High Protein Meal Prep Ideas
Lunchables are a fun way to shake up an old and tired lunch routine. Fill a lunch box with little servings of your favorite foods, and enjoy. While you can add anything you want to a lunchable, it’s a good idea to make them as balanced and healthy as possible. These protein lunchables for adults will keep you full and satisfied all afternoon.
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And don’t forget to use a meal planner to make meal prep even easier and more organized.
21 Best Protein Lunchables for Adults
1. Deli Snack Box
Are you looking for simple protein lunchables? These deli boxes are a great choice. Add a few slices of turkey, a hardboiled egg, cheese cubes, crackers, almonds and cherry tomatoes to a bento box for a quick and easy protein-packed lunch. If you’re not a fan of turkey or almonds, swap them out for your favorite deli meat or nut.
2. Egg, Fruit and Cheese
Protein lunchables don’t always have to have include meat. This lunchable pairs a hard-boiled egg with cheese slices, crackers, apple, celery and peanut butter to kick up the protein. Feel free to use almond butter instead, and choose your favorite cheese. If you really want to max out the protein, choose protein crackers.
3. Cottage Cheese and Egg
Cottage cheese is a high-protein food that’s low in calories. This lunchable puts a generous serving of cottage cheese with a hard-boiled egg, a handful of nuts and a big serving of fruit. Choose any fruit you want. The ones pictured (strawberries, blueberries and pineapple) pair well with cottage cheese. If you don’t like almonds, try walnuts or pecans instead.
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4. Copycat Turkey Protein Box
If you’re a fan of the turkey protein lunchables from Starbucks, you’ll love this recipe. This lunchable packs mini turkey flatbread sandwiches with fresh baby carrots and apple slices. Use wheat flatbread, or choose your favorite bread if you can’t find flatbread. Each sandwich is topped with Swiss cheese, pickled sweet cherry peppers, turkey slices, lettuce and a tangy cream cheese sauce.
5. Tuna Protein Box
Tuna is an excellent source of protein, which makes it a perfect addition to any protein box. This lunchable pairs tuna with a hard-boiled egg, cheese cubes, grapes and sliced veggies. Carrot and celery sticks are good choices for veggies. If you don’t like grapes, choose your favorite fruit.
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6. Chickpea and Tahini
Chickpeas are a great alternative to meat and fish for high-protein lunchables. They’re rich in fiber and plant protein. Add hard-boiled eggs, lettuce, cucumber slices and tomatoes for a simple yet healthy salad. A tangy tahini dressing tops off this lunchable for added protein and flavor.
7. Egg, Chickpea and Deli Meat
Get your protein and fiber with this lunchable recipe. Start with a serving of chickpeas, and then add a hard-boiled egg, a few slices of deli meat and some veggies. Cucumbers and sugar snap peas are great options, but you can choose any vegetable combination you like. As for the deli meat, turkey, salami and chicken breast are all excellent choices.
8. Roasted Chicken, Egg and Fruit
This simple lunchable is flavorful and filling. Get your protein from a hard-boiled egg and slices of roast turkey. Add a serving of veggies with ranch dressing and a serving of fruit. To save time, grab a rotisserie chicken and make several of these lunchables for the week. Choose any veggies you want. Some great options include carrots, tomatoes, celery, zucchini slices and cucumber. Choose any fruit you want – grapes, apples, kiwi, strawberries, mango, etc. And if you’re not a fan of ranch dressing, try hummus or even guac.
9. Salami, Pepper Jack and Almond
This lunchable is savory, sweet, spicy and salty. Pair thick slices of salami with pepper jack cheese, almonds, blueberries and sliced apples. If you’re not a fan of spicy cheeses, cheddar is a great substitute. Walnuts and pistachios are great alternatives to almonds. Feel free to choose any fruit you like for this lunchable. However, avoid fruits that are too juicy (mangoes, peaches, etc.) if you’re packing everything in one box.
10. Deli Meat Roll-Ups and Hummus
This lunchable is packed with protein. Deli meat roll-ups eliminate the carbs without sacrificing flavor. Cheese slices and nuts add more protein and nutrients. Crackers, cucumber slices and hummus complete the meal. Fill your deli meat roll-ups with whatever you want – avocado, tomatoes, sliced bell pepper, pickles, etc.
11. Buildable Pepperoni Pizza
Buildable pizza lunchables were always the best growing up. Make your own adult version packed with protein. Use sandwich thins as your crust. Pack some pizza sauce, freshly shredded mozzarella and slices of pepperoni to complete the dish. Look for sandwich thins with added protein. Feel free to add any extras you want, like fresh basil.
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12. Sausage Pancake Brunchable
With this lunchable, you can have breakfast for lunch. Create mini breakfast sandwiches on a stick. Sandwich a sausage patty and cheese between two mini pancakes. Add a serving of Greek yogurt and some fresh fruit to complete the meal. Use high-protein pancakes to maximize the protein in this dish. Use any kind of sausage you like – turkey, pork, vegetarian. This lunchables idea is a bit different from the usual ideas, so it’s a great way to change things up.
13. Cheese, Crackers, Deli Meat and Veggies
Sometimes, it’s better to keep things simple. This lunchable has a serving of veggies and fruit along with crackers, cheese and slices of deli meat. Stack the cheese and meat on the crackers. Enjoy the fresh veggies and fruit. Grapes and oranges are great choices for fruit, but you can choose whatever fruit you love. Cucumber, tomato, zucchini and carrots are all excellent choices for your lunchable.
14. Lunchable Tacos
Spice up your afternoon with this buildable taco lunchable. The beef and cheese are the main protein sources, but you’ll get a few grams from the tortillas. Vegetarians can use meatless crumbles instead. Don’t forget to pack the taco sauce and shredded lettuce to top your tacos. Add a few tortilla chips, too, for a little extra crunch.
15. Black Bean Bento Box
This lunchable is an excellent option for vegetarians. Mix black beans with roasted corn and fresh tomatoes. Add a serving of tortilla chips, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese. Complete the meal with some fruit. The beans, sour cream and cheese are great sources of protein. Add whatever fruit you like.
16. Yogurt Parfait Lunchable
Instead of meat, beans or eggs, this lunchable gets its protein from Greek yogurt. Choose your favorite flavor, or stick with plain (it has less sugar). Include some of your favorite add-ins to build your own yogurt parfait. Fresh fruit and granola are the perfect combination. For good measure, add a serving of vegetables, like baby carrots.
17. Turkey, Yogurt and Pitas
Slices of turkey and yogurt give this lunchable its high protein count. Pair it with a Mediterranean salad – tomatoes, cucumbers, feta and kalamata olives. Add a few mini pitas, and you’re ready to go. You can fill the pitas with the salad, or just eat them as they are if you like.
18. Turkey Roll-Ups, Popcorn and Yogurt Bites
This sweet, salty and savory lunchable is packed with protein. Make some turkey roll-ups with cheese, and start adding some of your favorite fruits (try grapes, strawberries and watermelon). Add a serving of popcorn and some yogurt bites for some extra protein.
19. Protein Box
This protein box is a copycat of the one at Starbucks, and it’s every bit as good. This lunchable has hard-boiled eggs, mini Baybel cheese, peanut butter, pita slices, grapes and apples. You can use almond butter instead of peanut butter. If you’re not a fan of hard-boiled eggs, you can substitute slices of turkey or other deli meat.
20. Chickpea, Yogurt and Fruit
A vegetarian high-protein lunchable. Start with the chickpea salad and then add olives, blueberry yogurt, a pear, crackers and other little treats. The chickpea salad and yogurt will give you a protein kick. You can also choose crackers that have added protein to boost it even further. If you don’t like blueberries, you can choose plain yogurt or whatever flavor you love. Greek yogurt will have the highest amount of protein, but even regular yogurt is a great source of protein.
21. Chicken Breast and Quinoa
Quinoa is packed with protein, combining it with chicken breast, makes it the ultimate protein lunchable you can make for lunch. Easy to meal prep and store, you can add any salad into your box and pumpkin seeds that are rich in vitamins and minerals like manganese and vitamin K.
Final Thoughts
These 20 protein lunchables will keep you full and satisfied while changing up your lunch routine. Protein-rich foods are an important part of a healthy diet. Remember that these are just ideas, so you can substitute any ingredients for something similar.
