Recipes with hearty ingredients that hold up for a few days in the fridge and come together easily when you need to quickly eat them at the office are the best options for take to work lunches. Smart packing really helps make your meal more enjoyable when you are ready to eat. Here are a few tips:
For salads, hold off on adding the dressing until serving. If you enjoy salads in a jar, you can also put the dressing in the very bottom of the jar and layer the ingredients. Add diced chicken or raw carrots on the bottom and delicate greens on the top, out of reach of the dressing. Remove any foil before microwaving if the food has been stored in it.
Variety is the key to an enjoyable lunch experience for me. For many of us, eating the same thing day after day can feel monotonous. Be sure to explore both hot and cold lunches. Many lettuce wraps work well with both warm and chilled fillings and pasta salads are similar. Experiment with making a base recipe your own. I’ve pulled together a list of lunches that check all the important boxes. You can prepare them ahead of time, pack them easily, and adjust the recipe to create extras in case you’re preparing multiple lunches. These recipes maintain their flavors and textures after reheating and many of them taste as good chilled as they do warmed up. From salads to wraps and pasta, try a few of these recipes in your upcoming lunch rotation.
