Today, I’m sharing another healthy meal prep with 5 make-ahead healthy lunch box ideas that you can whip up in minutes and will stay fresh in the fridge for several days. Lunch meal prep is key to helping you stay on track with your healthy eating routine. By planning and prepping a healthy, nutritious lunch in advance, you’re less likely to get fast food or indulge in whatever is available at the office.
Today’s lunch recipes are not only super easy to make, but they’re all 100% gluten free and dairy free. You can easily work these recipes into my other meal prep menus for more variety to help you reach your health and weight loss goals much faster.
How to Successfully Pack Lunch & Snacks for the Day
For packing your lunch on-the-go, I highly recommend investing in meal prep containers that are functional and BPA free.
For today’s recipes, I’m using the Bento Boxes from Monbento as they have extra slots and containers that make packing lunch and snacks on-the-go super easy. You can customize their bento boxes to fit your lifestyle.
Additionally, their bento boxes are BPA Free, airtight, leakproof, and dishwasher safe. Each bento box comes with two containers that are stackable, which is perfect for packing both lunch and snacks.
And, Monbento has been kind enough to give all of my subscribers and followers 10% off their entire website (including promos) until the end of March 2021 (code: KAYLA10).
Watch Lunch Meal Prep Video Below
Healthy Meal Prep – Lunch Edition
When it comes to prepping a healthy lunch, it’s all about simplicity. I tried to keep all of today’s lunch recipes simple yet still very nutritious and tasty. These lunch meal prep recipes make multiple servings so you can prep them in advance and serve them throughout the week.
Most of them will stay fresh for up to 5 days in the fridge and up to 1 month in the freezer.
Lunch Box Recipe #1 – Creamy Turkey Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad with Snacks
This healthy pasta salad can be made using any type of fusilli pasta noodles to fit your dietary needs. Typically, I use a cassava flour fusilli to keep it paleo, but I also like the chickpea fusilli noodles as well.
You can substitute the turkey bacon for regular bacon in this recipe. I’ve also provided my homemade ranch dressing below, but feel free to use a store bough ranch (just make sure it’s healthy!).
In the second container, I packed a few healthy snacks, including a boiled egg, raw almonds, blueberries, and strawberries.
Lunch Box Recipe #2 – Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich with Honey Lime Fruit Salad and Date Energy Balls
For the second lunch box, I’m having an avocado egg salad (gluten free) sandwich, honey lime fruit salad, and date energy balls.
The fruit salad will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days while the date balls will last at room temperature (or in the fridge) for up to 2 weeks. Both of these are great healthy snack ideas not only for yourself, but also for kids!
The avocado egg salad can be eaten alone, with healthy crackers, served in lettuce wraps, or on gluten free bread. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Lunch Box Recipe #3 – Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich with Honey Lime Fruit Salad and Date Energy Balls
For the next lunch, I’m making this gluten free Quinoa Olive Salad paired with a grilled chicken breast. On the side, I’m packing extra olives and berries.
Quinoa is actually considered a “seed.” It’s gluten free and actually really easy to digest. So, while it’s not considered strict paleo, quinoa can be part of a healthy diet even for those with digestive issues. This quinoa olive salad is a really simple and delicious recipe that’ll stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days, so it’s perfect for lunch meal prep.
Lunch Box Recipe #4 – Chicken Meatball Marinara Over Zoodles and Snacks
For this lunch box, I’m having my savory chicken meatball marinara over sauteed zoodles along with the date balls I shared earlier and celery sticks with almond butter.
If you’re craving a lunch that’s warm and more savory, this one is a must-try! The homemade marinara is dairy free and the chicken meatballs are grain free. The meatballs will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4-5 days and in the freezer for up to a month. So, they’re perfect for meal prepping.
Lunch Box Recipe #5 – Creamy Carrot Blender Soup with Snacks
This creamy carrot blender soup is dairy free and grain free and perfect for meal prepping as it will last in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months.
On the side, I’m serving some healthy seed crackers and some of the fruit salad I shared earlier.
Looking for more healthy meal prep ideas?
If you’re on the search for healthy meal prep ideas, here’s a few of my most popular meal prep menus.
- Ultimate 5-Day Fat Loss Meal Prep for Weight Loss
- Another 5-Day Fat Loss Meal Prep
- Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep
- Weight Loss Meal Prep for more variety
Healthy Lunch Box Ideas | 5 Meal Prep Lunch Recipes
Video
Ingredients
Creamy Turkey Bacon Ranch Pasta (5 servings)
For the Dairy Free Ranch Dressing (makes 2 Cups)
- 1 C. Avocado Mayonnaise
- 1 C. Coconut Cream (from a can of full fat coconut milk)
- 3-4 Tbsp Water
- 2 tsp EACH of Garlic Powder and Dried Dill
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
- Pinch of Sea Salt
For the Pasta Salad
- 8 oz Fusilli or Rotini Pasta (I like to use chickpea or cassava flour pasta noodles)
- 4 Slices of Uncured Turkey Bacon, cooked & cut into small pieces
- 2/3 C. Cherry Tomatoes, cut into halves or fourths
- 2/3 C. Broccoli Florets
- 2/3 C. Cucumber, cut into fourths
- 2/3 C. Carrots, cut into halves or fourths
- 1/4 C. Red Onion, chopped
- 1 C. Ranch Dressing
- Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste
Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich (2 servings)
- 6 Eggs, hard boiled
- 2 Ripe Avocados
- 1/4 C. Celery, chopped
- 1/4 C. Red Onion, chopped
- 2-4 Tbsp Green Onion, chopped
- 2-4 Tbsp Fresh Dill, finely chopped
- Juice from 1-2 Lemons, to taste
- Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Optional: Gluten Free Bread and additional toppings
Honey Lime Fruit Salad (6 servings)
For the Fruit Salad Base:
- 1/2 Cantaloupe, de-seeded and cut into bite size pieces
- 4 Kiwi, cut into fourths
- 1 lb Strawberries, cut into halves or fourths
- 1 Pint of Blueberries
- Mint Leaves, optional to garnish
For the Honey Lime Dressing:
- 1/4 C. Raw Honey
- Zest from 1 Lime
- Juice from 1 Lime
3-Ingredient Date Energy Balls (makes 10 balls)
- 10 Medjool Dates, pitted
- 1/2 C. Raw Almonds
- 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
- Pinch of Sea Salt, optional
Quinoa Olive Salad (5 servings)
For the Salad Base:
- 1 C. Uncooked Quinoa, rinsed
- 2 C. Water
- 1 15 oz Can of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 C. Kalamata Olives, halved or whole
- 1 Bell Pepper, de-seeded and chopped
- 1/2 C. Red Onion, chopped
- 1/2 Cucumber, cut into fourths
- 1 C. Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
For the Dressing:
- 1/4 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp EACH of Sea Salt and Pepper
Chicken Meatball Marinara Over Zoodles (5 servings)
For the Chicken Meatballs:
- 1 lb Ground Chicken or Turkey
- 1/2 C. Almond Flour
- 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp EACH of Garlic Powder and Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Egg
For the Marinara:
- 1 tsp Avocado Oil
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 28 oz Can of Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Coconut Palm Sugar or Raw Cane Sugar, optional
For the Zucchini Noodles:
- 2-3 Large Zucchinis
- 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil
- Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste
Creamy Carrot Blender Soup (4 servings)
- 2 Tbsp Avocado Oil
- 1 Small Yellow Onion, chopped
- 1 lb Carrots, rinsed and chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp Cumin
- Sea Salt & Pepper, to taste
- 4 C. Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth
- 1 Can of Full Fat Coconut Milk
- Optional Toppings: Green Onion, Paprika, Turkey Bacon Pieces
Instructions
Creamy Turkey Bacon Ranch Pasta
- For the ranch dressing, in a mixing bowl, add the mayo and coconut cream. Mix together until fully combined. Add in all remaining ingredients and continue mixing until fully combined. Set aside.
- For the pasta salad, cook pasta according to the package instructions. Once done, drain and rinse pasta with cool water.
- Cook turkey bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Then, cut bacon into bite size pieces.
- Transfer pasta, bacon, and all remaining ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss until ingredients are fully combined.
- This recipe will keep in the fridge for up to 4-5 days and in the freezer for up to a month.
Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich
- Hard boil 6 eggs. Peel and roughly dice them.
- In a mixing bowl, mash the avocados with a fork.
- Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix until fully combined.
- Optional: Feel free to eat the avocado egg salad with healthy crackers, lettuce wraps, gluten free bread, etc.
Honey Lime Fruit Salad
- Add all fruit to a mixing bowl and toss to combine.
- In a small bowl, add the honey lime dressing ingredients and mix until fully combined. Pour honey lime dressing over the fruit and mix until fully combined.
- Store in fridge with a lid for up to 5 days.
3-Ingredient Date Energy Balls
- Add all ingredients to a food processor (using the ‘S’ blade) and blend until fully combined. Mixture should form a large ball.
- Separate ball into 10 equal parts. Roll each part into a tight ball.
- Store date balls in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature.
Quinoa Olive Salad
- In a saucepan, add the water and quinoa. Stir to combine. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat to low-medium, add a lid, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. Once absorbed, turn off the heat, and leave the lid on for 5 extra minutes. then, gently fluff up the quinoa with a fork.
- Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix until fully combined.
- For the dressing, add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix until fully combined. Pour dressing over quinoa salad mixture and mix until fully combined. Feel free to add more sea salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer salad to an airtight container and store in fridge for up to 5 days.
Chicken Meatball Marinara Over Zoodles
For the Chicken Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all meatball ingredients and mix until fully combined. Take about 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture and roll into a tight ball (wet your hands if the mixture is too sticky). Bake meatballs for 20 minutes or until fully cooked through.
For the Marinara:
- In a saucepan over medium high, add the oil and garlic. Saute for about one minutes. Then, add all remaining ingredients and mix until fully combined. Let that simmer on low with a lid for about 15 minutes.
For the Zucchini Noodles:
- Cut off the ends of each zucchini and run them through a spiralizer.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and zucchini noodles. Toss to make sure the zoodles are coated with the oil, add a lid, and cook until they reach your desired texture. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.
For assembly and storage:
- When ready to serve, add a portion of the zoodles, marinara, and meatballs to your lunch box. Store the remaining ingredients in separate airtight containers for up to 4-5 days in the fridge.
Creamy Carrot Blender Soup
- In a soup pot over medium-high heat, add the oil, onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent.
- Add the cumin, sea salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Then, add the chicken broth.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low-medium and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the carrots are soft.
- Transfer soup to a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Then, transfer soup back to the soup pot and add the coconut milk. Stir to combine. Continue to cook on low-medium for another 5 minutes.
- When ready to serve, add the toppings and enjoy!
I just found your blog yesterday, and I’m so excited. Finally, recipes that are actually healthy but easy to make with ingredients that I know and know how to pronounce. Other blogs I have found claim to be healthy but don’t use organic or clean ingredients, and others are too complicated, and the ingredients are only found online. So thank you! I will be making all of these meals for sure!!!!
Yay! So glad you’re enjoying my recipes! 🙂
Hi! I’m having a great time trying your recipes. I was wondering ,for the dates, are you using fresh or dried. I was making the energy balls and had to use 3 times the amount of dates to get the consistency right. I used organic sun dried dates from Costco.
Thank you
Hey there! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes so far! Yes, for the energy balls, I did use sun dried dates. Are you using the medjool dates or another variety? I used the medjool variety in this recipe and they can be larger than other varieties.
The recipes look great, but the way the page is set up when you want to print them, you have the ingredients print on a separate page from the directions. It would save a lot of trees if you could have the format so that when you hit print it will print the ingredients and directions on the same paper (so we can print front & back on 1 sheets) and include a small picture of the food/completed meal box.