With the increasing popularity of hybrid working and busy family schedules, finding time to prepare healthy lunches can feel challenging.
Whether you’re working from home, heading into the office, or managing school runs, it’s easy to reach for convenient but less nutritious options when time is tight.
The pressure of modern life often means we deprioritise meal planning, leading to last-minute sandwich grabs or expensive meal deals that leave us feeling sluggish by mid-afternoon.
Similarly, with rising food costs and busy mornings, preparing healthy packed lunches for children can feel like another task on an already overwhelming to-do list.
That’s why the dietitians at Second Nature have put together our top 5 healthy, easy, and quick lunchbox meals, as part of our lunchbox series. All the recipes are family-friendly, so you can prep your and your children’s lunches at the same time, saving both time and money whilst ensuring everyone gets proper nutrition during their busy day.
As part of the Second Nature programme, you can get access to the lunchbox toolkit that provides a huge number of easy, healthy lunch options. Recipes marked with a (v) are suitable for (or can be easily adjusted for) vegetarian and vegan individuals.
Medication-assisted weight loss with a future focus
Start with Mounjaro, transition to habit-based health with our support
1) Ploughman’s lunchbox
An old classic, this Ploughman’s plate is a great option if you’re short on time. It’s equally easy to throw together if you’re working from home or pack in a Tupperware for lunches on the go.
It’s high in protein, which will leave you feeling fuller for longer, and lower carb than a full sandwich. It’s also a great way to use up leftovers, as you can swap the cheese, meats, and vegetables for any that you have available.
2) Egg salad sandwich (v)
A simple, comforting favourite that you can’t go wrong with. Consider serving with a side salad or some vegetable crudites to increase the amount of non-starchy veg on your plate.
If you want to plan ahead to save time, you can make the egg salad sandwich filling ahead of time and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge. You could even have a tablespoon of the mixture on a cracker or half a piece of bread for a satisfying snack. This lunch is suitable for vegetarians.
3) Halloumi and chermoula (v)
This lunch is filled with plant fibre from the various non-starchy vegetables and chickpeas. The halloumi provides a salty, delicious source of protein, and you can swap it with other cheeses, meats, or tofu if you want to use up leftovers.
If you’re working from home, consider batch cooking the vegetable mixture at the beginning of the week and then just heating it up and grilling the halloumi at lunchtime. This lunch is suitable for vegetarians, and for vegan individuals you could swap the halloumi for a plant-based protein, such as tofu.
4) Smashed chickpea lettuce cups (v)
A fun, vegetarian twist on a tuna wrap, these chickpea lettuce cups and high in protein and relatively lower in carbs. They’re super quick to make and taste incredibly fresh and flavourful.
Again, you could make the chickpea mixture the night before work or school so all you have to do is pop the mixture into some lettuce cups and into a Tupperware. This recipe is suitable for vegetarians and vegans (if you swap the whole egg mayo for vegan mayo).
5) Tomato soup (v)
A classic warming comfort, this tomato soup is the perfect option on a cold day. Usually, soups contain very little protein or healthy fats, which means that you’re likely to feel hungry soon after your meal.
This soup contains some cream and white beans, which should leave you more satisfied and feeling fuller for longer. It also makes it extremely creamy and delicious! You can pack this soup in a flask to take on the go. This recipe is suitable for vegetarian individuals.
