can not stop to heat any thing and does not have a cooler or microwave to use either. So brown bagging it is all we can do..
That's a new idea for me, but it sounds delish!
Great ideas, thanks! I am new to the idea of grain salads but I'll try them 🙂 I recently tried a steel cut oats waldorf salad that was amazing, I love to take a pint jar of it (with extra extra chopped apple) for my lunch.
Thanks for all the wonderful ideas for healthy lunches! So glad it's not a turkey sandwich!!
Baby spinach, sliced strawberries, almonds or sunflower seeds, feta cheese, and dressing (or just balsamic vinegar if you're really cutting calories). Substitute dried cranberries if you don't have fresh strawberries.
Anita, I'm sure that many of the recipes that use peanut butter could be made with sunbutter if that works for you. That's the only sub that I can think of that doesn't have nuts.