If you spend your day at home working, then you may be seeking lunch ideas for the home office. You may also know how easy it can be to forget to eat lunch. However, if you don’t eat lunch regularly, it can cause your energy levels to drop and put you in a bad mood throughout the rest of the afternoon.
Happiness can drastically impact your productivity. Additionally, it’s crucial to remain hydrated throughout the day, so that you stay productive. Nutrition is also a large factor to being productive throughout the day; hence, it’s importance.
To help you keep yourself energized during your daily work hours, here are some lunch ideas that you can prepare ahead of time so they’re ready when you need them.
1. Open-Face Sandwiches
Sandwiches are a great nutritional lunch ideas for the home office, which can be made differently everyday; From different breads, sauces, and ingredients. Here is one of our favorites.
Onions, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Olives (canned are perfect!), Green Peppers, Pepperoncini: Thinly slice them all into halves and in between bread slices. Slather with some honey mustard or mayo.
Black Beans: Chop up onion, bell pepper, parsley (fresh if possible), hot sauce to taste. Place everything in a bowl and top with black beans. Add hot sauce if desired!
Napa Cabbage: For this recipe you will need chicken broth (or water) 3 tbsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp cornstarch 2 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp sesame oil 4 cups napa cabbage sliced into thin strips.
2. Tacos, Wraps, and Burritos
If you work at home, then you likely spend a lot of time alone. Taco Tuesday is your time to get creative with food! Here are some tips for more nutritious and tasty office lunches:
Add some variety to your meal. Spend your hard-earned money on groceries instead of takeout or fast food. And be sure to stock up on fresh produce like tomatoes, spinach, avocados, onions, etc. Make sure that whatever you make is quick to cook or heats well in an oven.
Keep it simple! For example, make two slices of whole wheat bread with one teaspoon of mashed avocado and sliced tomato (don’t forget salt). Add a packet of mustard if desired. Enjoy it plain or with fruit on the side!
3. Meals in Mason Jars
Forget plastic bags and overpriced food containers! Mason jars are your new favorite invention for lunch ideas for the home office. Cut out pieces of baking paper or wax paper to fit inside, then pour in a delicious salad, homemade soup, pasta dish, or even a hearty stew. The possibilities are endless! These jars will keep your workday happier and healthier, giving you one less thing to worry about.
4. Bento Lunches
If you’re looking for something light, fast, but still delicious in a lunch break, look no further than the ever-popular bento lunch. Bentos are especially popular in Japan, where they have been around since the eighteenth century. The Japanese word bento means a packed meal and it refers to both boxed lunches and hand-held snacks like onigiri (rice balls). You can assemble your own bento for an entire meal or pack individual portions so you can make a different lunch every day of the week!
5. Homemade Salads is the best idea for lunch at the home office
Many of us don’t have time to prepare salads each day, but they’re a great idea for office lunches. The best option is buying a rotisserie chicken on Sunday evening, shredding it and storing it in an airtight container until Wednesday or Thursday’s lunchtime (or whenever you decide to use it).
The rotisserie chicken is so flavorful that there’s no need to add any dressing other than lemon juice or a splash of olive oil. For crunchy toppings, keep some dried fruit and croutons on hand at work.
There are lots of choices that will give you creative license–chopped walnuts, crispy bacon bits, chopped hard-boiled eggs, dried cranberries, chives or your favorite seasonings are all fair game!
This is one of my favorite lunch ideas for the home office.
6. DIY Soups
DIY soup is one of my favorite things to make on a busy day at home. It has all the warmth, convenience, and nourishment of homemade soup without requiring any special equipment or preparation time. Plus, it’s easy to adjust the ingredients in DIY soups to suit your specific tastes or dietary needs. You can start with some broth from your local grocery store or prepare your own ahead of time using a meat carcass or leftover vegetables. This recipe will produce enough for about three bowls per batch.
7. Vegetarian Meals
There are so many easy, delicious, and vegetarian recipes available! Here are just a few ideas: Teriyaki Stir Fry with Quinoa- Asian cuisine can often be very heavy on soy sauce, so instead of using soy sauce as a flavoring agent in this dish, we’re replacing it with more complex flavor enhancers like fresh ginger root and fresh garlic cloves. Mexican Layered Salad- if you’re craving Mexican food without the calories of chips or tacos, then this is the dish for you. Plus, it’s so simple to throw together!
8. Chicken Stir Fry / One Pot Meals
One Pot Meals are an easy way to make nutritious, delicious lunches without much fuss. They are perfect for when you’re tired from commuting or have a long day at work and don’t want to go out on your lunch break. One Pot Meals also reduce food waste since all of the ingredients go into one dish.
Here are some healthy, delicious One Pot Meal ideas:
- Black Bean Soup with a side of Cornbread
- Vegetable Cheddar Bake
- Fish Tacos with Avocado Cream
- Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki
