Try These Easy Vegetarian Lunch Ideas for Work
Whether your day is back at the office or never stopped being at the office, you can always use a few delicious vegetarian lunch ideas for work!
So, for our final week of Meatless May, we are discussing quick vegetarian lunch ideas for work along with some vegetarian lunch meal prep solutions! You don’t have to be vegetarian or vegan to enjoy these easy recipes. Plus, the more plants, the better for all of us!
Food to Include for Healthy Packed Vegetarian Lunch Ideas for Work
Consider all the essential food groups when planning what to pack/prepare. Once you have the basic things you want to include, there are infinite combinations to create! When we pack well for lunch and have a satisfying meal, the rest of our day seems smoother, so we can get more accomplished. We feel better, and by the end of the day, we are less ravenous and can unwind in a healthy, relaxed way.
What Do Vegetarians Eat for Lunch?
Here is a list of the things to include for a vegetarian bag lunch idea:
- Colorful vegetables (try some roasted sweet potatoes, spinach, tomatoes and purple cabbage)
- Fresh fruits (dried and canned may also work)
- Variety of Whole grains
- Healthy fats (nuts, seeds, olives, avocado work well)
- Plant-based protein (my favorites include black bean, tofu, and tempeh)
- Dairy or plant-based milk
Plant-Based Lunch Options for Work and School
Here are some easy vegetarian lunch ideas that I hope you will love!
- High Protein Healthy Grain Vegetarian Bowls
- Full Meal Vegetarian Salads
- Cool Summer Soup Ideas
- Easy Vegetarian Sandwich Ideas and Wraps
- Leftovers (or what I like to call “planned overs.”
High Protein Healthy Grain Vegetarian Bowl Ideas
Vegetarian lunch bowls are easy to pack, offer a wide variety of foods in one bowl, and are a great way to utilize leftovers. I love that they can be used for lunch or dinner.
Here is a pasta salad bowl idea: you can substitute quinoa, rice, or other whole grains with delicious results. I love to serve mine in a canning jar.
Spring Pasta Salad
Makes four servings
2 1/2 cups of cooked pasta, cooked according to directions
3/4 cup steamed asparagus, cut in half
3/4 cup steamed snow peas
3/4 cup sliced raw carrots or roasted sweet potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onions
Baked tofu (you could also use black beans)
Grated Parmesan
Salad Dressing
Juice from one lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Mix ingredients for salad dressing together.
Steam asparagus and snow peas in the microwave or a steamer basket. Allow to cool. Add to cooked pasta. Add raw onions and carrots, including your choice of protein (chicken or tofu). Lightly coat the pasta salad with dressing and sprinkle with cheese.
Vegetarian Bag Lunch Ideas Full Meal Salads
A salad can contain everything you need for lunch, including lean protein, fruit, vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains. The salad recipe below adds all the groups besides entire grains, but you could throw some in or serve it with crackers for a delicious lunch!
I created a Blueberry Hempeh Kale Salad a few years ago using Smiling Hara Hempeh.
Blueberry Hempeh Kale Salad
This recipe uses blueberry barbeque sauce to enhance the nutty, delicious flavor of hempeh, which becomes part of this summer salad with a delightful new twist. Use it as a side or main dish for your favorite summer meal. Switch it up to use seasonal, local produce where you live and meet your specific nutritional needs. You can also alternate your protein choice.
Makes 2-4 servings
One package of Hempeh
One bunch of kale, massaged and sliced thin (use spinach for a low fodmap diet, but you do not need to massage or slice)
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup red onions, sliced
Add massaged, thinly sliced kale to a large salad bowl. Add blueberries, shredded carrots, and onions. Toss lightly. Make the salad dressing and blueberry sauce, and glaze hempeh or other protein with the blueberry sauce below.
Salad Dressing Recipe
This salad dressing is great on everything!
Juice from one lemon
One teaspoon garlic
½ cup olive oil
salt and pepper
( 1 teaspoon maple syrup if desired)
Blueberry Sauce Recipe
Two teaspoons of olive oil
¼ green onions
One teaspoon of garlic-infused oil
2 cups fresh blueberries
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
One tablespoon of brown sugar
One tablespoon of seedy mustard
Salt and pepper
In a saucepan, saute onion, jalapenos, and garlic until soft. Add blueberries and the rest of the ingredients. Heat blueberries until they begin to pop. You can leave it chunky for a nice texture, but if you like the sauce smooth, put it in the food processor. (This sauce would also be good for grilled local fish, tempeh, pork, or beef.)
How to Add Blueberry Barbeque Glaze to Your Protein
You can alter your cooked protein and add the blueberry glaze to it! It is good for everything!
Cut the hempeh down the middle and then into triangles. Brown it in a little bit of olive oil on both sides and drain on paper towels. In a clean skillet, add blueberry barbeque sauce and glaze the hempeh.
Check out this video on how I glazed it. Try this with other proteins like chicken, beef, pork, tempeh, and No Evil Foods Plant Meat.
Cool Summer Soup Ideas
Use the best summer produce to make a cool, tasty soup. Here is a Creamy Cucumber Soup that includes avocados from Eating Well and a beautiful yellow gazpacho!
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252056/creamy-cucumber-soup/
https://www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com/10-minute-gazpacho/
For those unfamiliar with cold soups and would like a homemade tomato soup recipe, Check out this one with a yummy grilled cheese. If you don’t do dairy, try it with one of the plant-based cheeses.
Homemade Tomato Soup
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a phytochemical good for cancer prevention. It increases when tomatoes are heated. The spices and coconut milk add a new dimension to an old favorite. It is subtle and kid-friendly—my grandchildren loved it!
Makes four servings
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
One tablespoon olive oil (infused with garlic if desired)
One can of light coconut milk
16 ounces of canned tomatoes or 2 cups of fresh tomatoes from a variety like Roma’s, that skin breaks down when cooking
One teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Heat oil in a medium saucepan on medium and brown green onions add spices and let them brown slightly. Add tomatoes and let simmer in the spices. Add coconut milk and blend well. Allow the flavors to mix and simmer the soup about 10-15 minutes
Grown-Up Grilled Cheese
Makes four servings (adjust ingredients to make fewer servings)
Homemade Basil Pesto https://vineripenutrition.com/the-power-of-pesto/
Thinly Sliced Avocado
1 ounce of your choice of cheese (I love cheddar!)
Eight slices of whole-grain bread
A little oil or butter
Heat the skillet to medium. Spread the bread with oil or butter. Lay four slices of bread on the skillet, oil side down. Add cheese and avocado. Spread one side of the remaining bread slices with pesto and the other with oil or butter. Place the side of the bread with pesto on the avocado side. When the bottom piece of bread gets brown, turn the sandwich over and brown the other side. Rotate again until the sides are brown, and the cheese is melted.
Easy Vegetarian Sandwich Ideas and Wraps
Another tasty meat alternative is No Evil Foods Plant Meat. The meat alternative contains gluten, so it is not gluten-free.
Plant Meat Philly Wrap
This tasty lunch recipe makes a great wrap, or you can also add it to your favorite roll or lettuce leaf!
Makes four servings
2 Plant Meat Italian Sausage (Otherwise known as the Stallion), cut into small strips or in diagonal slices
One tablespoon of olive oil
One bell pepper, thinly sliced
One onion thinly sliced
Provolone cheese, if desired
Whole Wheat or Gluten-free/low fodmap tortillas
Saute peppers, onions, and sausage in olive oil in a medium saucepan until browned. Serve the cooked mixture in a bun, tortilla wrap, or lettuce leaf. Top with mustard and your choice of raw veggies!
Here are some more lunch recipe ideas using No Evil Foods Plant Meat.
Leftovers (or what I like to call “planned overs”)
When cooking supper, I want to intentionally make additional servings so they can be packed for lunch the next day. I think of it as “planned overs” instead of leftovers because I am planning and looking forward to it.
Some things that I love the best for lunch the next day include pizza, pasta, stir-fry, casseroles, and soups. I also love anything Mexican and usually pack the leftovers into a bowl. What do you love to make to pack for lunch the next day?
Plant-Based Low Fodmap Gluten-free Lunches
All of these vegetarian bag lunch ideas that I have included can easily be made into low Fodmap or gluten-free with a few little switches, like substituting some of the fruits and vegetables for Fodmap ones and choosing gluten-free and low Fodmap bread, crackers, and wraps.
Vegetarian Healthy Lunch Ideas for One
Regarding vegetarian bag lunch ideas, almost anything can be easily made and packed for one person. This includes high-protein healthy grain bowls, especially if they are left over from the night before; salads because you can make just enough for supper and the next day; easy sandwiches and wraps; and, of course, leftovers.
The nice thing about leftovers for one person is that many things can be frozen and eaten in the next couple of weeks. Just label them when you make them so you can eat them while the quality is still at its peak.
High-protein Plant-based Lunches
Many people are surprised how much protein people can get when eating plant-based. This blog post discusses how easy it can be to get your protein intake https://vineripenutrition.com/healthy-menu-planning-for-vegetarian-meals/
Packable Vegan Lunches
Most of the vegetarian brown bag lunch ideas I shared are vegan or can easily be made vegan. Unlike animal choices, the great thing about a meal made up entirely of plants is that the food is less likely to spoil when it is out for a short time. That means that vegan meals may not need to be refrigerated if only out for a few hours.
Do you ever wonder how to streamline packing lunches and making those lunches? Here are a few ideas:
Vegetarian Lunch Ideas for Work Meal Prep Solutions
When packing easy vegetarian lunch ideas for work, a little planning can go a long way to quickly throwing together a memorable meal you enjoy!
- One tip for packing a healthy lunch is to gather your packing materials, including a reusable cloth lunch bag, little bowls with lids, or a bento box (or even a mason jar). instead of using plastic bags, try using cloth that has been dipped in beeswax or try making some of these cloth bags to put lunch ingredients in https://www.bhg.com/crafts/sewing/reusable-sandwich-wrap/
- After gathering all your lunch-packing supplies, put them together in a centralized place, which can become your “lunch-packing central.”
- If your lunch recipes with vegetables require a lot of chopping, find a weekend day to prep and store your ingredients so meals can come together quickly on a weeknight.
- Pack your lunches the night before so they will be ready to grab and go the following day.
- Homemade lunch ideas may take some time to get used to initially compared to going out to eat, but once you get into the habit of making them, getting organized, and planning, you will crave them. You will also save money and boost your nutrition intake!
Make Some Vegetarian Lunch Ideas for Work
You may already be eating plant-based meals, but if you are new to making vegetarian lunches for work, I hope you find some of the suggestions in this post helpful. I also hope you continue adding lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and plant-based protein options throughout your week! Try some of these easy recipes for lunch or dinner.
If you are new to the Vine Ripe Nutrition blog, check out more recipes for plant-based recipes on other Meatless May posts here on the blog! As a registered dietitian nutritionist living in Asheville, North Carolina, I love helping people make small changes that make a big difference in their health. I am so glad that you stopped by to check things out.
And if you are looking for a lunch handout that includes additional easy vegetarian brown bag lunch ideas in my free Fresh Approach Meal Planning Guide here: https://vineripenutrition.com/
For a personalized direction on your plant-based lifestyle, you may be interested in my new program https://vineripenutrition.com/a-fresh-approach-to-plant-based-eating/
