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Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor
Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.
updated May 1, 2019
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A lot of make-ahead lunch ideas assume your food can be stored in a fridge until it’s time to eat. But what happens when you’re at school, on the road for the day, or simply don’t work in a place with access to a refrigerator? The answer doesn’t have to be sad, soggy sandwiches, vending machine snacks, or the drive-thru meals.
Our 10 easy no-fridge-required lunch ideas showcase the variety of satisfying, delicious options that can be made ahead of time, held at room temperature, and still taste awesome at lunchtime.
LunchBots Cinco
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Buy the Lunch Box
We’re pretty obsessed with this simple-yet-sturdy bento-style lunch box from LunchBots. We prefer this large size with five distinct compartments, but LunchBots also offers other sizes and configurations like this Small Protein Packer. We also love their tiny Condiment Cups for dressings and dips.
10 No-Refrigeration-Needed Lunch Ideas
If you don’t have access to a refrigerator for your lunch and aren’t quite sure what to pack, this is the place to start! Each one of these lunch boxes includes a protein-packed main and a mix of fruits, veggies, and snacks to keep you going throughout the afternoon.
1. Marinated White Beans
Think of this as mezze platter meets lunch box. Marinated beans get even better the longer they sit, so make a big batch during weekend meal prep and eat them throughout the week.
- Get a recipe: Marinated white beans (or buy from your grocery store deli)
- Pack with: 1 (2-ounce) hummus cup, grape tomatoes, pita chips, olives
2. Peanut Noodles
Opening up your lunch box to saucy peanut noodles is definitely something to look forward to. Plus, the beauty of rice noodles is that they just need to be soaked in hot water to soften — no cooking necessary. Remember to rinse them in cold water afterwards to prevent them from clumping together.
- Get a recipe: Mix cooked rice noodles with a couple of tablespoons of peanut sauce (or use your favorite store-bought version) and top with red pepper flakes
- Pack with: Triscuts, Babybel cheese, sugar snap peas, baby carrots
3. Peanut Butter & Banana Pinwheels
Your beloved PB and banana toast might not travel well, but swap the bread for a tortilla and it’s a totally different story.
- Get a recipe: Spread some peanut butter onto a whole-wheat tortilla, add a peeled banana, roll it up, and slice into bite-size pieces.
- Pack with: Celery sticks, dried mango, roasted almonds, blueberries
4. Lentil Salad
Fill your lunch box with lentil salad and rest assured you’re in for a satisfying lunch. Hearty green or brown lentils will hold up best.
- Get a recipe: Lentil salad (or buy it from the grocery store deli counter or salad bar)
- Pack with: Snacking cheese, green beans, clementine, roasted almonds
5. Rice Cake and Nut Butter Snack Box
Two-bite rice cakes are the perfect vessel for dipping into your favorite nut butter for lunch.
- Get a recipe: Mini rice cakes with nut butter (swap in chickpea butter if you’re nut-free)
- Pack with: Celery sticks, blueberries, Barre Apple Chips
6. Ham and Cheddar Muffin
Make a batch of these savory, sandwich-inspired muffins over the weekend, then stash them in the freezer. Slice in half and add one to your lunch box in the morning, and by the time lunch rolls around it’ll be thawed and ready to eat.
- Get a recipe: Ham and cheddar muffin
- Pack with: Mini sweet peppers, small apple, nut butter, graham crackers
7. Scrambled Chickpea Pita
These vegan pitas are perfect for big-batch cooking. Make a bunch during weekend meal prep and freeze for later. It’s a good idea to put the frozen pita in the fridge the night before; it will finish thawing in your lunch box throughout the morning.
- Get a recipe: Scrambled chickpea pita
- Pack with: Sugar snap peas, quartered strawberries, dark chocolate
8. Soba Noodle Salad
While we love a simple mixture of sesame oil, soy sauce, and ginger, any kind of dressing is fair game on soba noodles.
- Get a recipe: Soba noodle salad (or it buy from the grocery store deli counter or salad bar)
- Pack with: Cubed avocado, sliced cucumber, Krave Beef Jerky, Harvest Snaps Snapea Crisps
9. Quinoa Tabbouleh
Not only is swapping quinoa for bulgur a fun way to change up traditional tabbouleh, it also adds an extra pop of protein to lunch.
- Get a recipe: Quinoa tabbouleh
- Pack with: Clementine, black olives, green beans, roasted almonds
10. Orzo Salad
Toss orzo with chopped roasted veggies and a simple herb pesto for a simple yet satisfying pasta salad lunch.
- Get a recipe: Orzo salad (or it buy from the grocery store deli counter or salad bar)
- Pack with: Baby carrots, snap peas, roasted almonds, Barre Apple Chips
Have a favorite no-fridge lunch? We’d love to hear all about it below!
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Healthy Living
Lunch
Make Ahead
