9 Easy Teacher Lunch Ideas Guaranteed to Keep You Energized
Finding teacher lunch ideas is definitely not as easy as you might think. These 9 easy teacher lunches will make your teacher lunch box swoon worthy!
Who doesn’t want to have an easy, quick, healthy teacher lunch bag? But, anyone who has been a teacher knows, there is NEVER enough time. Seriously, these 9 teacher lunch ideas are so good and easy you will be packing them in your lunch box all year long!
This post is all about 9 teacher lunch ideas for easy make ahead meals for teachers!
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Teacher Lunch Ideas? Try a Delicious Salad
If you’re looking for something healthy, yet delicious, why not try making a tasty salad for your lunch break? With so many combinations of veggies, fruits, and proteins to choose from, you can never go wrong with a salad. Plus, it’s a great way to get your recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals.
If you think you’re not really a salad person, and trust me I’ve been there, think again! These salads taste more like a meal and less like a side plate. Better yet, you can eat them warm or cold making it possible to have lunch no matter what falls into your schedule for that 20 minutes of “free” time you get everyday!
1. Quick Chicken Salad
When you’re dreaming about a hot summer day, or looking for a quick dish to share, try this amazing quick chicken salad!
Quick chicken salad is gut healthy, requires ZERO cooking, and is absolutely delicious to serve on a sandwich, with crackers, or pack in your workweek lunch! With lemon, whole grain mustard, fresh kale, and cashews, this chicken salad includes lots of good for you ingredients that will leave you happily full without the bloat.
2. Chickpea Cucumber Salad
Chickpea cucumber salad is a go-to recipe. It is delicious, fresh, and gut healthy to boot! When cucumbers are in season, chickpea cucumber salad is a great way to add them to your menu. Eat fresh produce for a gut health boost! We have two cucumber plants, so I am constantly creating recipes to include them. This chickpea cucumber salad is a go-to summer night meal and can be tailored with your favorites.
3. Roasted Brussel Sprout Salad
Finding a good roasted Brussel sprout salad is a must do! This marinated Brussel sprout salad caramelizes on the grill AND double duties as a delicious lunch for the next day!
Brussel sprouts are not only good for you and your gut, they are SO GOOD! You might think of the steamed Brussel sprouts that many of us grew up eating and attempting to avoid. But, roasted Brussel sprouts have gotten a facelift and can be found on menus across the country!! Check out what everyone is loving about this roasted brussel sprout salad!
Teacher Lunches with Better the Next Day Left Overs
Save yourself prep and pack your insanely delicious dinner from last night for a healthy, light lunch you can look forward to today! Whenever we make these two gut healthy dinners my husband and I pack a container to take to work the next day. It literally is BETTER the next day. Maybe it’s all the healthy extra virgin olive oil marinading with the other ingredients? Don’t overthink it, just try these healthy recipes stat!
4. How to Create Sauce Free Pasta that Gets 5 Stars
This fresh Sauce Free Pasta with Roasted Pepper and Kale recipe will get five stars from everyone sitting at the table. It is super easy and so good for your gut health!
All you have to do is chop, stir, and watch as fresh garden vegetables caramelize into a delicious pasta topping. If you’re anything like me, and busy running between work and school life, less is more. Pack leftovers for an absolutely delicious sauce free pasta and simplify your lunch without sacrificing taste.
5. Split Pea Soup with Bacon
Split pea soup with bacon is a go to meal and gut healthy recipe that is so quick and easy you can throw it together in under 15 minutes! This really is the best split pea soup recipe and can be made in your Instant Pot or on the stove!
Split pea soup with bacon is gluten free! If you’re vegetarian or vegan, lose the bacon and you’ll have a delicious vegan split pea soup! The Instant Pot makes this a fantastic and EASY one pot meal. If you are busy on the weeknights or just want to binge the latest season of Yellowstone, throw this together and press “soup.” Yep! It really is that easy!
Teacher Lunch Box Quick Dips To Love
Seriously, who does not love some chips and dip? These two dips take it up a notch and will keep you happily full the rest of the afternoon with plant based protein including chickpeas and pinto beans. Did I mention these two dips are under $5 for about 12 servings? Yep! This teacher lunch box find is budget friendly to boot!
6. Lemon Garlic Hummus
Lemon garlic hummus is so easy and so so good that everyone will be asking, how to make garlic hummus! This recipe is a quick dump and go recipe that you can pull out for quick and easy apps on the ready!
If you love roasted garlic hummus you will love this hummus recipe! If you’re like me and feel like you’re constantly on the go, this recipe is for you. Throw two cans of chickpeas in the instant pot, set to pressure cook for 10 minutes, and you’ll have lemon garlic hummus that is so good you’ll forget about buying sabra garlic hummus ever again. Sorry Sabra!
7. Refried Beans from Scratch
Refried beans from scratch are so good and so easy that you will be wondering why you haven’t ever made them before! Don’t question it, this easy refried beans recipe is big enough for any large family or for your biweekly meal prep!
Making homemade refried beans in the instant pot is an easy way to get healthy protein in your meals, prep for school lunches, or quick dinners on the go. Did I mention refried beans from scratch are CHEAP?! This inflation buster recipe uses pinto beans as the main ingredient keeping you and your pocketbook lean!
Teacher Lunch Box Ideas
Sometimes it’s hard to find lunch box ideas when you’re busy thinking about the one million other things you need to do before the end of the school year. Like, finish that documentation for your upcoming IEP meeting, turn in your continuing education credits, work on that amazing idea you had for TPT, and oh yeah, clean your closet (maybe that one can wait).
Check out these lunch ideas for the week that will check all your boxes, including being nut free and vegetarian! Trying to stay away from gluten, swap gluten free tortillas for a gluten free lunch that will keep you and your budget happy!
Refried Bean Quesadilla to Go
8. Air Fryer Black Bean Taquitos
For the most crispy, perfectly moist air fryer black bean taquitos use your air fryer or smart oven (we have a GE air fry mode on our oven and I am obsessed)! These air fryer black bean taquitos will be a love affair for you. Who could not love these cute little roll ups and dipping them in your favorite salsa or taco sauce.
Air fryer black bean taquitos are crispy (thank you air fryer!), full of smooth black bean dip, and seasoned with lime juice. You can make nearly two dozen with minimal effort and wrap them up in aluminum foil for easy lunch to go, on the ready!
Easy Teacher Lunch Ideas? Muffins to Share
We really couldn’t end this list without a muffin recipe. I mean, muffins are literally baked to pack. They come in a perfect on the go shape, and these healthy banana muffins use Greek yogurt and whole wheat flour to keep your blood sugar stable throughout the afternoon. Keeping you on your game even when the announcements come on for the 20th time in one day!
9. Best Ever Banana Muffins
Who doesn’t want to eat the best ever banana muffins?! The secret is in the yogurt! Keep reading to learn how to make healthy banana muffins you will absolutely love!
This banana muffins recipe is super moist and delicious! It’s also super easy. Trying to figure out a healthy snack to throw in the lunchbox? Try your hand at the best ever banana muffins recipe and you’ll be feasting for days!
Energize Your Day with These 9 Easy Teacher Lunch Ideas
Teacher lunch ideas can be hard to come by. How many days can you really do a TV dinner, pb and j, or cheese squares? These 9 tasty and easy lunches will make your teacher lunch box the envy of the staffroom, if you ever make it there! Try one tonight and post your comments below!
