10 Working From Home Lunch Ideas

Between video calls, deadlines, and constant email threads, finding the right work-life balance at home can be a challenge.

At first, sticking to a nutritious and healthy lunch routine can be tough. But with a little planning and some creative ideas for lunch at home, you can satisfy your hunger, make your brain happy, and get lots of work done while you’re at it.

If you’re constantly wondering what to eat for lunch at home, this one’s for you. From wraps and salads to bowls and casseroles, here are 10 of our top work from home lunch ideas.

We hope they fill you up and give you fuel for the day ahead.

When you’re on the hunt for a home lunch idea that is both wholesome and tasty, a chickpea kale salad always does the trick. It’s a hearty, vegetarian-friendly healthy lunch idea that still gives you that much-needed boost of energy to fuel your work-from-home afternoon. With its subtle spiciness and homemade dressing, we love this recipe for Garlicky Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas from Minimalist Baker. You can quickly whip it up on-the-spot or prep it the night before to make things even easier.

Chicken wraps are one of the simplest lunch ideas for home and an excellent way to utilize leftovers. Simply take your roast chicken from the night before, toss it into a tortilla and add some veggies and sauce. These Deluxe Chicken Salad Wraps from Love Foodies offer a no-fuss yet delicious lunchtime option. Alongside the leftover grilled chicken, they come to life with tomato, arugula, cucumber, and bacon. Mix it all up with an herbed cream cheese mustard sauce, and you’ll be all set for the day ahead.

One of the best working from home tips we can give you—is to perfect the art of the pasta salad. Pasta salad is wildly versatile and comes in many shapes and forms. From penne to elbow noodles, meat-free to antipasto-inspired, you’ll never get bored with a good pasta salad. For a recipe that hits all the right notes during a stressful workday, try this Sun Dried Tomato, White bean, and Goat Cheese Pasta Salad from Half Baked Harvest. In her recipe, Tieghan tosses fresh pasta with a homemade basil vinaigrette, creamy goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, white beans, and sliced avocado. Remember, with pasta salad, you can boil your noodles and toss in whatever vegetables you have on hand. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it will taste good and do the trick when you’re busy working from home.

Burrito bowls are one of the easiest ideas for lunch at home. They take no time to throw together, they’re fresh, and the ingredients (like rice and beans) are budget-friendly. Start with beans and rice, select your meat of choice, top the bowl with tomatoes, lettuce, and a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, and that’s that. You can also opt-out of the meat if you don’t have it on hand or prefer not to eat it. This Chicken Burrito Bowl from Dinner at the Zoo makes grilled marinated chicken the star. We love the topping of homemade pico de gallo and the base of cilantro and lime rice. This recipe proves that the little touches of creativity can make a big difference if you’re feeling bored with your current rotation of home lunch ideas.

Enchilada casserole is a tried and true simple lunch recipe—and after you make it once, you’ll never go back. With simple ingredients like tortillas, beans, shredded cheese, enchilada sauce or salsa, and meat, this casserole can be customized based on whatever ingredients you have (or whatever your favorite flavors are). Make a big batch for dinner and enjoy the leftovers for lunch throughout the week. This casserole heats up nicely in the oven without getting mushy and in fact, the flavors just get better after a few days. If you’re on the hunt for an enchilada casserole recipe, try this Chicken Enchilada Casserole from Gimme Some Oven. It comes complete with a recipe for homemade enchilada sauce if you’re feeling extra inspired in the kitchen, and also incorporates vegetables.

Dried lentils are a fantastic ingredient to keep in the pantry. For times when you feel like you’ve run out of food, they’re always there as a back-up. Lentil soup can be made in a giant batch then eaten throughout the week or frozen in individual portions. When you’re ready for your mid-day work break, just take it out of the freezer or fridge, heat it on the stovetop, and let the warm and delightful scents take over your home office. This Best Lentil Soup recipe from Cookie + Kate comes together quickly and utilizes ingredients you probably already have on hand, like onion, diced tomatoes, and vegetable broth. It’s a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, and completely perfect for a cool afternoon.

Avocado toast tends to be popular among breakfast enthusiasts. But the good news about our beloved avocado toast is that it can actually be eaten at any point throughout the day. As long as you have an avocado on hand and some bread, you have everything you need to whip up a quick lunch in 3 minutes flat. Elevate your toast with some lemon pepper, garlic salt, and an egg for extra protein. Check out this article on Elevated Avocado Toast from The Pioneer Woman to see some creative variations. From Goat cheese and Chili Oil to Pesto and Egg, these recipes will keep your toast routine exciting and delicious.

If you’ve yet to try a mason jar salad, you’re in for a true treat. Mason jar salads are one of the best lunch ideas for home that can be prepped ahead of time. In fact, if you’re a diehard salad fan, you can actually prep a week’s worth in advance on Sunday and have them ready to be dressed and eaten throughout your workweek. Jessica in the Kitchen shows readers how to prep 5 Mason Jar Salads ahead of time for a week’s worth of delightfully nutritious lunches. She offers a bunch of tips, like how to properly layer your jars, and gives the recipes for some tasty inspiration. From nuts to chickpeas to chicken, she also makes sure to add a boost of protein (which ensures that the salad sticks with you through the day).

When you’re figuring out what to eat for lunch at home, it’s easy to fall into a repeat food routine. Spice your chicken dishes up by giving them some festive flare. A Greek chicken bowl incorporates fresh ingredients that taste food and fill you up. These Greek Chicken Bowls from Two Peas & Their Pod are made with lemon oregano chicken, brown rice, cherry tomato, cucumber, olives, feta cheese, and red onion. They’re finished with a homemade Greek Tzatziki sauce, a cucumber sauce that takes just 10 minutes to throw together. For a mid-week cold lunch experience that feels special and restaurant-like, this is the type of meal you might want to—casually—set the table for.

When you’re going to work from home with kids, it’s a good idea to come up with lunchtime meals that can please all ages. Grilled cheese is a good option, as the inside of each sandwich can be customized. Plus, it’s the ultimate comfort food that can be dipped in just about any kind of soup imaginable. Kids can keep it simple with just cheddar cheese—while working parents can add some caramelized onion or fresh herbs. This Ultimate Gourmet Grilled Cheese recipe from The Chunky Chef is filled with herbed caramelized onions, Gruyere, and white cheddar cheese. To really top things off, it’s also cooked in a savory rosemary butter.

It’s true that one of the best desk exercises when you’re working fr om home is eating (the up and down motion of a fork or spoon can be a welcomed distraction from typing, after all). Filling yourself with wholesome, delicious meals will not only make you more energized and productive throughout the day, it will hopefully make you happy and excited, too.

If you’re working from home in another city and need a good place to cook, Zeus Living has you covered. We offer all the tools needed for fun things to do at home, cooking included. Our fully furnished rentals come equipped with a kitchen and the basics to get started. Whether you’re whipping up a grilled cheese or a Greek chicken bowl, you’ll find everything you need to make your meal come to life.

Feel at home, satisfy your hunger, and get those work to-dos checked off the list all at once.