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45 Easy Cold Lunch Ideas

45 easy cold lunch ideas meant for adults at work or kids at school that are delicious and pack easily.

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Cold Lunch Ideas collage (fruit salad with greens, buffalo blue salad, and buffalo chicken wrap)

This list of cold lunch ideas includes everything from homemade lunchables to chicken wraps and filling salads.

They’re easy to make and some can be made in just 5 minutes using leftovers and fresh produce.

Whether you’re low-carb, looking for something to indulge in, or just looking for unique lunch ideas, this list has something for you – even ideas that work great for the working man in your life, whether that’s your husband or you!

There are 45 ideas in this list that prep well and taste incredible when cold. That means you can just pack your lunch up with an ice pack and enjoy it hours later no matter where you are. No microwave required!

We love to make these lunch ideas for work while working at home since they’re easy to prep ahead and have ready to eat for those busy days!

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Easy Cold Lunch Ideas

35 easy and delicious cold lunch ideas that are perfect for work or packed for school.

purchase my cookbook here!
Yield: 4 servings

45 Easy Cold Lunch Ideas

Closeup of Buffalo Chicken Wrap cut in half on a white plate

A collection of easy cold lunch ideas that includes everything from salads to these delicious buffalo chicken wraps

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound leftover chicken, such as cooked chicken tenders
  • 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
  • 4 flour tortillas
  • 1/4 cup chunky blue cheese
  • 1/4 cup lettuce

Optional

  • Shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Chop up chicken tenders into small 1-inch or smaller pieces and place in a bowl.
  2. Pour Buffalo Sauce over chicken and mix to coat.
  3. Put 1/4 of the buffalo chicken, blue cheese, and lettuce into each wrap.
  4. Wrap each tortilla and secure with a toothpick if desired.
  5. Enjoy immediately or store up to 3 days in the refrigerator and enjoy cold or with reheating directions above.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 374Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 1245mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 2gSugar: 0gProtein: 23g

This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.

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samantha

About Samantha

I’ve always had a love of cooking and creating new recipes, so it only made sense to create a food blog so I could share those recipes with you. This site is designed to provide easy and flavorful recipes with as little ingredients as possible. That means you still get great flavor combinations without all that extra time and effort. Read more...

7 thoughts on “45 Easy Cold Lunch Ideas”

  1. These are such great ideas! I wonder, do you happen to have a full list of the dishes? Just a master list we could print and hang to for ideas, then we can go find your recipe?

    I can go down each list and take my own but I wondered if maybe you had one already.

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Kathy, all of the other recipe ideas are listed about the buffalo chicken wrap. If you click on the “get the recipe” button for each recipe, it will take you to that exact recipe you are looking for.

  2. Thank you so much for creating this post! So many of these recipes sound delicious and that’s pretty rare for me. We’re heading out on an 18-day road trip in June and we’re taking our pop-up camper, so these meal ideas were a huge help. Thanks again!

    Reply
  3. Your list of cold lunch ideas is a lifesaver for busy mornings! I’ve already tried a couple of these recipes, and they’re not only easy to make but also super tasty. Thanks for making meal prep so much simpler! 💪🥪👌

    Reply
    • I’m so glad to hear these have been a lifesaver for you, they have for me too! I love hearing that you are enjoying the recipes and they are making meal prep so easy for you. I hope you continue to enjoy the recipes! Thanks for all your feedback.

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