What High-Protein, Low-Fuss Recipes Can I Pack for Lunch?

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Recently, my company transitioned from being almost fully remote to having a back in office policy four days a week. After so many years working from home, I don’t know where to start when it comes to packing my own lunch. I’ve been so overwhelmed with getting back into the pack-my-lunch groove that I’ve purchased lunch every day, which is seriously burning a hole in my wallet. What are so low-fuss, low-effort, high-protein lunches I can bring to work? Even better if I can prep in advance. —Back to Office

I want to be honest with you. After also returning to the office, this was the year that I discovered canned soup. I’ve been telling everyone about it. Like, did you know about canned soup? It’s soup in a can! It stays good for years! You can keep it in your desk and microwave it in the office kitchenette on a moment’s notice. I buy this one from Trader Joe’s in bulk. And they still let me work at this food magazine.

In a previous life, on the weekends, I simmered soup in big pots and froze portions in glass jars, which I labeled and stashed in my deep freezer, then toted to work. Lemony red lentil. Chipotle-cocoa chili. The truth is, I just don’t have it in me lately. So I want to validate you for feeling overwhelmed, like packing lunch while you’re trying to get out the door is too much. Often it is!

Today we’ll find a middle ground between our two vices—going out (you) and phoning it in (me)—for healthy lunches that a commuter can pull off. This means prepping in advance whenever possible and making the most of store-bought ingredients, for convenience and our sanity. Also: Canned soup is always there for that day when you really just can’t. So maybe stash one in your desk just in case.

So-called salads

You know the ones—egg salad, chicken salad, and friends. (In this case, our friends are chickpeas.) This category is such a heavy hitter for lunch because you can and should prep the mixture over the weekend. Then the morning of, or even night before, is mere assembly.

To turn any of these into lunch: Pack a container with lettuce cups (I like Little Gems) and/or seedy crackers alongside. Or sandwich between multi-grain bread with romaine or iceberg and, if you’re feeling it, sliced cheese like cheddar or pepper Jack.

Easy-does-it egg salad. Remember egg salad? It doesn’t need to be fancy to be fabulous. Some mayo, a little mustard. This recipe taught me two things: scallion (the whites are like onion, the greens are like herbs) and hot sauce (for zip!). Tip: pre-boiled eggs were practically made for this.

Red curry chicken salad or nuoc cham chicken salad. Both start with a rotisserie bird and thank god these exist. Trader Joe’s now sells shredded-for-you chicken if you want to skip another step. Fried onions would be great on both.

Smashed chickpea salad. Start with a can of beans, then choose your own adventure from there. I love this template because it bends to whatever is around. If I had carte blanche, I’d do: mayonnaise, pepperoncini, capers, minced celery and onion. Pintos sound nice, like dark-meat chicken!

Actual salads

There’s a reason salad chains do so well. A big salad in the middle of the day feels like you’re really taking care of yourself. I want something with a rainbow of textures: crispy, crunchy, chewy, juicy, fibrous, etc., etc.

Green goddess harvest salad. Roast tofu and sweet potatoes, ruffly kale, a powerfully herby dressing. Store the various components in separate containers—they’ll be good for days—then pretend you’re at a salad bar and put it all together day-of.

Super seedy kale salad. A wholesome salad that welcomes a protein topper (leftover chicken, salmon, beans) but doesn’t need one. The almond butter dressing is it. Per one reader: “Super easy. Super good. HIGHLY recommend!”

Spiced lentil and carrot salad. French-ish! Shredded carrots and nubby lentils are happy to hang out in the fridge; in fact, they’ll become tastier as they slurp up the apple cider vinaigrette. Try topping with a plop of Greek yogurt or some shards of feta.

The leftovers of it all

Not sexy but I’d be remiss to omit: The easiest lunch is your leftover dinner. There are two ways to react to this. The way my husband does, which is: Great! And the way I do, which is: Sigh. If you are the former, all you need to do is invest in some sturdy storage containers. If you are in the same canoe as me, I have a tip. It doesn’t have to be dinner exactly. For example:

If you have leftover Roasted Cauliflower Salad With Feta and Dates, you could tuck it into a pita with a smear of Greek yogurt or store-bought hummus. If you have leftover Pad Kra Pao, you could toss the spicy meat with instant noodles and add some sliced cucumber on top. If you have leftover Hot Honey–Glazed Salmon, you could mash it with mayo and rice vinegar, and eat it with crackers and crunchy vegetables. You get the idea.

Readers, what do you actually pack for lunch during the week? I want to hear in the comments.

Warmly,
Emma

Questions may be lightly edited for clarity, length, and style.