Tote alongside your sub to have a slam dunk sandwich lunch on a budget. Before you tuck in for bed, pop a pork shoulder and some seasonings in your slow cooker. In the morning, you'll wake up to an intoxicating aroma and remarkably tender fajita filling.

This cheap lunch idea tastes like it came from a pricey build-your-own-burrito restaurant. Pack the tortilla, mango salsa, veggies, and pork in individual containers, reheat the pork, and assemble your cheap lunch box wrap when ready to dig in.

Give them a savory spin to transform low-cost breakfast oats into a cheap lunch idea. Cook steel-cut oats in chicken broth, then top with Asian ingredients like sesame-scented mushrooms, green onions, ginger, and soy.

if you have a little wiggle room with the price of your lunch, a jammy soft-boiled egg would be an excellent addition. In a hurry?

Turn to this four-ingredient, five-minute brown bag cheap lunch idea no refrigeration required! that will please kids and adults alike. With crunch from granola and creamy, salty peanut butter holding everything together, this ridiculously affordable lunch allows for a lot of wallet wiggle room to add sides like a banana and a cheese stick.

From there, it takes just four minutes of cooking time to reach gooey provolone perfection inside these economical eats. Make this your own with your favorite meat, cheese, and dressing. Try the same ratios with different building blocks for a new flavor experience each time.

Do you like ramen but dislike all the preservatives in those little seasoning packets? Then try this jar of goodness made with ingredients you can pronounce beef stock, teriyaki sauce, fresh ginger, garlic , plus satisfying shredded chicken for a protein boost.

All that can be yours in this cheap lunch idea for work—for less than two bucks per serving. Enjoy the flavors of an epic holiday dinner any day of the year with these flatbreads topped with smashed sweet potatoes, sliced ham, melty mozzarella, and cranberry sauce.

All of this can be yours just 25 minutes from now! We call for starting with whole sweet potatoes , microwaving, and mashing with orange juice.

If you're too busy to invest the full 25 into prepping for this cheap lunch idea, snag a package of mashed sweet potatoes from the refrigerated produce section during your next grocery run. Say "See ya! Instead, mash up homemade meatless patties. You can absolutely afford to make it a double with pantry staples like canned beans , corn, salsa, and rice.

Potatoes never break the bank, but they can get soggy if cooked and stored in specific ways. When you sauté up a hash made with potato cubes rather than shreds , spuds are perfect for a pack-and-reheat cheap lunch idea.

Try it out with this minute Mexican meal—and add some grilled chicken or steak for extra hunger-fighting protein. Bring the whole avocado with you to slice and add to the cheap lunch for work immediately before serving.

Alternatively, grab a single-serving cup of premade guacamole from the supermarket instead. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content.

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Trending Videos. View Recipe. Healthy Sandwich Ideas That Rival Your Favorite Deli Order. Test Kitchen Tip Pack the toasted Parmesan bread crumbs in a separate small container or zip-top bag.

Test Kitchen Tip Pack the sandwich wrapped in paper towels so it doesn't get soggy. Test Kitchen Tip Pack the tortilla, mango salsa, veggies, and pork in individual containers, reheat the pork, and assemble your cheap lunch box wrap when ready to dig in.

The 7 Best Small Slow Cookers for Entertaining, Meal Prep, and More, According to Testing. Pack yourself plain or vanilla Greek yogurt along with strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries.

You can even add granola for extra sustenance. Find chicken masala powder at your grocery store or make your own sauce with a recipe like this one. Prepare a batch on the weekend so you can enjoy this all-time favourite for every lunch this week.

Though often seen as a gourmet dish, stuffed capsicums are usually pretty easy to make, so they make our list of easy lunch ideas. Consider making one with a simple combination of baby spinach, chopped walnuts, and dried cranberries.

Throw on a cheese like crumbled feta or bleu cheese chunks for a smooth and savoury taste. You can make your own at home, including the dough and sauce , for something truly special. You can even make your own cheese, but that usually takes a while.

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Click here. Apply Now. Follow us. Money-Saving Recipes. These cheap ideas for lunch at work are sure to win everyone over, so keep reading! Chicken and cheese quesadilla All you need for this tasty yet filling lunch is tortillas, cheese, canned chicken, and any veggies you want to throw in the mix.

Gourmet cold cut sandwiches Ever have a sandwich at a restaurant that you just loved? Simple salad with hard boiled eggs Add protein to a regular tossed salad by throwing hard boiled eggs on top.

Chicken or bean burritos One of the great things about burritos is that you can make them in advance, but they taste just as good hours or even days later when you reheat them. Spaghetti with ground beef Otherwise known as Spaghetti Bolognese, this is the king of easy lunch ideas!

Pad thai Bring some flavour to your lunch time with homemade pad thai. Chilli Great for making in large batches, chilli is both wholesome and flavourful, making it an easy and cheap lunch. We love this vegetarian version from Cookie and Kate 9. Protein smoothie Pack a smoothie full of protein and other healthy nutrients.

Chicken salad Whip up a tasty lunch without much work. Peanut butter and apple sandwich A twist to a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, this lunch idea is healthier and more delicious. Chicken and vegetable stir fry Find a stir fry sauce at the grocery store to make this lunch idea super easy.

Check out the packaging for their stir fry recipe and whip up a few servings at a time. Popular additions for chicken stir fry include: Baby corn Coloured capsicums green, orange, yellow, red Onions Snap peas Sliced chestnuts Hot peppers Garlic Parsley Cook a healthy amount of brown rice or pasta to serve on the side with your stir fry creation.

Yummy soups Whether you love chicken noodle, cheesy sweet potato, or butternut squash, make your own soup or buy it pre-made from the grocery store. Tuna salad Make a batch of tuna salad that will go well on lettuce or bread.

Your lunch will be filled with healthy protein, along with omega-3s from the fish. Tortellini or ravioli Scoop up a package or two of tortellini or ravioli next time you hit the grocery store.

Lentil salad Try this fresh and filling lentil salad recipe for the spring and summer months. Pulled pork sandwiches Turn on your crockpot and add in this pulled pork recipe.

Top your sandwiches with tasty ingredients like: Cheese Mustard Lettuce Horseradish sauce Coleslaw Sautéed mushrooms Onions Salmon burger Find a package of store bought salmon burgers or find a recipe to make on your own.

Slice it into even squares and package it for yummy work lunches this week. Enchiladas Try chicken enchiladas. Baked chicken and veggies This lunch idea hardly needs a recipe at all. Slow cooker beef goulash Who says a flavourful lunch has to be tricky to make?

Trust us, your coworkers will be jealous of this fancy yet affordable lunch option. Turkey burger Buy a package or two of ground turkey meat at the grocery store. Stir in diced onions and other flavourings like parsley, bread crumbs, or garlic.

Pre-cook your burgers so you only have to reheat them at lunch time. Enhance the flavour of your meal by sliding these toppings underneath your bun: Avocado A slice of cheese Tomato Pesto mayonnaise Jalapeño peppers Barbeque sauce Sliced pickles And anything else that suits your taste buds Greek yogurt and berries Though often seen as a breakfast item, yogurt works just as well for lunch.

Chicken masala Make this week unique by trying a favourite Indian recipe: chicken masala. Find chicken masala powder at your grocery store or make your own sauce with a recipe like this one Cook brown or white rice on the side to round out this tasty lunch idea.

Stuffed capsicums Though often seen as a gourmet dish, stuffed capsicums are usually pretty easy to make, so they make our list of easy lunch ideas. Pizza Last but not certainly not least in the yummy, inexpensive lunch category is pizza.

Top your pizza with favourite items like: Olives black or green Pepperoni Sausage Ham Pineapple Spinach Onions Capsicums Bacon And anything else that suits your fancy And if you need a little extra help… Saving money on your everyday routines, like the lunch you eat at work, puts you on a faster route to financial freedom.

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These little sandwiches are simple yet with an elevated flavor profile. Tip — if you are meal prepping, you can cook the chicken in advance to save time making the sandwich during the week.

Not only is the flavor great, but the recipe yields a lot which is perfect if you are meal-prepping. You can either eat this alone or include it alongside a few snacks to add a bit more variety to your lunch.

The homemade dressing is a perfect balance of spicy and mustard, adding tons of flavor to this simple sandwich option. However, if you can use a slow cooker, it can help to cut meal prep time down significantly, and this recipe does exactly that!

The chicken itself takes 7 hours to make. However, once the chicken is cooked, you can throw these bowls together in less than 10 minutes, perfect if you need to throw together lunch in the morning.

This easy lunch idea only needs 4 ingredients, plus whatever you need to make the sauces, making this a super simple and budget-friendly lunch idea! However, if you prefer actual rice, you can easily make the sub without altering your cook time or compromising on flavor.

Cooking the quinoa is what takes the most time, but you can do this while cooking dinner or meal prepping at the beginning of the week. Another lunch idea that you will love is this white bean arugula salad! This lunch option will take you a bit longer to make than some of the other recipes on our list.

Cooking the pancetta accounts for a good portion of the overall cook time. This recipe is all about using your leftover chicken which is an awesome strategy for saving both time and money. This versatile pesto chick salad is a quick and easy recipe you can make for your weekday lunches.

You can use it in sandwiches, wraps, quesadillas, bowls, and even on top of salads, making it a perfect meal prep idea! Do you like pasta salad? Many people think of this as something that goes well with dinner or for a potluck, but it can also make a really budget-friendly lunch option!

The ingredients are simple, and you can easily prep this in advance to be eaten throughout the week. Do you often find yourself eating lunch on the go? These little muffins are the perfect cheap, easy lunch idea if this sounds like you since you can eat them while walking, driving, answering emails, etc.

While they do take a while to bake, they only take a few minutes to prep, so you can easily make these while doing other tasks too. Soup is almost always a budget-friendly option. And this hearty potato soup is no exception. The recipe yields a lot of soap that can be spread out over several lunches.

Another great soup recipe that you can make once and eat multiple times is this chicken lime and avocado soup. Slaw is often thought of as a side dish. But I dare you to try and push this delish apple and cabbage slaw to the side! This healthy, low-carb lunch idea is simple but full of amazing flavors and lots of crunch.

Love spaghetti but are looking for a healthier option? These turkey meatballs are healthy, flavorful, and pair beautifully with zucchini noodles.

Looking for something to throw together that is quick but tastes delicious? This vegetable lo-mein is exactly what you are looking for! Plus, you can add as many vegetables as you want, making it a perfect way to clean out your fridge at the end of the week. But, with these cucumber subs, you are getting the same great flavor, all with the satisfying crunch of the cucumber!

And the final easy cheap lunch idea is this cold noodle bowl, combined with homemade peanut sauce. In contrast, making your own lunch is a far cheaper option. I stir it all together and let it simmer while we resume our studies. Throughout the rest of the morning, I occasionally stir it or send one of the kids over to do so.

By the time lunch rolls around, everyone is so hungry after smelling it cooking for so long. We toast some hamburger buns and set out some shredded cheese to top it with. The meal also pairs nicely with simple vegetables like baby carrots or steamed peas. This year, I planned for quesadilla lunches on Wednesdays right after Taco Tuesday.

It's a great way to repurpose some of our leftovers. In addition to cheese, our quesadilla bar typically includes pepperoni, pizza sauce, diced ham, diced onion, leftover taco meat, salsa, and pico de gallo or guacamole if any is leftover.

The kids pick what they want, and we work together to cook their quesadillas. It only takes a minute or two on each side to get the cheese perfectly melty. Once a week, we combine leftover meat and frozen veggies to create a stir-fry. Then we'll either add cooked noodles or rice.

On rice days, I take a few minutes in the morning to put rice and water in my Instant Pot. Then I set the timer to ensure it's done by lunch. Noodles take much less time, so I prepare those while the meat and veggies cook. Our sauce of choice is a simple combination of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame-seed oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and a bit of sriracha.

I don't even measure those ingredients anymore — I just add a splash of this and a dash of that until it tastes right. I love meals like this since they're so customizable. We'll set out sriracha, sweet-chili sauce, chopped green onions, and sesame seeds for toppings, and the kids can add whichever ones they want.

The sweet-chili sauce is their favorite — they refer to it as sweet-spicy sauce. The final simple meal we rely on each week is the quickest to prepare, making it perfect for our busiest day. I boil several packs of ramen noodles and frozen peas until the noodles are done.

Then I drain them, add some sesame oil, ginger, and garlic, and stir it all together. The kids add sweet-spicy sauce or sriracha on top, and some even stir a spoonful of peanut butter into their noodles. Read next. Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'.

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