Why is lunch the hardest meal to get excited about? I can eat the same breakfast every day and not get sick of it (banana and a protein bar, baby). When I’m prepping dinner, I have time to get creative and experiment. But when it comes to lunch, I’m stumped. I could go out, but it’s so expensive. I want to try new recipes, but I don’t have time to make a fresh lunch every night, and it’s hard to find dishes that will stay good for a full week after I meal prep them.
I default to making the same quinoa salad every day, and while it’s tasty and healthy, after a year, it’s also gotten boring. I still want to keep things healthy, since it’s the middle of the day and I’m not trying to feel bloated, sleepy, or blah until I head home. So I asked for recommendations from the experts: registered dietitians. Ahead, more than a dozen of them shared their go-to packable, healthy, and filling lunches, ranging from salad variations to grain bowls to sandwiches. I’m shamelessly planning to steal all of them for my next few months of lunches, and I hereby give you permission to do the same.