Work lunch is a battlefield. On one side: the overpriced Pret options and greasy takeaways. On the other: the limp salad you brought from home that you don't actually want to eat. There has to be a better way.
There is. Here are work lunch approaches that are actually sustainable.
The Problem With Most Work Lunches
Buying daily: Expensive (easily £7-12/day = £150-250/month) and often unhealthy. Most convenient options are carb-heavy, low in protein, and leave you sleepy by 3pm.
Traditional meal prep: Works for some people. For others, eating the same thing for 5 days leads to buying lunch anyway by Wednesday.
Skipping lunch: Sets you up for afternoon energy crashes and evening overeating.
🎯 The Goal
A lunch that's satisfying enough to keep you energised until dinner, practical enough to actually bring consistently, and enjoyable enough that you don't resent eating it.
Lunch Ideas By Effort Level
🥇 Zero Prep: Bring Ready Meals
High-quality ready meals microwaved at work. No morning prep, no Sunday cooking, no decisions.
🥈 Minimal Prep: Assembly Lunches
Buy components, combine at work: rotisserie chicken + pre-washed salad + dressing. Takes 2 minutes to assemble.
🥉 Batch Prep: Make Once, Eat All Week
Sunday prep session: batch cook protein + grains + sauce. Portion into containers. Reheat at work.
Making Prepped Lunches Less Boring
The enemy of meal prep is monotony. Fight it with:
- Different sauces - Same chicken + rice becomes different meals with teriyaki vs pesto vs chimichurri
- Fresh additions - Add avocado, feta, or fresh herbs at lunchtime, not during prep
- 2-3 variations per week - Don't prep 5 identical meals
- Keep dressings separate - Soggy salad is why people abandon meal prep
Office-Friendly Considerations
Microwaves: If your office has one, great. If shared, avoid strongly-scented foods (your colleagues will thank you).
No microwave: Wraps, salads, grain bowls that are good cold, or invest in an insulated container for hot food.
No fridge: Insulated lunch bag with ice pack, or stick to shelf-stable options until lunchtime.
Desk eating: Fork-friendly foods. Nothing that requires two hands or makes a mess.
💡 The Honest Truth
There's no shame in outsourcing your work lunch. If bringing food isn't working for you, a subscription meal service or high-quality ready meals might be a better use of your money than failing at meal prep and buying Pret anyway.