Coming up with lunch ideas for the week is always the hardest part of meal planning. Whether you work in an office or from home, you need something quick that you can easily throw together over your lunch break and that won’t leave you feeling sluggish or (even worse) hungry again by mid-afternoon. Takeout is always an option but can really start eating into your paycheck week after week, and spending your entire Sunday meal prepping is not the most fun use of your precious weekend time. The secret to making weekday lunches easier? Keeping a few versatile Trader Joe’s items on hand that can do most of the work for you. With plenty of ready-to-eat staples, frozen meals, and shortcut ingredients, TJ’s makes it surprisingly easy to put together a satisfying meal without spending your whole lunch break in the kitchen.
If you need some inspiration, I’m sharing a few of my tried-and-true Trader Joe’s lunch ideas below. All of these combos are super easy to pack in a lunch bag, heat up in the microwave at work, or throw together quickly at home. If you’re really desperate for a quick bite, you could even dash out to your nearest Trader Joe’s over your lunch break and cobble together a few finds for a filling meal on the go that’s much cheaper than takeout. The point is: Trader Joe’s has your back with easy lunch ideas that are way more satisfying than a sad desk salad. Here’s what to grab when you need a quick mid-day meal:
1. Seasoned and Shredded Rotisserie Chicken + Thai Style Peanut Dressing + Organic Coleslaw Mix
Rotisserie chicken is super handy to keep in the fridge for when you need a quick protein source to add to lunches during the week. When you’re craving something light and fresh, toss some rotisserie chicken with Trader Joe’s Thai Style Peanut Dressing and serve it over a bed of crunchy coleslaw mix for an easy, Asian-inspired salad. Although the shredded cabbage and carrots will hold up better in the fridge than regular lettuce, it’s best to keep the dressing separate if you’re packing this lunch to eat later. No one wants a soggy salad!
2. Uncured Salami Snacker + Pita Bite Crackers + Fruitful Medley
When I’m feeling particularly uninspired on lunch ideas, I like to quickly throw together a snack plate using a few different Trader Joe’s finds. If you’re eating on the go, this Uncured Salami Snacker is extra handy because the meat and cheese are pre-cut and perfectly portioned for a single serving. Grab your favorite box of crackers and some fruit to have on the side (like this ready-to-eat medley), and you’re all set with an easy, satisfying lunch.
READ: I Don’t Cook—Here Are the Girl Dinner-Approved Items I Always Buy at Trader Joe’s
3. Steamed Lentils + Bruschetta Sauce + Crumbled Feta
You might have already seen this 3-ingredient Trader Joe’s lunch recipe circulating online—it’s one of those IYKYK combos that just works. Since the lentils come pre-cooked, you can either eat them cold straight out of the package or warmed up for a minute or two in the microwave. Either way, mix the package of lentils with a tub of Trader Joe’s Bruschetta Sauce plus as much crumbled feta as your heart desires to make the most delicious, protein-packed, plant-based lunch. Dive straight in with a fork and eat it as a salad, or scoop it onto your favorite crackers.
4. Grilled Chili Lime Chicken Breast + Elote Chopped Salad Kit
Trader Joe’s has a ton of different salad kits in all sorts of flavor profiles, but this elote-inspired one might be their best. If you’re a fan of TJ’s Everything and the Elote dip, you’ll love this creamy, crunchy, slightly spicy salad. Paired with a few slices of Trader Joe’s Grilled Chili Lime Chicken Breast, it makes an easy, filling lunch that tastes like something you’d pay at least $15 for at a restaurant.
READ: The Best Trader Joe’s Dips, Ranked from Worst to Can’t-Live-Without
5. Tomato Feta Soup + Garlic & Cheese Bread Sticks
Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a classic lunch combo that’s perfect for days when you’re craving something warm and cozy. But if you don’t have time to whip up a grilled cheese from scratch (or don’t have access to a stove at work), these Garlic & Cheese Bread Sticks make a great alternative. Perfectly shaped for dipping, they make a delicious complement to Trader Joe’s Tomato Feta Soup, which just needs a few minutes in the microwave before it’s ready to eat.
6. Greek Style Chicken Salad + Ciabatta Rolls + Organic Red Butter Lettuce
Grab a container of this Greek Style Chicken Salad, plus some lettuce and a package of Trader Joe’s Ciabatta Rolls, and call it meal prep for the week. This riff on chicken salad is made with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and Kalamata olives, which give it a unique Mediterranean-inspired flavor. It makes an easy, no-fuss sandwich filling, perfect for throwing together in the morning before you head to the office or between meetings on busy WFH days.
7. Chicken Mole + Spanish Style Rice + Pico de Gallo Salsa
Skip the trip to Chipotle and toss together a quick DIY burrito bowl using a few Trader Joe’s finds instead. This Spanish Style Rice comes frozen in individual pouches that require just a few minutes in the microwave to heat up. Use it as the base for your burrito bowl, then top with a heaping helping of Chicken Mole (also easy to heat in the microwave). To finish it off, I personally love the fresh flavor of pico de gallo, but you could add any salsa you like (or perhaps some guac or queso?). If you have leftovers, toss the remainder in the fridge and you’ll be set for lunch the next day, too.
8. Mediterranean Hummus Snack Pack with Pita Chips + Dolmas + Persian Cucumbers
Throw together a mini mezze platter for an easy Trader Joe’s lunch that feels fancy, but is basically just a glorified snack plate. Start with one of these hummus and pita snack packs, which are super convenient for tossing in a lunch bag or eating on the go. To stick with the Mediterranean theme, slice up one of these mini Persian Cucumbers for a little crunch, then add in a few Dolmas, which are vine leaves stuffed with a tangy mix of rice, onion, and herbs. It’s the kind of lunch you might enjoy while on vacation in Greece, AKA the perfect way to romanticize a quick desk lunch.
9. Creamy Mac & Cheese + BBQ & Black Pepper Toscano Chopped Salad
On days when even boxed mac and cheese is too much work, this ready-to-heat-and-eat version makes lunch ultra-easy. In theory, you could get a couple of servings out of this container, but no shame if you devour the whole thing over a single lunch break. If you want to balance it out with some veggies on the side, this BBQ & Black Pepper Toscano Chopped Salad makes a delicious pairing. The crunchy veggies and bold, tangy BBQ flavor perfectly balance all that cheesy goodness.
10. Organic Oven Roasted Turkey Breast + Avocado Mash + Fully Cooked Uncured Bacon + Carb Savvy Tortillas
This Trader Joe’s lunch idea is ideal for the gals who are looking to up their protein intake. Thanks to the pre-mashed avocado and pre-cooked bacon, this turkey wrap is also super quick to throw together on busy mornings before work or when you just have a few minutes to spare on your lunch break. I like using Trader Joe’s Carb Savvy Tortillas for wraps because they are made with whole wheat and pack in way more fiber than your typical tortilla. If you want to add in even more nutrients, you could also toss in some fresh spinach to bulk things up a bit.
Jessica Friedhoff, Senior Lifestyle Editor
Jessica Friedhoff is the Senior Lifestyle Editor at The Everygirl, where she oversees the Home & Living category of the site. She writes and edits stories across a broad range of topics including decorating, food, entertaining, travel, and more. With a pulse on the latest trends, she uses her eye for detail and design to create timely, inspiring content for our readers.
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