60 Healthy Lunch Ideas With Cost, Protein and Time

The short answer: the best healthy lunch ideas pair a protein (chicken, turkey, tuna, tofu, beans, eggs or Greek yogurt) with vegetables and a whole grain. All 60 lunches below list cost, protein and time, and 58 of them cost $2 or less a serving.

Key numbers: average $1.34 a serving · average 23 g protein · 38 lunches with 20 g+ protein · 23 ready in 15 minutes or less

Top moves: pack protein first, batch-cook a grain and a protein on Sunday, and keep a no-microwave backup for busy office days.

Free and paid next step: get the free recipe book (we email it to you), or plan the week with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).

Prices were checked November 5, 2026, using Walmart and ALDI shelf prices plus U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics averages. Your store and region may differ. The sections below cover what makes a lunch healthy, 60 ideas with numbers, easy work lunches, packable meal-prep pointers and a 5-day plan.

Jump to a lunch type

Type	Ideas	Cost range	Best pick
Sandwiches and wraps	10	84¢ to $1.63	Caprese-style chicken sandwich
Salads	10	$1.01 to $1.71	Chicken Caesar-style chopped salad
Grain bowls	10	73¢ to $1.83	Salsa chicken rice bowl
Pasta and noodles	8	63¢ to $1.65	Tuna pasta salad
Soups and stews	8	$1.25 to $2.09	Turkey chili with beans
Easy lunches for work	7	66¢ to $1.47	Chicken salad lettuce wraps
Packable make-ahead	7	88¢ to $2.05	Cold peanut noodle prep boxes

What makes a lunch healthy in 2026

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans tell adults to put protein on every plate, choose whole grains over refined ones, and fill half the plate with fruit and vegetables. A healthy lunch does not need a fancy sauce. It needs three parts.

Part	Why it matters	Easy lunch choices	Aim for
Protein	Keeps you full until dinner	Chicken, turkey, tuna, tofu, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, lentils	20 to 40 g
Vegetable	Fiber, volume, vitamins	Spinach, romaine, broccoli, peppers, cucumber, tomato, cabbage, carrots	At least 1 cup
Whole grain or starch	Steady energy	Brown or white rice, quinoa, whole wheat bread or tortillas, pasta, sweet potato	1 serving
Added sugar and fried sides	Easy to overdo at lunch	Skip sugary drinks and chips most days; fruit or yogurt for something sweet	Keep drinks plain

Tip: build the protein first when you pack. A salad with only greens wilt by noon and does not hold you. Add chicken, tuna, beans or tofu before you add dressing.

For balanced plates beyond lunch, see our healthy meals guide and healthy dinner ideas.

How we priced and measured these lunches

Every lunch below has a cost per serving, a protein count and a time estimate.

Cost per serving is the gram weight of each ingredient times its package price, divided by servings, plus 10 cents for salt, spices, vinegar, mustard, garlic and cooking spray. Pantry staples use Walmart.com and ALDI shelf prices checked November 4 to 5, 2026. Eggs use the September 2026 national average from the Bureau of Labor Statistics average price data when helpful for context ($2.27 a dozen).
Protein comes from USDA FoodData Central values per 100 g for the main ingredients, so the real number is a little higher once you count spices and garnishes.
Time is hands-on plus cooking, starting from pantry staples and leftover cooked grains when the method says so.
Your price will differ. Region, sales and store brands move the numbers. A grocery price book is the easiest way to track staples where you shop. Our average grocery cost per month and grocery budget for a family of 4 guides show what a full food budget usually looks like.

Money-saving tip: cook a pot of rice and a tray of chicken once, then turn them into bowls, wraps and salads all week. That is the cheapest path to healthy lunches. For a full Sunday system, see meal planning on a budget and how to grocery shop on a budget.

60 healthy lunch ideas with cost, protein and time

Ideas are numbered so you can write them into a weekly planner. Cost and protein are per serving. For a broader list that is not focused on nutrition numbers, see our lunch ideas page.

Sandwiches and wraps

Assemble sandwiches the morning you eat them so the bread stays firm. Pack wet ingredients separately when you can.

#	Lunch	Cost/serving	Protein	Time	How to make it
1	Chickpea salad sandwich	$1.10	17 g	10 min	Mash chickpeas with lemon, mustard and onion; pile on whole wheat bread with spinach and tomato.
2	Tuna salad on whole wheat	$1.52	36 g	10 min	Mix tuna with Greek yogurt and onion; sandwich with cucumber.
3	Turkey and hummus wrap	$1.34	22 g	10 min	Spread hummus on a tortilla, add turkey, spinach and shredded carrot, roll.
4	Egg salad sandwich	84¢	23 g	15 min	Mash hard-boiled eggs with yogurt, mustard and salt; pile on bread with spinach.
5	Caprese-style chicken sandwich	$1.63	38 g	15 min	Layer leftover chicken, tomato, mozzarella and spinach on toasted bread.
6	Black bean and avocado wrap	$1.10	13 g	10 min	Mash beans with avocado and salsa; roll in a tortilla with spinach.
7	Peanut cabbage crunch wrap	89¢	16 g	10 min	Whisk peanut butter with soy sauce and water; toss with cabbage, carrot and chickpeas; wrap.
8	Ham, cheddar and apple-style spinach wrap	$1.30	18 g	10 min	Layer ham, cheddar, spinach and carrot on a tortilla; roll tight.
9	Falafel-style chickpea pita wrap	$1.54	20 g	25 min	Pulse chickpeas with oats and spices, pan-fry patties; wrap with hummus, tomato and spinach.
10	Smoked paprika tofu banh mi-style sandwich	$1.06	30 g	20 min	Pan-fry tofu with soy sauce; layer on bread with quick-pickled carrot and cabbage.

Tip: swap mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt or hummus in any salad sandwich. You cut saturated fat and add a little protein.

Salads

Hearty salads need a protein and something with bite. Dress them just before eating, or put dressing in the bottom of a jar.

#	Lunch	Cost/serving	Protein	Time	How to make it
11	Chicken Caesar-style chopped salad	$1.59	36 g	15 min	Chop romaine, top with chicken, a yogurt-garlic dressing and a little cheddar; toast crumbs for crunch.
12	Greek chickpea salad	$1.26	10 g	10 min	Toss chickpeas with tomato, cucumber, onion, oil, lemon and oregano.
13	Tuna white bean salad	$1.71	33 g	10 min	Flake tuna into beans with cucumber, onion, oil and lemon.
14	Kale-style spinach salad with roasted chickpeas	$1.45	14 g	25 min	Roast chickpeas and sweet potato; toss with spinach and a yogurt lemon dressing.
15	Italian chopped salad with turkey	$1.39	24 g	15 min	Chop everything small; dress with oil, vinegar and Italian seasoning.
16	Black bean and corn salad bowls	$1.01	11 g	10 min	Toss beans, corn, tomato and onion with lime; top with avocado.
17	Lentil tomato salad	$1.07	14 g	30 min	Simmer lentils until just tender, cool, toss with tomato, onion, oil and spinach.
18	Cottage cheese protein salad plate	$1.47	20 g	5 min	Scoop cottage cheese beside sliced tomato, cucumber and carrot sticks.
19	Chicken taco salad	$1.63	33 g	20 min	Top chopped romaine with warm chicken, beans, salsa and cheddar.
20	Quinoa chickpea salad	$1.34	14 g	25 min	Cook quinoa, cool, toss with chickpeas, tomato, cucumber and lemon oil.

Tip: kale and cabbage hold dressing longer than romaine. If you need a salad to last three days, start there and add avocado only on the day you eat it.

Grain bowls

Bowls are the easiest healthy lunch template: one grain, one protein, one vegetable, one sauce. A pot of cooked rice or a burrito bowl meal prep batch makes weekday assembly take 5 minutes.

#	Lunch	Cost/serving	Protein	Time	How to make it
21	Salsa chicken rice bowl	$1.52	35 g	25 min	Cook rice; top with warm chicken, pinto beans, corn and salsa.
22	Teriyaki-style tofu rice bowl	$1.20	31 g	30 min	Bake or pan-fry tofu, glaze with soy and a pinch of sugar; serve over rice with broccoli.
23	Turkey sweet potato black bean bowl	$1.16	23 g	35 min	Roast sweet potato, brown turkey, warm beans; assemble with salsa.
24	Burrito bowl with cilantro-lime rice	94¢	15 g	30 min	Season rice with lime; top with beans, corn, salsa, avocado and yogurt.
25	Mediterranean quinoa bowl	$1.54	17 g	25 min	Cook quinoa; top with chickpeas, tomato, cucumber and a scoop of hummus.
26	Peanut tofu bowl with cabbage	$1.04	34 g	30 min	Brown tofu; whisk peanut sauce; serve over rice with shredded cabbage and carrot.
27	Beef taco rice bowl	$1.83	24 g	25 min	Brown beef with taco spices; serve over rice with beans, corn and salsa.
28	Garlic chicken, rice and broccoli	$1.58	34 g	25 min	Bake or saute chicken; steam broccoli; serve over rice with garlic oil.
29	Egg fried rice with mixed vegetables	85¢	20 g	20 min	Scramble eggs in a hot pan, add cold cooked rice and frozen vegetables, season with soy.
30	Lentil taco bowls	73¢	20 g	30 min	Simmer lentils with taco spices and tomato paste; serve over rice with lettuce, corn and salsa.

Tip: freeze cooked rice flat in bags. It reheats in 2 minutes and turns any leftover protein into a bowl.

Pasta and noodles

Pasta works cold or hot. Cook it just past al dente so it stays tender once chilled.

#	Lunch	Cost/serving	Protein	Time	How to make it
31	Peanut noodles with chicken	$1.29	39 g	20 min	Toss hot pasta with peanut butter, soy and hot water; top with chicken and carrot.
32	Baked penne with spinach and mozzarella	$1.19	20 g	45 min	Mix cooked penne with marinara and spinach, top with mozzarella, bake 20 minutes.
33	Cold sesame-style noodle salad	63¢	16 g	20 min	Cool pasta, toss with shredded vegetables and a peanut soy dressing.
34	White bean and spinach pasta	$1.25	21 g	20 min	Simmer beans with garlic and onion, mash a few, toss with pasta and spinach.
35	Turkey marinara spaghetti bowl	$1.30	29 g	25 min	Brown turkey, simmer in marinara, serve over pasta with spinach.
36	Tuna pasta salad	$1.65	43 g	20 min	Cool pasta, fold in tuna, yogurt, peas and onion.
37	Chickpea pasta primavera	$1.34	21 g	20 min	Saute peppers, add peas and chickpeas, toss with pasta, oil and lemon.
38	One-pot tomato lentil pasta	$1.44	22 g	30 min	Simmer pasta, lentils, tomatoes and stock in one pot until the liquid is absorbed.

Tip: peanut noodles and pasta salad are ideal desk lunches because they taste good cold and need no microwave.

Soups and stews

Make a double batch and freeze half. Soups are the easiest healthy lunch to reheat at the office.

#	Lunch	Cost/serving	Protein	Time	How to make it
39	Chicken, corn and black bean soup	$1.64	30 g	30 min	Simmer chicken with beans, corn, tomatoes and salsa until thick.
40	Red lentil soup with spinach	$1.65	18 g	30 min	Simmer lentils with vegetables and stock; stir in spinach at the end.
41	Turkey chili with beans	$1.52	30 g	40 min	Brown turkey with onion, add beans and tomatoes, simmer 25 minutes.
42	White bean and potato soup	$1.80	15 g	30 min	Simmer beans and potatoes, mash a few beans, wilt in spinach.
43	Tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons	$1.58	15 g	25 min	Simmer and blend tomatoes; toast bread with cheddar, cube on top.
44	Chicken vegetable soup	$2.09	29 g	30 min	Simmer chicken and vegetables in stock; add a little rice for the last 15 minutes.
45	Black bean soup with salsa	$1.25	17 g	25 min	Simmer beans with onion and tomatoes, blend half, top with salsa and yogurt.
46	Mushroom barley-style rice stew	$1.93	7 g	35 min	Brown mushrooms, add rice, vegetables and stock, simmer until thick.

Tip: pour hot soup into a preheated thermos in the morning. It stays hot for hours without a microwave, which helps if your workplace kitchen is crowded.

Easy healthy lunch ideas for work

These are the easy healthy lunch ideas and easy lunch ideas for work that survive a bag commute. Most need no microwave. Pack an ice pack and follow USDA FSIS leftover guidance: keep cold food cold, and do not leave perishable lunches at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

#	Lunch	Cost/serving	Protein	Time	How to make it
47	No-microwave snack box (turkey)	$1.37	23 g	5 min	Pack turkey, cheddar cubes, carrot, cucumber and hummus. Eat cold.
48	Greek yogurt lunch box	$1.04	24 g	5 min	Pack yogurt, banana, oats and peanut butter to stir in at your desk.
49	Hummus veggie and pita-style plate	$1.47	11 g	5 min	Pack hummus with cut vegetables and whole wheat bread for dipping.
50	Cottage cheese and fruit desk lunch	$1.12	20 g	5 min	Cottage cheese with a banana and carrot sticks. No reheating.
51	Leftover rice and bean jar	66¢	11 g	10 min	Layer rice, beans, corn and salsa in a jar; eat cold or microwave 90 seconds.
52	Hard-boiled eggs and veggie box	$1.31	17 g	15 min	Pack 2 hard-boiled eggs with hummus and cut vegetables.
53	Chicken salad lettuce wraps	$1.37	30 g	15 min	Mix chicken with yogurt and onion; spoon into romaine leaves.

Work constraint	Best picks from this page	Why it works
No microwave	47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 53, 33, 12	All taste good cold
No fridge	Thermos soup (40, 44), freezer burrito thawed that morning (59)	Stay safe with a thermos or frozen pack that thaws by noon
5 minutes to pack	47, 48, 49, 50, 52	Assembly only
High protein desk day	47, 53, 21, 26, 5	23 to 35 g protein

Swap tip: if your cafeteria fries everything, bring the protein from home (eggs, tuna pouch, leftover chicken) and add their salad bar vegetables.

Need more options that pack well? Our packable lunch ideas for work list has 30 meals, including no-fridge picks.

Packable and meal-prep lunches

When you want a full Sunday batch-cook plan with storage times and container tips, use our dedicated lunch meal prep guide. It owns the meal-prep lunch workflow. This section gives packable pointers and seven make-ahead lunches so you can start today.

#	Lunch	Cost/serving	Protein	Time	How to make it
54	Mason jar chicken quinoa salad	$1.94	30 g	25 min	Layer dressing, quinoa, chicken and vegetables in a jar; shake before eating.
55	Overnight oats savory lunch jar	$1.21	20 g	5 min	Stir oats with yogurt and a splash of water; top with chickpeas, spinach and tomato; chill.
56	Cold peanut noodle prep boxes	$1.00	33 g	20 min	Cook pasta and tofu once; portion with cabbage, carrot and peanut sauce for 3 days.
57	Turkey spinach pinwheels	$1.19	21 g	15 min	Spread cream cheese on a tortilla, layer turkey and spinach, roll and slice.
58	Chickpea pesto-style pasta salad	$1.38	19 g	20 min	Blend spinach with oil and garlic into a quick pesto; toss with pasta, chickpeas and tomato.
59	Freezer burrito (bean and rice)	88¢	17 g	35 min	Fill tortillas with rice, beans, salsa and cheddar; wrap, freeze, reheat at work.
60	Sheet-pan chicken and vegetable lunch boxes	$2.05	32 g	40 min	Roast chicken and vegetables on one pan; portion into 3 lunch boxes.

Meal-prep pointers (then go deeper on the lunch meal prep page):

Pick one protein, one grain, one sauce. Example: baked chicken, rice and salsa become bowls, wraps and taco salads.
Cool food within 2 hours in shallow containers before you refrigerate or freeze.
Keep crunchy toppings separate. Chips, nuts and raw cucumber go in a small side box so bowls do not turn soggy.
Label with the date. Eat refrigerated lunches within 3 to 4 days; freeze the rest.
Reheat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit when you warm cooked leftovers.

For more make-ahead systems, see healthy meal prep ideas, high-protein meal prep and meal prep on a budget.

Best healthy lunches by goal

Goal	Top picks	What you get
Cheapest under $1	Egg salad sandwich (84¢), egg fried rice (85¢), peanut tofu bowl ($1.04)	High protein, pantry staples
30 g+ protein	Salsa chicken rice bowl (35 g), peanut tofu bowl (34 g), garlic chicken bowl (34 g)	Desk-day staying power
15 minutes or less	Cottage cheese plate, hummus plate, chickpea sandwich, tuna sandwich, snack box	Fast mornings
No microwave	Turkey snack box, yogurt jar, mason jar salad, cold peanut noodles	Office-friendly
Kid-friendly packable	Pinwheels, pasta salad, bean and rice jar, egg box	Familiar flavors
Vegetarian	Chickpea sandwich, Greek chickpea salad, peanut tofu bowl, lentil soup, hummus plate	Beans, lentils, tofu, eggs, dairy

Want breakfast covered the same way? See healthy breakfast ideas. For snacks between meetings, see healthy snacks and high-protein meals.

5-day healthy lunch meal plan

A simple work week for one adult. Total food cost about $6.42, or $1.28 a lunch, using the prices above. Protein lands around 23 to 35 g a day at lunch.

Day	Lunch	Cost	Protein	Pack note
Monday	Salsa chicken rice bowl (#21)	$1.52	35 g	Reheat rice and chicken; keep salsa separate
Tuesday	Egg salad sandwich (#4)	84¢	23 g	Assemble in the morning
Wednesday	Peanut tofu bowl (#26)	$1.04	34 g	Tastes good warm or cold
Thursday	No-microwave turkey snack box (#47)	$1.37	23 g	Ice pack; no reheating
Friday	Red lentil soup with spinach (#40)	$1.65	18 g	Thermos or microwave

Sunday prep (about 75 minutes): bake 1.5 lb chicken, cook 2 cups dry rice, press and pan-fry one block of tofu, boil 6 eggs, simmer a pot of lentil soup, chop carrot and cucumber. Portion Monday through Wednesday. Make Thursday's snack box the night before. Freeze extra soup.

Shopping lean for this plan (staples you may already own are oil, spices, soy sauce and peanut butter): chicken, eggs, tofu, dry lentils, rice, canned pinto beans, corn, salsa, spinach, bread, turkey slices, cheddar, cucumber, carrot and hummus. Write the list into the Meal Planner & Grocery List so you only walk each aisle once. If you are new to planning, start with how to meal plan or budgeting for beginners if grocery overspending is the real problem.

How long lunch leftovers keep

Food	Fridge	Freezer
Cooked chicken, turkey and tofu	3 to 4 days	2 to 3 months
Rice and grain bowls	3 to 4 days	1 to 2 months
Soups, chili and stews	3 to 4 days	2 to 3 months
Pasta salad and peanut noodles	3 to 4 days	Not ideal (texture softens)
Egg salad and tuna salad	3 to 4 days	Do not freeze
Assembled sandwiches	1 day	Do not freeze
Freezer burritos	3 to 4 days after thawing	2 to 3 months

Cool leftovers within 2 hours. Reheat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. When you pack a cooler bag, use two cold sources (ice pack plus a frozen water bottle) so food stays out of the temperature danger zone.

Common healthy lunch mistakes

Greens only. A bowl of lettuce is a side, not a lunch. Add a palm-sized protein.

Soggy bread. Pack wet fillings separately, toast the bread, or switch to a wrap or bowl on busy weeks.

Skipping fat entirely. A little olive oil, avocado, cheese or peanut butter helps you absorb vitamins and stay full. Fat-free is not the goal.

Buying a new specialty lunch every day. Rotisserie chicken, canned beans and eggs cover most of this list. Specialty bowls from a cafe often cost $12 to $15, which is a week of our lunches in one meal.

Forgetting the ice pack. Perishable packed lunches need to stay cold. The USDA FSIS leftover guidance above covers the basics.

When choosing ingredients for the week, our heart healthy food swaps explain how to compare sodium and saturated fat.

Plan your healthy lunches for the week

A look inside the HomeBase Meal Planner & Grocery List, with sample pages shown

A list of 60 lunches only helps if you decide which five to pack. The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) has a weekly meal planner, a monthly menu, a meal prep checklist, an aisle-sorted grocery list, and pantry and freezer inventories. Write in the lunch numbers from this page and your grocery list is half done.

Keep the lunches your family loves in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99). It has section dividers, four recipe page layouts, 4x6 and 3x5 recipe cards and a conversion chart, so your best bowl does not get lost in your camera roll.

Want both? The Family Life Admin Bundle is $15.99 (~~$23.95~~ bought separately). It includes the meal planner, the recipe binder, a kids chore chart, a newborn baby tracker and pet health records. See all our printable planners or bundles. Swap any day for a composed bowl from our salad recipes list.

More lunch and planning ideas:

Lunch meal prep for a full make-ahead system
Healthy meal prep ideas for a week of balanced containers
High-protein meal prep when you want more protein per box
Meal prep on a budget for a cheap Sunday routine
Healthy breakfast ideas to cover the morning the same way
How to grocery shop on a budget to bring every lunch cost down

Meal-prep lunch that keeps 4 days: chickpea salad.

Make it easier

Tools for this

HomeBase Meal Planner & Grocery List cover, a printable PDF you download instantly

Starter pick

Printables

Meal Planner & Grocery List

Weekly meals, a grocery list sorted by aisle, and pantry and freezer inventories so you shop once and waste less.

$3.99Buy

Printables

Family Recipe Binder

Section dividers, four recipe page layouts with room for the family story, 4x6 and 3x5 cards and a conversion chart - print it or type into the fillable version.

$6.99Buy

Save 33%

Bundles

Family Life Admin Bundle

Baby logs, chore charts, pet records, meal plans and family recipes in one tidy set.

$15.99 ~~$23.95~~Buy

Frequently asked questions

What are some healthy lunch ideas? Healthy lunch ideas pair a protein with a vegetable and a whole grain. Chickpea salad sandwiches, salsa chicken rice bowls, peanut tofu bowls, Greek chickpea salad and turkey hummus wraps all qualify, and most cost under $2 a serving.

What is a healthy lunch to take to work? A healthy lunch to take to work packs well and needs little or no reheating. Turkey snack boxes, hummus veggie plates, mason jar salads, cold peanut noodles and leftover burrito bowls travel well and keep you full until dinner.

How can I make easy healthy lunch ideas ahead? Cook one protein, one grain and one vegetable on Sunday, then mix them into bowls, wraps and salads during the week. Our lunch meal prep guide walks through 30 make-ahead lunches with cost and protein for each.

How much should a healthy lunch cost? A healthy packed lunch often costs about $2 to $4 per serving when built from staples. Fifty-eight of them cost $2 or less. A five-day work week of packed lunches can land around $6 to $8 per person.

How much protein should a healthy lunch have? Most adults do well with 20 to 40 grams of protein at lunch. Thirty-eight of our 60 lunches hit 20 grams or more, led by chicken, turkey, tuna, tofu, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, beans and lentils.

What are good healthy lunches for weight loss? Choose lunches with plenty of protein and vegetables and a moderate portion of grains. Cottage cheese plates, chicken chopped salads, lentil soup, turkey lettuce wraps and hummus snack boxes are filling without a huge calorie load.

Are salads healthy enough for lunch? A salad is a healthy lunch when it includes a real protein and a satisfying add-on. Add chicken, tuna, beans, lentils, tofu, eggs or cheese, plus something hearty like sweet potato, quinoa or chickpeas so you are not hungry an hour later.

What can I pack for lunch without a microwave? Pack cold lunches: turkey and cheese boxes, hummus with vegetables, Greek yogurt jars, mason jar salads, pinwheels, chickpea salad sandwiches and cold noodle salads. Use an ice pack and eat within a few hours.

How long do packed lunches last in the fridge? Cooked lunches such as bowls, soups, pasta and cooked proteins keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Cool them within 2 hours in shallow containers. Freeze burritos, soups and chili for 2 to 3 months.

Is leftover dinner a healthy lunch? Yes, leftover dinner can be a healthy lunch. Leftover chicken, chili, grain bowls and roasted vegetables make some of the easiest healthy lunches. Portion them the night before, add a fresh vegetable or fruit, and you have lunch without extra cooking.

What bread is best for a healthy sandwich? Choose whole wheat or another whole grain bread. It adds fiber and a little protein compared with white bread. Pile on a protein and vegetables, and keep spreads like mayonnaise to a thin layer or swap in hummus or Greek yogurt.

What planner helps me plan healthy lunches? The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) from HomeBase Paper Co. is a printable with a weekly meal planner, a monthly menu, a meal prep checklist, an aisle-sorted grocery list and pantry and freezer inventories, so lunches are planned before you shop.

Where can I keep my favorite lunch recipes? The Family Recipe Binder ($6.99) from HomeBase Paper Co. is a printable with section dividers, four recipe page layouts, 4x6 and 3x5 recipe cards and a conversion chart. It keeps the lunches your family likes in one place.

Is there a bundle with the meal planner and recipe binder? Yes, there is a bundle with the meal planner and recipe binder. The Family Life Admin Bundle is $15.99, compared with $23.95 bought separately. It includes the Meal Planner & Grocery List, the Family Recipe Binder, a kids chore chart, a newborn baby tracker and pet health records.

Save the family favorites: get the free recipe book pages

Printable recipe pages and a recipe request card to send to relatives, so the dishes everyone loves end up in one book. You'll also get our weekly HomeBase email with easy meal planning ideas and family recipe tips.

Sources

USDA FoodData Central fdc.nal.usda.gov
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Average price data, eggs, grade A, large, per dozen data.bls.gov
Dietary Guidelines for Americans dietaryguidelines.gov
USDA FSIS: Leftovers and Food Safety fsis.usda.gov

60 healthy lunch ideas with cost per serving, protein and time

Jump to a lunch type

What makes a lunch healthy in 2026

How we priced and measured these lunches