17 Cold Lunch Ideas That are not Same Old Sandwiches

If you have no heating option or microwave available at your work place, or too busy to cook a lunch everyday at home, cold lunch is the way to go. But it does not mean you will have to feed day- after -day on sandwiches or left-over from last night . We have got you covered. Most of these cold lunch ideas are not only healthy they are also perfect for people who don’t have time to spend hours in kitchen.

Cold lunch ideas for husband

If your husband is on-the-go most of the day, he needs cold lunches that can be eaten without microwaving. Here are 3 cold lunches which are fast and easy to prepare too.

Salami and Cream Cheese Rollups

Source: recipetineats.com
Source: recipetineats.com

Cream cheese and salty taste of salami is a stellar combination. You can add whatever you want into the filling .

Chicken salad on crackers

Source: wp.com

You can make it with canned chicken. Just drain it, add mayo and boiled egg. Add a packet of cracker to your husband’s lunch box and you are good to go.

Cold Chicken pasta salad with side

Source: budgetbytes.com

Pair it with slices of fresh mozzarella and hard boiled eggs

Cold lunch ideas for construction workers

Construction workers burn as much as three times more calories per hour as compared to people working a desk job. Therefore, they need a hearty lunch that will fill them up and keep their energy high for the rest of the workday. So here are some cold lunch ideas for construction workers that are portable and do not require heating.

Soup in Thermos

source: momables.com

Ok, this is not a cold lunch but no need for heating as you can put it in thermos. Make home made ramen noodle soup with fresh veggies in a savory broth. Toss in leftover chicken for a little extra protein.

Chickpea Sabarma Wrap

Source: minimalistbaker.com

It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and a few ingredients. It’s a perfect, ‘filling’ , high protein cold lunch idea for construction worker . Check out the simple preparation method here

Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas

Source: wellplated.com

It’s easy to make in big quantities on Sunday night, does not dirty lot of dishes (the filling is made in a single pot) and does not need much time. Check out the recipe here. Though it is generally eaten hot but tastes fine if eaten off the lunch box.

Ceaser Salad Chicken , Kale wrap

Source: staticflickr.com

It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and is another good option for cold lunch box.

Keto cold lunch ideas

If you are on Keto and looking for cold lunch options here are some perfect keto recipes for you that are good to eat in room temperature.

Bacon, Avacado and Goat Cheese Salad

Bacon, Avacado and Goat Cheese Salad

Creamy avocados , goat cheese with the crunch of nuts. Yummy! Can be made in few minutes and delicious to eat. Check out the recipe here

Keto Chicken Lettuce Wrap

Keto Chicken Lettuce Wrap

You can use curried chicken or prepare a simple sauce for the chicken by mixing peanut butter, stevia for sweetness, soy sauce and Sriracha. Put the lettuce wraps in a zip lock if you are on the road and you have healthy keto lunch ready to eat when you are hungry.

Keto Grilled Vegetable Salad

Source: julieslifestyle.com

It tastes super at room temperature, so take it with you to work or school as a healthy lunch on the go. You can prepare it in a big batch and store this salad up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Check out the recipe here

Cold lunch ideas for picky eaters

If your children are picky eaters , one way to handle it is to allow them to make their own lunch! All of a sudden they find it interesting to try just because it was their idea.
So here are 4 cold lunch ideas for picky eaters that even your child can prepare.

Tuna Salad Cucumber bite

Tuna Salad Cucumber bite

Sandwich is one of the most common cold lunch given to children but it need not be boring. If your child is bored with the bread, allow them to prepare cucumber tuna bites instead. Mix together coconut oil mayo, black pepper and tuna in a bowl. Scoop it on sliced cucumber .

Grilled Chicken Cesar Salad

Source: gimmesomegrilling.com

In a large bowl put in your lettuce and precooked grilled chicken . Let your picky eater mix salad dressing of choice .Add black pepper, Parmesan Cheese and squeeze fresh lemon . Done!

Tortilla Rolls Ups

Lay the tortilla flat, start with a spread like salsa, pasta sauce or any other sauce of your choice. Add filling like ham, cheddar cheese, red onion and ranch mix.

Tortilla Rolls Ups

Or, how about another type of filler with pasta sauce, pizza toppings and shredded cheese? Let your child choose the different filler mix!

Cold vegetarian lunch ideas

Vegetarian cold lunch does not mean you have to eat boring salad day after day. Here are 4 cold vegetarian lunch ideas to spice up your lunch time

Sweet Potato Noodle Stir Fry

Sweet Potato Noodle Stir Fry

You can add lot of veggies of your choice . You can make a whole bunch of this for dinner and pack the extra for lunch. Check out the preparation method here

Spinach Artichoke and Goat Cheese Quiche

Source: netdna-ssl.com

You can prepare this before the week starts, slice it up and pack it to have during the week. Get the recipe here.

Vegetarian Lettuce Wrap

Source: wellplated.com

The filling is made with tofu and mushrooms as ingredients and the dressing is done with hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Check out the complete recipe here

Portobello Mushroom Tacos

Source: healthynibblesandbits.com

This marinated mushroom can be put in a collard green leaf or in a lettuce wrap and you have a healthy , tasty vegetarian cold lunch option at your hand. Get the recipe here

Have your own cold lunch ideas? Share it with us!