20 Ways to Look Forward to Bringing Your Lunch to Work This Year

Pesto pasta tastes just as good cold as it does warm, making it the perfect contender for a work lunch. You can add in whatever vegetables or protein you want for a more filling option.

Get the recipe: basil pesto pasta

Poke bowls were one of the hottest trends of 2017, and you can easily incorporate them into your lunch routine by prepping and packing all the ingredients in advance.

Get the recipe: tuna poke bowl

Brussels sprouts never go out of style, and this creative salad proves that roasting them isn't the only way to go.

Get the recipe: brussels sprouts, lentil, and kale salad with cranberries

A chicken caesar salad gets a desk-ready makeover when you pack it in a portable mason jar.

Get the recipe: mason jar chicken caesar salad

This hearty spaghetti squash dish makes four servings, and it reheats well for a pasta-like lunch that won't hit you with a carb crash.

Get the recipe: Guy Fieri's spaghetti squash and kale

This filling fried rice recipe is a quick meal you can make for breakfast and you'll still have some to pack up the leftovers for lunch. Heat it in the microwave and add a dash of hot sauce or soy sauce on top.

Get the recipe: breakfast fried rice

Much easier to wrap up and take to work than regular quesadillas, these roll-ups will put a smile on your face when lunchtime comes around. Just bring some premade pico de gallo and guacamole to dollop on the side.

Get the recipe: quesadilla roll-ups

One of the must-make recipes from Chrissy Teigen's Cravings cookbook is her chicken pot pie soup, which makes for delicious leftovers. Pro tip: you can freeze any extras for later, too.

Get the recipe: chicken pot pie soup

Prepping a week's worth of comforting lunches is possible with this recipe for slow-cooker white beans with tomatoes and pancetta — it makes four to six servings that you can divvy up in Tupperware.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker white beans with tomatoes and pancetta

As long as your co-workers don't mind the heavenly smell of garam masala, you can whip up this microwave mug meal at the office.

Get the recipe: microwave mug Indian red beans and rice

Switch up your go-to salad routine with a filling vegan salad of tofu, cabbage, sunflower sprouts, and avocado that takes no time to put together.

Get the recipe: quick vegan salad

One of the top Pinterest food trends of 2017 is buddha bowls, which will quickly become one of your favorite brown bag lunches.

Get the recipe: garden veggie buddha bowl

A much more responsible lunch than chips and guac: a mason jar salad that tastes like guacamole.

Get the recipe: guacamole mason jar salad

This healthy salad has all the colors of the rainbow, but what you can't see is the bold kick of flavor you'll get from the ginger dressing.

Get the recipe: sesame ginger quinoa salad

A lunch-friendly pizza that won't weigh you down is a whole-wheat naan pizza with pesto, artichokes, and chicken.

Get the recipe: chicken pesto artichoke naan pizza

We promise you'll never get tired of this filling lunch of slow-cooker beans, quinoa, scallions, cheddar, and hot sauce.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker beans and quinoa with scallions and cheddar

To make this recipe more work friendly, you can eliminate the poached eggs or top it with hard-boiled eggs instead.

Get the recipe: cauliflower fried rice with kale and kimchi

A "salad" doesn't have to include lettuce, as evidenced by this sweet potato and lentil jar salad that's easy to prep.

Get the recipe: Southwestern sweet potato lentil jar salad

Transform your pasta into a healthy vegetable dish with this roasted vegetable and orzo bowl.

Get the recipe: roasted vegetables with orzo

This colorful mason jar lunch is not your average kale salad — in the best way.

Get the recipe: squash, pinto bean, corn, and kale mason jar salad