For those days when salads and sandwich recipes for lunch just aren’t going to cut it. When you are craving something heartier to warm you up while it’s chilly outside (or inside!). Or when you wonder what to make for lunch. Why not try one of these easy hot lunch ideas? They’re quick to prepare and will keep you satisfied for longer. And they can either be meal prepped to reheat at work or prepared quickly, in under 30 minutes, at home. Keep reading for a versatile list of healthy lunch ideas. Many of which are vegetarian, vegan, or adaptable to be so and are loved by both adults and kids. These include bread-based dishes, soups, stews, pasta, noodles, and several meal-prep-friendly proteins and veggie side dishes. These fast warm lunch ideas for work or home are simple, affordable, versatile, and packed with nutrients. And, let’s not forget, they are delicious, too. So, let’s jump straight into what things to make for lunch!
All Things Bread (Toast, Wraps, Buns, etc.)
Move over sandwiches for these delicious hot lunch ideas using bread, wraps, and burger buns!
Easy Mushroom Tacos: These plant-based tacos are versatile, packed with plant-based goodness, and ready in under 20 minutes! A gluten-free, vegetarian, and optionally vegan easy lunch ideas for guests or yourself. Grilled cheese: A grilled cheese sandwich is the ultimate comfort food. Choose your bread, cheese, and cheeky extra fillings. This quick lunch idea is perfect for those working from home and ready in just 10 minutes! Creamy Mushroom Toast: I love simple “toast” whether it’s avocado egg toast (with boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, etc.) or this 15-minute creamy mushroom toast. They’re fast lunch ideas made with minimal ingredients and effort but perfect for keeping you satisfied until your next meal. Vegan Falafel Burgers: These homemade falafel burgers contain a crispy yet tender herby vegan falafel patty. Plus classic toppings like pickles, salad veggies, and a creamy tahini sauce. The result is a hot lunch idea that’s naturally vegan, plant-based, packed with protein, and can be meal-prepped.
If you have slightly more time, you might enjoy sweet potato black bean burgers or pumpkin white bean burgers.
Quick and Delicious Lunch Wraps
Chicken shawarma wraps: Marinating the chicken in its yogurt and shawarma spice marinade takes time (min 4 hours, up to 24). But you can pull together this hearty chicken wrap in just 25 minutes. They store for 2-3 days, too. Healthy Grilled Eggplant Halloumi Wraps: Just 10 minutes are required to prepare this grilled halloumi and eggplant wrap. Enjoy it alone or with a side of fries for a fresh yet filling easy lunch recipe. BBQ Jackfruit 7-layer burrito: There is never a wrong time for a fully-loaded burrito with jackfruit, guacamole, kidney beans, and more. When it takes just 25 minutes to prepare, it’s ideal for hearty, nourishing fast lunch foods. Alternatively, you could ditch the wrap and make a delicious, fully-loaded burrito rice bowl. Mixed Quesadillas: A couple of years ago, I shared my method of folding tortillas (similar to quesadillas). That took TikTok and the internet by storm. In no time at all, I’d compiled a list of 20+ globally inspired wraps and 7+ healthy breakfast quesadillas (which can double up as lunch). With options including chili cheese, carne asada, cheeseburger, kebab, and chili scrambled eggs and greens—there’s something for everyone. Best of all, they’re easy to prepare and transport.
Quick Soups, Stews, and Curries
Often soups and stews take hours of low simmering to prepare. But you can enjoy plenty of delicious and nutritious options in 30 minutes or less. Enjoy these as a wonderfully warming lunch at home or in a thermos on the go. Note that most of the soup recipes here are not only meal-prep friendly but also freezer-safe. I’m a big fan of making large batches to save in portions for 3-4 months. Then simply defrost them as needed!
Carrot Ginger Soup: This soup is creamy, comforting, budget-friendly, and ready in just 30 minutes on the stove. Instant Pot and Slow Cooker versions are also included. Perfect for making at home or taking on the go as an easy hot lunch idea. Chicken and Rice Soup: If a stick-to-your-ribs, soul food soup is what you’re in the mood for. This vegetable, chicken, and rice soup is a must-try. It’s perfect for chilly days and times when you’re under the weather – and ready in just 30 minutes! Ramen noodle soup: Prefer a plant-based hearty soup? Why not try this ramen noodles soup? It’s loaded with veggies, optionally vegan, and a super satisfying comfort food recipe. Lentil Soup: Want to turn to plant-based protein instead? Then check out this lightly spiced, creamy, and cozy lentil soup. All you need are a handful of ingredients, two pots, and 30 minutes. The results are a hearty gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan soup to enjoy at home or work. Minestrone Soup: Combine pasta and soup in this hearty, budget-friendly, warm-your-bones tomato pasta soup. Using the stove, Instant Pot, or Crockpot, this flexible veggie-packed soup is simple to prepare and meal prep friendly. Instant Pot Vegetable Soup: Hearty, healthy, packed with vegetables, full of flavor, super adaptable, and ready in under 30 minutes! A delicious and nutritious meat-free meal to warm you this winter!
Thai Red Curry: Or a Thai green curry. This creamy Thai curry is packed with flavor, nutrient-dense, and surprisingly customizable with your choice of veggies and protein. Best of all, though, it’s ready in just 25 minutes! Enjoy alone or with a side of jasmine rice. Lebanese Green Beans: A combination of just 6 ingredients and ready In under 30 minutes. This recipe is surprisingly flavorful and perfect for enjoying with bread or rice as a hearty hot lunch idea.
Pasta, Rice, and Noodles
Whether you make your own pasta or noodles or use store-bought, they’re perfect for pairing with all sorts of sauces, veggies, and proteins. These are simple, hearty, and, best of all, quick lunch ideas for adults. Plus, leftovers can often be saved and enjoyed chilled, too.
Fried rice: Using day-old rice, you can prepare a hearty egg fried rice (with veggies) or kimchi fried rice in around 15 minutes! Perfect for clearing out the fridge leftovers and still minimal fuss to prepare. Vegetable Lo Mein: (Chili garlic noodles) This is perfect for using leftover veggies and proteins in a real “clear out the fridge” meal. It’s tasty, delicious, and far healthier than takeout or fast food lunch. Did I mention that this hot lunch idea is ready in under 20 minutes, too?!
You might also like 10-minute garlic chili oil noodles, Korean glass noodles, or a simple veggie noodle stir-fry! All of which are super versatile, delicious, and fast lunch meals.
Pasta Recipes in Under 30 Minutes
Pesto Pasta: Pesto pasta is one of my ultimate go-to quick meals. Use basil pesto, vegan pesto, or sun-dried tomato pesto and the pasta (and veggies) of your choice. And you’ll have a fast lunch recipe in the time it takes to cook your pasta. It’s also meal-prep friendly to enjoy warm or chilled throughout the week. Garlic and Olive Oil Pasta (Pasta Aglio e Olio): This simple pasta dish has fully earnt its place on this list of the best lunches. It contains just 6 ingredients, minimal prep, and is ready in under 15 minutes. Optionally beef it up further with your choice of veggies and protein! You may also enjoy this equally simple 15-minute pasta al Limone. Baked Feta and Tomato Pasta: Baked feta pasta took the world by storm in 2020, and it’s easy to see why. While you cook your pasta of choice, toss some feta (dairy or vegan), tomatoes, and oil in an oven dish to bake. Minimal fuss for maximum flavor, and all in under 30 minutes!
Bonus: Pasta Sauce Recipes
Here are just a few more simple pasta sauces for these comfort food recipes. You can combine them with the pasta, veggies, and protein of your choice for easy, fast lunch recipes.
Tomato Pasta Sauce Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Vegan Bolognese Garlic alfredo sauce (10 minutes) Spaghetti Sauce
Plant-Based Lunch Meals
For those looking for plant-heavy meals, here are my favorites to pack in tons of nutrients!
Baked Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes contain tons of fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients. This includes almost 400% of daily required vitamin A plus magnesium, potassium, iron, and more. Best of all, they take under 10 minutes to cook in a microwave and are meal prep friendly. Then they’re ready to enjoy with your favorite toppings for one of the best lunches with minimal fuss. Sweet Potato veggie hash: Typically a brunch dish, this hearty sweet potato, veggie, and egg hash is a super nutritious meal. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals, and protein – all in under 30 minutes. Greek Stuffed Vegetables: These stuffed veggies (like peppers, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and onion) are hearty, filling, and meal-preppable. Though they take an hour to prepare, they’re perfect for reheating throughout the week as a delicious hot lunch idea. Zoodles (Zucchini noodles): Swap out carb-heavy pasta for zucchini noodles, raw or cooked, for a nutritious meal in minutes! Doesn’t store particularly well, but they’re so simple to prepare that they’re a fuss-free lunch to make from scratch. Stir-fried Thai Basil Beef (Vegan): A combination of soy mince with peppers, onion, and a simple Thai sauce. This stir-fry is a high-protein, low-fat, 100% vegan fast lunch meals. It’s perfect for enjoying with rice or noodles. Best of all, it’s meal-prep friendly and ready in just 20 minutes!
Pick Your Protein (Fish, Meat, Tofu)
Another excellent option for meal-prep easy lunch ideas is to mix your favorite protein with the grain and veggies of your choice. Here are some of my favorite options.
Salmon: Air-fried or oven-baked salmon is tender and flaky inside with crispy edges. It is ready in just 15 minutes from fresh or around 20 minutes from frozen! Perfect for low-effort, quick, low-carb, high-protein hot lunch! Want to try more salmon marinades/ flavored options? You might enjoy this Baked Teriyaki Salmon, too. Chicken shish tawook: Preparation takes 40 minutes. But this lightly spiced chicken in a yogurt and garlic marinade is perfect for meal prep and adding to wraps, grains, or salads over several days. Kofta Kebab: A simple combination of ground lamb (or beef) with parsley, onion, and simple Middle Eastern spices. These koftas are ready in just 20 minutes. They are perfect for wraps, platters, and more over several days of easy meal prep luncheon recipes. Breaded tofu: You can easily make up a batch of marinated or crispy breaded tofu to add to a week of easy plant-based hot lunch recipes. Tofu ground beef: It requires just a handful of ingredients and minimal hands-on prep time (30 minutes total). There are baking and stovetop methods. This plant-based ground beef replacement can be meal-prepped and used for a week of delicious, plant-based pasta dishes, chili, burritos, tacos, and more.
Quick Vegetable Side Dishes
Boost these quick and easy hot lunch recipes with simple vegetable side dishes. You can also serve them alongside proteins and grains. Here are a few of my favorites.
Cooked asparagus (one of 5 ways) Sautéed zucchini Grilled Cauliflower Steaks and Roasted Cabbage Steaks Air Fried Green Beans 5-minute sautéed sugar snap peas Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables Oven Roasted Eggplant Slices Roasted New Red Potatoes
More Recipe Roundups
50+ Healthy Breakfast Meal Prep Ideas on the Go The Essential Guide to Meal Prep + Meal Prep Ideas 50+ Healthy Vegetarian Breakfast Ideas 20+ Delicious Sandwich Ideas for Lunch
If you try any of these 30-minute easy, hot lunch ideas (lunch food ideas), I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
