15+ No-Cook Lunches That Aren’t Sandwiches

Put the bread and fillings down for today, and opt for one of these no-cook lunches instead. These flavorful and nutritious grain bowls, salads and smoothies help you keep your rotation exciting without requiring you to turn on your stove or oven. Although we love a good sandwich, recipes like our Chopped Power Salad with Chicken and Vegetarian Sushi Grain Bowl are also delicious options you can rely on for a tasty midday meal.

Chopped Power Salad with Chicken

Jason Donnelly

Enjoy this filling and colorful salad for lunch or dinner. The dressing gets made in the same bowl that the salad is tossed in, so the greens absorb every bit of flavor.

Vegetarian Sushi Grain Bowl

Skip the hassle of making sushi rolls at home and just go for this grain bowl. Start with a base of brown rice and add veggies, dressing and creamy avocado for a delicious and easy meal.

Mixed Greens with Lentils & Sliced Apple

This salad with lentils, feta and apple is a satisfying vegetarian entree to whip together for lunch. To save time, swap in drained canned lentils–just make sure to look for low-sodium and give them a rinse before adding them to the salad.

Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl

Photography: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco

This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We’ve loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.

Chickpea & Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Photographer: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

Quinoa and chickpeas pack this vegetarian grain bowl with plenty of plant-based protein. Whip up a batch of these flavorful grain bowls and store them in lidded containers to stash in the fridge for easy, healthy grab-and-go lunches all week long.

Salmon Sushi Grain Bowl

Get all the delicious flavors of sushi without the time-consuming rolling with this quick grain bowl recipe. All you need is 15 minutes to get this healthy dinner on the table or to pack it up for lunch at work.

Lemony Lentil Salad with Feta

Jason Donnelly

This delicious and healthy lentil salad comes together in just 30 minutes and makes a wonderful hot-weather meal. Serve with whole-wheat pitas, if desired.

Strawberry-Blueberry-Banana Smoothie

A smoothie with strawberries, blueberries and banana is delicately sweet and entirely kid-friendly, even with a boost of protein from hemp seeds. Freeze the fruits ahead of time for an extra frosty texture once blended.

Salmon-Stuffed Avocados

Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy, omega-3-rich fish in your diet. Here, we combine it with avocados in an easy no-cook meal.

Green Goddess Salad

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell

This gorgeous green goddess salad combines fresh shrimp, cucumber, artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes with homemade dressing.

Strawberry-Chocolate Smoothie

This creamy, rich strawberry-chocolate smoothie will satisfy any chocolate cravings. It’s so decadent you might want it as a dessert, too.

Rainbow Grain Bowl with Cashew Sauce

This vibrant bowl is packed with nutrients to keep you full for hours. Look for precooked lentils in the refrigerated section of the produce department.

Chickpea “Chicken” Salad

This chickpea salad is a vegetarian version of a classic chicken salad. It doesn’t mimic the flavor of chicken; it swaps chickpeas in for the chicken. It’s an ideal recipe if you’re looking for simple, healthy lunch ideas. It is a delicious and fiber-packed vegetarian alternative! Plus, it’s easily transportable, perfect for picnics and will surely step up your usual desk lunch. So, whether you’re in need of healthy lunch ideas for work or school, or healthy lunch ideas for kids and teens alike, this fresh and creamy chickpea salad may be the answer.

Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.

Chicken & Spinach Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing

Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

The creamy feta dressing steals the show in this protein-rich salad that makes a perfect lunch or quick and easy dinner. While you can buy feta cheese already crumbled, we like crumbling our own fresh from the block for this salad. While we prefer the slightly sharper flavor of sheep’s-milk feta, cow’s-milk feta works just as well.

Chickpea & Quinoa Grain Bowl

It seems grain bowls have as many variations as there are stars in the sky, and there is no wrong way to build one! But we prefer to keep things classic and simple with hummus, quinoa, avocado and loads of veggies!