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Tips for Quick and Easy Summer Meal-Prep Lunches
Focus on seasonal produce
Take full advantage of one of summer’s greatest perks-the produce-while you can! Shop your farmers' market or the local features at your grocery store, and plan lunches around what looks good that week. Seasonal produce like tomatoes, greens and fresh herbs are often abundant (and cheaper) during the summer months.
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Go for cold
Summer produce is flavorful and delicious, so plan to enjoy it raw or simply prepared in salads and bowls. Prepping cold lunches usually requires less cooking up-front, which cuts down on time spent in the kitchen during precious summer weekends. And packing a cold lunch means you can skip the office microwave line and take your lunch outside to enjoy al fresco!
Incorporate leftovers from the grill
Leftover grilled chicken or seafood, like salmon or shrimp, works great as lunch leftovers and can be eaten cold in green salads, pasta salads or grain bowls. The next time you fire up the grill, cook a couple of extra chicken breasts or salmon fillets to have on hand for easy lunches.
Add herbs, and then add some more
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Keep things light but satisfying
The warmer summer months often have us craving lighter meals, but balance is key to helping us feel satisfied all afternoon. As a general guide, plan on 1 to 2 servings of vegetables, 1 to 2 servings of protein, a serving of fiber-rich carbohydrates and a serving of healthy fat at lunch.
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How to Meal-Prep Healthy Summer Lunches
How to Meal-PrepChicken Caprese Pasta Salad Bowls
Pasta salad is a classic summer side dish, but adding protein (leftover grilled chicken is perfect here) and extra greens like spinach makes it a super-satisfying lunch. Top it with our bright and tangyBasil Vinaigrettejust before serving.
Step 1: Cook pasta
Cook 3 cups of whole-grain pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse well under cold running water. Drain again; set aside.
Step 2: Halve tomatoes and chop chicken
Cut a pint of cherry tomatoes in half; set aside. Dice 8 ounces of cooked chicken breast into bite-size pieces.
Step 3: PrepareBasil Vinaigrette
Make theBasil Vinaigrette. You’ll need ½ cup of it, or 2 tablespoons for each lunch serving. Divide the vinaigrette among 4 small single-serving lidded containers. Save any remaining vinaigrette to use later in the week.
Step 4: Assemble lunch containers
How to Meal-PrepChopped Rainbow Salad Bowls with Peanut Sauce
Make good use of summer’s finest produce in this chopped meal-prep version of ourNoodle Bowl with Rainbow Veggies & Peanut Sauce. We’ve swapped the rice noodles for quick-cooking bulgur, but quinoa or rice works too. Feel free to add chopped cooked chicken, shrimp or tofu for extra protein.
Step 1: Cook bulgur
Combine 1 cup bulgur and 1½ cups water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the bulgur is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Prepare slaw
Thinly slice a small head of napa cabbage (you’ll need 4 cups). Toss with 2 tablespoons chopped mint and 2 tablespoons chopped basil; set aside.
Step 3: Chop veggies
Chop 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 4 medium peeled carrots, 1 medium cucumber and 1 cup cooked whole beets (canned is fine); set aside.
Step 4: Make peanut sauce
Combine ½ cup smooth natural peanut butter, ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey and 1 minced garlic clove in a small dish; whisk until smooth. Divide the sauce among 4 small single-serving lidded containers.
Step 5: Assemble lunch containers
Divide the cabbage slaw among 4 single-serving containers. Top each with ½ cup cooked bulgur and equal parts chopped bell peppers, carrots, cucumber and beets. Top each with ½ tablespoon sesame seeds. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat. Top with peanut sauce just before eating.
How to Meal-PrepVegan Lettuce Wraps
Traditional lettuce wraps call for a warm filling, but we’re keeping things cool for summer with a cold plant-based bean salad filling loaded with fresh herbs, plus a little quinoa for extra protein. We recommend storing the different components of this dish separately and assembling your meal-prep lunch the night before. This ensures the lettuce leaves will be as crisp as possible when you go to eat.
Step 1: Cook quinoa
Prepare a batch ofBasic Quinoa(or microwave an 8-ounce pouch of instant quinoa to cut down on prep time). Set the quinoa aside to cool in a lidded container. Once cool, refrigerate until ready to assemble the lunch bowls.
Step 2: Prepare the bean salad filling
Make theBean Salad with Lemon-Cumin Dressingbut omit the mint for now. Place the bean salad in a lidded container and refrigerate until ready to assemble the lunch bowls.
Step 3: Prep the lettuce
Wash and dry the lettuce. Separate the leaves; you’ll need 12 lettuce cups for this recipe. Hold in the refrigerator until ready to build the bowls.
To prepare 1 serving of lettuce wraps: Place 3 lettuce leaves in a single-serving lidded container. Top each leaf with 2 tablespoons quinoa and ⅓ cup bean salad. Sprinkle with mint. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Watch:How to Make a Noodle Bowl with Rainbow Veggie & Peanut Sauce
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