Vegetarian lunches that keep for four days
Grain salads, bean soups and pasta salads improve as they sit. Which vegetarian lunches hold up for four days, and why.
Photo by Md Shohan Ridoy on Unsplash
Some vegetarian lunches get better over a few days, because the flavours have time to blend. The trick is choosing dishes built on sturdy ingredients.
Which lunches hold up for four days?
- Lentil and feta lunch jars with cucumber and tomato.
- Pesto chickpea pasta salad with spinach.
- Black bean soup or white bean and kale soup.
- Black bean and corn burrito bowls.
- Cold peanut noodle salad with shredded cabbage and carrot.
What makes a lunch last?
- Sturdy vegetables: cabbage, carrot, kale, peppers and cucumber.
- Beans and grains, which absorb dressing without falling apart.
- Dressings based on oil and acid, not cream.
- Cheese that holds its shape, such as feta.
Which need a microwave and which do not?
Soups and burrito bowls are best reheated. The lentil jars, pasta salad and peanut noodles are designed to be eaten cold, which helps if your workplace has no microwave. See the no-reheat category.
What should you keep separate?
Soft leaves, avocado, crunchy toppings and extra dressing. Add them on the day. Noodles and pasta drink dressing overnight, so hold a third of it back in a small pot.
How do you stop a salad going soggy?
Layer it. Dressing at the bottom, firm ingredients next, leaves at the top. Tip it into a bowl when you eat. The full method is in how to keep salads fresh.
Do they have enough protein?
By the recipe estimates these lunches have 13 to 19 grams each. To raise that, add a hard-boiled egg, a pot of Greek yogurt or a handful of cheese cubes. See high-protein vegetarian meal prep.
How long is safe?
Three to four days in the fridge. If you want lunches for all five workdays, make a second small batch on Wednesday, or choose a soup and freeze a portion for Friday.
What do they cost?
About $1.00 to $1.90 a serving by the estimates on each recipe, which makes them some of the cheapest lunches on the site. Costs vary by store.
How do you avoid getting bored?
Change the format each week: a jar, then a soup, then a pasta salad. The ingredients overlap, so the shopping stays simple. See ideas for when you are bored.
Where to go next
All meatless recipes are in the vegetarian category, and more midday options are in meal prep lunch ideas for work.
More vegetarian guides
See all
How to keep meal prep salads fresh for four days
Keep the dressing at the bottom or in a pot, use sturdy vegetables and dry everything. The jar method, layer by layer.
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