3 Delicious Ideas for Plant-Based Lunches

Let’s face it; lunches can be boring, especially when you don’t have a lot of time in the mornings to pull together something healthy. So how about some quick, easy, and delicious plant-based lunch ideas? We’ve got you covered! With a little planning ahead of time, you’ll never be without a healthy lunch to take to work.

Idea #1: Buddha Bowls

Buddha Bowls are easy and healthy – all you need is a base of rice, quinoa or other grain. Then add some protein, veggies, and sauce. Here are some quick bowls you can throw together:

• Wild rice, squash, and mushrooms (with avocado and red cabbage)
• Quinoa, avocado, and tahini (with Brussels sprouts and sunflower seeds)
• Squash, kale and black beans with quinoa
• Quinoa, chickpeas, and sweet potato
• Kale, white beans and broccoli
• Sautéed Lentils and Butternut Squash

Don’t forget a good sauce as a topping – tahini, cashew cream, lemon juice, curried coconut milk, etc. Make a few and freeze the rest.

Idea #2: Soups

Make a large pot of soup ahead of time and then you have no excuse to not have a healthy lunch. Here are some ideas:

• Lentil Soup
• Vegan Chili
• Black Bean Soup
• Hearty Veggie Soup
• Gazpacho (perfect for hot days)
• Kale Yeah Soup

You can easily freeze single servings of soup and take them out when you need them. And to save time on preparation, many soups can be made in a pressure cooker or slow cooker to reduce hands on time.

Idea #3: Mason Jar Salads

Not only are they gorgeous, you can make most of them ahead of time for a couple days of healthy, plant-based lunches without a lot of fuss. Here’s how to layer a Mason jar salad:

• Layer one: Dressing (by putting dressing on the bottom, you don’t have to worry about the ingredients getting soggy if left over a day or two)
• Layer two: Grains and protein (quinoa, rice, black beans, chickpeas lentils, etc.)
• Layer three: Chopped veggies (fruit too!)
• Layer four: Nuts and seeds
• Layer five: Leafy greens

Mason jars are a perfect, reusable container. Just pour everything into a bowl or eat from the jar. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and find a few mixes that you like.

Not a fan of mason jars? Find a good, BPA-free container for your salads and bowls, like the one we used for the salad above. They fit nicely into an insulated lunch bag and you can stack them in the fridge to have lunches ready for the week ahead.

Find the Perfect Lunch Recipes in The 22-Day Revolution Cookbook

Featured in the photo above is the Brussels Sprouts Salad from The 22-Day Revolution Cookbook. The book is packed with over 150 delicious plant-based recipes, many of which are perfect for take-to-work lunches. Find the book at your local bookstore and on Amazon. 

Now that you have a few plant-based lunch ideas, are you excited for lunch again? We are too!