These 5 healthy cold lunch ideas are perfect when you’re low on time and the temperature outside keeps rising.
Ok, its HOT outside! Working in extreme heat makes things so much harder in my opinion even if you’re lucky enough to work in the air conditioning.
One thing that could fall by the wayside is eating. Feeling full in the summer is NOT FUN. Luckily, I have a few digestion tips for the summer, but eating a cold lunch at work is also important.
5 Healthy Cold Lunch Ideas
Mason Jar Meals
These genius meals have become super popular over the last couple years because they are easy for meal prep AND they double as your vessel for eating. A lot of people tend to think of mason jar salads as the only lunch option, but there are plenty of other options you can meal prep in a mason jar including parfaits, overnight oats, and cold noodle salads.
Check Out: 15 Simple Mason Jar Meals you can eat anywhere.
Cold Chicken Salad
Chicken salad has been such a staple in my house because once it’s prepped you can just scoop it out of the container and spread on top of greens or a sandwich or just eat it as is.
Check Out:
Cold BBQ Chicken Salad ft. The New Primal BBQ Sauce
Breakfast or Lunch Frittata
A frittata is an egg based omelette that is baked instead of fried in a pan. Also known as a crustless quiche, these meals offer a chance for you to get creative in the kitchen making endless flavor combinations. One of my favorite things about these superhero meals is that they can be eaten cold.
Check Out:
Kale and Butternut Squash Frittata
Prosciutto Frittata with Sweet Potato Crust
Italian Hoagie Salad
I’m adding this one because it’s rooted in my childhood. Growing up, we ate Italian subs all through the summer. Something about the combination of meats with the tangy vinegar, oil and oregano drizzle with banana peppers is something I can never get out of my head. These days, if I’m not headed to the nearest Jersey Mike’s, I whip up this salad and am immediately brought back.
Check Out: Italian Hoagie Salad
Bistro Box Lunches
Don’t want to prep anything at all? I get it! Luckily there are so many pre-made healthy food options we can throw in our lunch bags and call it a meal.
My favorite bistro box: hard boiled eggs, The New Primal peppered turkey sticks, and cut up veggies with my habanero ranch dressing.
Check out: How to make the Ultimate Bistro Box in 5 easy steps
Stay cool, hydrated, and fed!
Valerie Skinner is a Whole30 approved personal chef & recipe developer that bridges the gap between healthy eating and busy lives by providing simple healthy meals and recipes for you and your family.
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