Meal Prep Resources Recipe Index

20+ Easy Cold Lunches {Meal Prep Ideas}

By Taylor Stinson | Rate Recipe | Posted: 07/08/24 | Updated: 07/24/26

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These easy cold lunch Ideas are perfect for meal prepping to bring to work—they’re make ahead options that don’t need to be reheated!

Collage with four cold meal prep recipes and text that says 'Easy Meal Prep Cold Lunch Ideas'

I’m a big fan of cold lunches because they’re so easy to meal prep ahead of a busy week. I rounded up some of my favourite cold lunch ideas that are perfect for work lunches, school lunches or anytime you need something fresh and ready to grab from the fridge.

Cold Lunch Ideas You’ll Love

No Microwave? No Problem!

Whether you’re at the office, packing a school lunch or eating on the go, these cold lunch ideas don’t need to be reheated. They’re designed to be enjoyed straight from the fridge, making them perfect for workplaces and schools without a microwave.

Boxes and Bowls

These bento boxes and meal prep bowls make excellent lunches! There are even some simple no-cook options like the Healthy Bento Boxes that come together in just mere minutes.

5 Healthy Bento Lunch Boxes all photographed on an angle, zoomed out

5 Easy Bento Box Lunch Ideas

These Easy Bento Box Lunch Recipes are the perfect lunch for work or school – make them ahead and store in the fridge for up to 5 days!

Taco Bell Power Bowl

Taco Bell Power Bowl Copycat Recipe

This Taco Bell Power Bowl is the perfect meal prep idea and is a healthier copycat recipe you can easily make at home in just 30 minutes!

Chicken Ranch Kale & Quinoa Bowls

Chicken Ranch Kale & Quinoa Bowls {Gluten-Free}

These Chicken Ranch Kale & Quinoa Bowls are super delicious and gluten-free with an easy-peasy and low-calorie homemade ranch dressing.

Sweet Potato, Kale & Quinoa Lunch Bowls

Chipotle Chicken, Sweet Potato & Quinoa Bowls

These Chipotle Chicken, Sweet Potato & Quinoa Bowls are the perfect lunch recipe packed with healthy veggies and drizzled in chipotle sauce.

Creamy Sriracha Shrimp Poke Bowls

Creamy Sriracha Shrimp Poke Bowls

These Creamy Sriracha Shrimp Poke Bowls are a delicious twist on tuna poke with seaweed salad, sriracha, lemongrass corn and plump shrimp.

Two Mediterranean bowls topped with parsley.

Easy Mediterranean Bowl {Meal Prep}

This Easy Mediterranean Bowl is going to become your next favourite lunch! It's got quinoa, chicken, roasted red peppers, hummus and more.

A close-up of a chicken shawarma bowl topped with garlic sauce.

Chicken Shawarma Bowl

These easy Chicken Shawarma Bowls are delicious for dinner or meal prep. They have marinated chicken, veggies, couscous, and garlic sauce!

Wraps & Sandwiches

Wraps don’t need to be boring! Try making these wraps in tortillas, on lettuce, or even rolled up in collard greens. The shrimp salad is also super delicious on a brioche roll!

Two chickpea tuna salad sandwiches stacked on top of each other.

Vegetarian Chickpea Tuna Salad Sandwich

This Chickpea Tuna Salad Sandwich is a delicious vegetarian lunch idea. It's so simple to make, too! Meal prep the filling for quick lunches.

overhead shot of plated dish called turkey roll ups

High Protein Turkey Roll Ups

Turkey and Cheese Roll Ups are a quick high-protein lunch—packed with lean turkey, fresh veggies, and creamy spread, they're perfect for meal prep.

Crunchy buffalo chicken wraps

The BEST Buffalo Chicken Wraps

This is the BEST Buffalo Chicken Wrap you'll ever eat, with the crispiest baked chicken tenders coated in sauce. It's my favourite lunch!

Low Carb Garlic Chicken Collard Wraps

Garlic Chicken Collard Wraps {Low-Carb}

These Garlic Chicken Collard Wraps are a healthy and low-carb meal prep idea with fresh veggies and a creamy vegan garlic sauce!

Chicken and Kale Caesar Wraps

Kale Chicken Caesar Wraps

These veggie-filled Kale Chicken Caesar Wraps are the perfect on-the-go lunch, with an avocado Caesar dressing that's lighter on calories.

Chickpea, Sweet Potato & Avocado Freezer Wraps

Chickpea Salad Wrap {with Sweet Potato and Avocado}

These curried Chickpea Salad Wraps with sweet potato and avocado are the perfect grab and go lunch, and easily made vegetarian!

A large plate of summer rolls with a little bowl of sweet chili sauce in the middle.

Vegan Summer Rolls + Sweet Chili Sauce

These Vegan Summer Rolls are a light and fresh no-cook lunch idea—they're filled with lots of flavourful herbs and veggies!

PF Chang's lettuce wraps

PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps {Perfect Copycat}

Craving PF Chang's chicken lettuce wraps? Try this perfect copycat recipe for a delicious and easy homemade version!

No Cook Shrimp Salad

The BEST Shrimp Salad

This Shrimp Salad is the BEST no cook dinner idea for summer – turn it into a pasta salad or serve in brioche rolls for a filling meal.

Salads

It wouldn’t be a true cold lunch post if we didn’t mention salads. You can meal prep them in mason jars, use grains like quinoa to bulk them up, and play around with different dressings to make something delicious!

3 mason jars in a row, each containing a different salad inside.

How to Make Mason Jar Salads + 5 Recipes

These Mix and Match Mason Jar Salad Recipes make healthy lunches easy – they're great for meal prep and will keep your salad fresh for days!

overhead shot of Southwest Dense Bean Salad 1

Southwest Dense Bean Salad

This Southwest Dense Bean Salad is high-fibre, protein-packed and made with black beans, corn, and a zesty lime dressing—perfect for meal prep, potlucks, or quick lunches!

Broccoli salad

Broccoli Salad {High Protein + Meal Prep}

This High Protein Broccoli Salad is perfect for meal prep – it’s so filling with lentils, bacon and quinoa in a creamy dressing!

A bowl of lentil salad with a napkin underneath.

Best Lentil Salad Recipe

This is the ultimate lentil salad recipe! It's a plant-based lunch that's super satisfying thanks to the crunchy veggies and lemon dressing.

A big bowl of Mandarin Chicken salad with toppings on it.

Mandarin Chicken Salad

This Mandarin Chicken Salad is so delicious! It's filled with crisp fresh veggies and topped with the best sesame ginger dressing.

The Ultimate Vegetarian Mason Jar Salad

The Best Veggie Mason Jar Salad {Two Ways!}

This Veggie Mason Jar Salad is packed with protein, with a yummy hummus base for an extra layer of flavour – try making it one of two ways!

Overhead shot of quinoa salad with two wooden spoons tossing the salad

Best Easy Quinoa Salad Recipe

This ultimate Quinoa Salad recipe has THE best dressing. It's gluten-free, vegan, protein-packed and the perfect cold lunch or potluck idea.

The BEST Arugula Salad

Inspired by Aroma Espresso Bar, this is the BEST Arugula Salad – it features lentils, sweet potatoes, and lemon-olive oil dressing. You can meal prep it, too!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

This high protein Mediterranean pasta salad is made with creamy tzatziki dressing, feta, cucumbers, olives and chicken. Perfect for meal prep!

Meal Prep Low Carb Big Mac Salad Jars

Easy Big Mac Salad Recipe

This easy Big Mac Salad can be meal prepped in mason jars for lunches – it's a healthy low-carb take on the classic cheeseburger!

A big bowl of Mediterranean chickpea salad.

15-Minute Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes is perfect for meal prep! Pack it in mason jars for a healthy lunch.

A close-up of a bowl of Copycat McDonald's Southwest Salad with a fork in it.

Copycat McDonald’s Southwest Salad Recipe

This McDonald's Southwest Salad is a delicious copycat, right down to the homemade southwest salad dressing and healthier crispy chicken!

A hand with a tortilla chip scooping up cowboy caviar from a bowl.

Ultimate Cowboy Caviar Recipe

This Cowboy Caviar recipe is a great vegetarian, high-protein lunch idea. It's got veggies, beans, and the best tangy dressing!

A big bowl filled with Italian pasta salad.

Best Ever Italian Pasta Salad {Crowd Pleaser!}

This Italian Pasta Salad will be a hit this summer with fresh veggies, salami and a zesty vinaigrette dressing – everyone will love it!

Created by Taylor Stinson

Hey there, my name's Taylor! I’m the founder of The Girl on Bloor, a food blog where I share healthy meal prep recipes for busy people. I'm a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto on (you guessed it!) Bloor Street. I've got 10 years experience meal prepping, along with a Master's degree in journalism, and you can find my work across the internet featured on publications such as Buzzfeed, HuffPost, Women's Health, Reader's Digest and more. I'm also the founder of Dinner Prep Pro, which is a meal prep app and community that helps busy people get more time back, save money on food and reduce stress during the work week. Thanks for being here and I hope to inspire you with my recipes and meal planning tips!

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