As the temperature dips lower and lower this winter, the last thing you want to do is trek out into the freezing cold to pick up lunch daily, and drop $15 each time. Having a few quick winter lunch ideas under your belt can help make the cold days a little less bitter.
If you’re into meal prepping, add these 5 meals to your roundup to get you through the week. They’re perfect for on the go, whether you’re at school, the office, or chasing little ones around. Plus, who doesn’t love a hearty lunch as a little midday pick me up?
1. Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
For this recipe, you can cook the chicken breasts any way you want and never have to worry about it turning out bland because the veggies and seasoning add tons of flavor. This meal is everything you’d expect in an authentic Mexican dish, ready in just 15 minutes.
Quesadillas are customizable so you can fill them with anything and everything you want, but these ingredients make for a classic chicken fajita. If you have time, pack a little bit of guac and salsa for the road to really spruce up your lunch.
Ingredients
Chicken breasts
½ red pepper
½ green pepper
½ yellow pepper
½ onion
1 teaspoon fajita seasoning
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
3 tortilla wraps
1 teaspoon olive oil
Directions
Begin by cooking your chicken however you want, then shredding it using two forks. You can also buy a rotisserie chicken to save some time.
Next, heat oil in a pan and cut the onions and peppers into thin strips. Cook them for about 3-4 minutes until they are soft. Then, add the chicken and fajita seasoning mix and combine. Transfer the chicken fajita to a plate, remove the pan from the heat and wipe it clean.
Once the pan is clean, place a tortilla wrap in it, spoon some of the chicken fajita on half of the tortilla, and top it with grated cheese. Fold the other half over and cook on low to medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. When the sides are golden brown, you’re good to go!
2. Homemade Hot Pockets
Hear me out on this one. Not only are hot pockets so simple to make, but they store well, reheat perfectly, and taste delicious. You can nuke these straight from the freezer so make a large batch that’ll last you all week or even longer.
This is another versatile recipe that you can fill with anything you want from broccoli and cheddar to breakfast themed. When you make a dozen (or two), it’s a good idea to go with different flavors so you don’t get sick of them but the ingredients below are for a pepperoni hot pocket.
Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry dough, thawed
½ cup pepperoni
½ cup fresh mozzarella cheese
¼ cup pizza sauce
Directions
First preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll your dough out on a floured surface until the seams are smoothed out. Slice the dough into three pieces lengthwise, along the two seams. Then, slice again in half horizontally so you have 6 equal-sized pieces of dough. Set all pieces aside.
In a medium bowl, combine cheese, pepperoni, and pizza sauce. Spoon the filling into the middle of 3 of the 6 pieces of dough. Leave about ½ an inch of dough filling free around the edges of each piece. Take your 3 remaining pieces and stretch them gently. Lay each on top of the pieces with the filling and carefully pinch the edges shut. Seal the pockets with the edge of a fork.
Move your pockets onto the backing sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until the dough is puffy and golden.
3. Pasta Salad
Who said salads are just for summer? Pasta salad is one of the better winter lunch ideas you’ll have because it keeps well and doesn’t need to be warmed up. This recipe is packed with seasonal veggies and shrimp for protein.
You can stick to a traditional pasta salad and add Italian dressing or follow the recipe and make a homemade thyme-mustard dressing.
Ingredients
1 butternut squash
1 crown broccoli
10 mushrooms
2-3 cloves garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
2 cups bowtie pasta
Large shrimp (frozen or fresh)
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 cup parsley
3-4 large handfuls baby arugula
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare all your ingredients: remove seeds from butternut squash and chop, quarter the mushrooms, cut broccoli into florets, mince garlic cloves, and chop parsley.
Place the butternut squash on one large baking sheet and toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, and half of the minced garlic. Spread out the pieces evenly on a baking sheet. Place the mushrooms on a separate large baking dish and toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Combine the squash and mushrooms to bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the mushrooms and replace with the broccoli florets. Return to the oven for 30 minutes. During this time, cook your pasta, drain, and set aside.
Next, heat a large pan over high heat with avocado oil and cook shrimp for 1-2 minutes on each side until pink. Remove from the heat and set aside. The next step would be to prepare the salad dressing if you’re inspired to make your own.
Once the veggies are roasted, remove them from the oven. Combine baby arugula, pasta, veggies, shrimp, and chopped parsley. Shake the dressing of your choice and pour over the salad ingredients. Mix everything well and there you have it!
4. Baked Vegetable Soup
A cozy recipe like this one promises to tide you over until winter thaws. Only the best winter lunch ideas include soups that warm you up and veggie soup always delivers. This healthy meal allows you to throw everything into a single pot and forget about it only to return to a fully prepared lunch that’ll last you days.
Hearty and filling, vegetable soup is just what you need on a cold, dreary day. Don’t forget a good crusty loaf of bread for some added comfort.
Ingredients
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, halved and sliced
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
4 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced
10 ounces baby bella mushrooms, quartered
4 cups frozen artichoke hearts, thawed or 10 fresh artichoke hearts
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
Shredded parmesan
6 cups water
½ teaspoon pepper
Directions
As always, start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Pour oil into a large ovenproof pot and arrange potato slices in an even layer over the oil. Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon salt. Next, layer in the zucchini, leeks, celery, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and ¼ cup parsley. Sprinkle the remaining salt over everything.
Then, pour tomatoes over the veggies and add water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, transfer the pot to the oven and bake, covered for about 1 hour. Season with pepper and garnish with parsley and parmesan.
If you’re looking for some other bomb soups to add to your lunch rotation, try these recipes.
5. Spicy Tuna Wrap
This high-protein lunch idea will hands down be one of the easiest to prepare and assemble. This recipe was inspired by spicy tuna sushi rolls and will give you that kick you need to survive the afternoon.
Wraps always make for a great lunch because they’re refreshing and light, so it won’t slow you down.
Ingredients
2 5-6 ounce cans chunk light tuna, drained
⅓ cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 scallion, chopped
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 10-inch whole-grain wraps
3 cups watercress leaves
1 ripe avocado, cut into 16 slices
1 small carrot, cut into matchsticks
Reduced-sodium soy sauce for dipping (optional)
Directions
Step one involves combining tuna, mayo, hot sauce, and scallion in a medium bowl. Combine rice and vinegar in a small bowl. Spread one-fourth of the tuna mixture over a wrap. Top with ½ cup rice, ¾ cup watercress, 4 avocado slices, and ¼ of the carrot matchsticks.
Roll up and cut the wrap in quarters or in half. Repeat until you run out of the remaining filling and wraps. Serve with soy sauce if desired. Can’t get much easier than that!
If you’re struggling to prepare winter dinners, we’ve got you covered there, too.
