15+ Make-Ahead Lunch Recipes for Fall

Looking for some seasonal lunch recipes to bring fall flavor to your palette? These meals are packed with delicious fall produce like squash, sweet potato, broccoli and cauliflower, making them a great option for autumn. They’re also easy to make ahead of time, so you’ll have one less thing to worry about before heading off to work. Try tasty dishes like our Persian-Style Butternut Squash Soup or Cauliflower Rice Bowls with Grilled Asparagus & Chicken Sausage for a nourishing make-ahead lunch.

Broccoli-Cranberry Salad

This broccoli salad is tossed in a creamy dressing and spiked with sweet cranberries, Cheddar cheese and toasty walnuts. This easy salad is great for lunch–add shredded chicken to make it a main dish.

Persian-Style Butternut Squash Soup

Swap out your basic butternut squash soup for this fragrant version that includes sweet potato and a medley of spices like cinnamon, cumin, coriander and saffron. A drizzle of maple syrup and a few drops of orange water brighten the flavors, while a sprinkle of sumac adds a pop of color and a tangy edge.

Mashed Chickpea Salad with Dill & Capers

This creamy yet light vegan salad is full of bright, herby goodness. On its own, it’s great to serve alongside a sandwich or veggie burger in place of potato salad or coleslaw. You can also make it into a light lunch by adding a handful of arugula to enjoy it as a green salad. Double the recipe and refrigerate to have on hand throughout the week.

Cauliflower Rice Bowls with Grilled Asparagus & Chicken Sausage

Stock the fridge with a week’s worth of lunches using a handful of ingredients from your local grocery store. To save on carbs, we’re swapping in riced cauliflower for regular rice and adding pregrilled asparagus, which bulks up these bowls and adds fiber. At lunchtime, just reheat to steaming then top with a bit of pesto.

Broccoli & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

We’ve loaded this healthy pasta salad with vegetables and bright flavors. Sun-dried tomatoes and a touch of lemon zest jazz up the dressing, while tender-crisp broccoli florets cook alongside the pasta, making assembly (and cleanup!) a breeze.

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Like stuffed cabbage? You’ll love this easy cabbage soup. It’s got all of the classic flavors of stuffed cabbage without all the fuss of stuffing.

Southwestern Sweet Potato Stew

This hearty Southwestern-inspired stew may take a while in your slow cooker, but it’s so worth it! Full of sweet potatoes, black beans, and hominy, it will satisfy your tastebuds and keep you full for hours.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Root Vegetables with Cauliflower Gnocchi

Take cauliflower gnocchi to the next level with these hearty, plant-based meal-prep bowls. Here we double up our Roasted Butternut Squash & Root Vegetables recipe (see Associated Recipes) and combine it with white beans, pesto and store-bought cauliflower gnocchi to make a week of healthy meal-prep lunches. You’ll have leftover roasted veggies, so plan to use them as easy side dishes for dinner throughout the week or incorporate them into another recipe, like Creamy Roasted Vegetable Soup with Chicken or the Piled-High Greek Vegetable Pitas (see Associated Recipes).

Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

These hearty kale salads hold up well for 4 days, making them perfect for meal-prep lunches. To keep the ingredients from getting soggy, dress this salad and top it with peanuts just before serving. For a delicious vegan option, swap in roasted tofu for the chicken breast (see Associated Recipes).

Chicken & Cabbage Salad Bowls with Sesame Dressing

Everything you need (just 4 ingredients!) to prepare a week’s worth of healthy, low-carb lunches can be found at your neighborhood grocery store. A bag of prechopped red and green cabbage serves as the crunchy low-carb base in these chicken salad bowls, which only require 10 minutes to assemble. Top with sesame-flavored almonds and a sesame dressing and you have one irresistible lunch you’ll look forward to all week.

Green Goddess Quinoa Bowls with Arugula & Shrimp

We’re taking advantage of all the healthy items you can find at your local specialty grocery store to create these healthy meal-prep lunches. To add extra protein (while minimizing prep time), we’re using fully cooked quinoa and cooked shrimp, both of which you can find in the freezer section. With a few more simple items, including bottled salad dressing, you’ll have all the ingredients you need to make these high-protein green goddess salad bowls in under 20 minutes.

Spinach & Artichoke Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette

Inspired by the classic warm party dip, this simple salad can be served up right away or divided into small lidded containers for a week of delicious lunches. To keep the hard-boiled eggs tasting fresh, we suggest adding them to your salad just before serving or in the morning before packing your lunch to go.

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas

This healthy high-fiber salad comes together in just 10 minutes. Serve it right away or pack it in individual servings for four super-satisfying high-fiber lunches for the week ahead. To cut down on prep time, we’re using preshredded Brussels sprouts from the produce department and store-bought roasted chickpeas. Look for roasted chickpea snacks with the healthy snacks or nuts at your grocery store.

Roasted Veggie & Hummus Pita Pockets

These satisfying and tasty pita-pocket sandwiches are packed with roasted veggies and greens. A spread of hummus adds creaminess and keeps everything from falling out.

Grilled Vegetable Salads with Goat Cheese

Prepare a week’s worth of lunches in about 10 minutes using a handful of ingredients from your local specialty grocery store. To save time, we’re using a bag of frozen grilled and marinated vegetables, then adding big flavor with marinated goat cheese. If you want to bump up the protein, leftover chicken breast or salmon pair perfectly with this hearty salad.

Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

Thai spices and creamy coconut milk distinguish this version from traditional butternut squash soup. Curry paste is a convenient way to add complex flavor, but if you want to make sure this soup is vegan or if you are allergic to shellfish, check the ingredient list carefully–some brands contain shellfish.

Vegan Burrito Bowls with Cauliflower Rice

These meal-prep vegan burrito bowls are healthy and flavorful. Make them early in the week for grab-andgo- meals when days are busy. We use frozen cauliflower rice, a low-carb substitute for white or brown rice, to cut down on prep time.

Loaded Chicken-Quinoa Salad

Turn simple precooked ingredients into a delicious one-dish meal, high in fiber and with plenty of protein to keep you feeling satisfied.

Goulash Soup

Get all the flavors of classic goulash in a warming, hearty soup. This easy one-pot meal can be on the table in less than an hour.

Spinach, Apple & Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing & Cheese Crisps

Swap out store-bought for this tangy homemade buttermilk and poppy seed dressing to take this healthy salad recipe to the next level. For an even more impressive meal, make your own crunchy cheese crisps in a snap, using phyllo dough, for a delicious accompaniment to this dinner salad. Make extra dressing to keep on hand for other salads throughout the week.

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