What’s for lunch? That’s a good question, and if you’re following the Whole 30 program, sometimes lunch can be your trickiest meal. You don’t necessarily want to eat out, so your best bet is to plan ahead to have something quick and easy to pack and take with you. We’re here to share some great Whole 30 lunch recipes with you, plus we’ll share some tips for eating out and easy options.
Find all the Whole 30 Program Rules here
Eating Out on Whole 30
You don’t have to avoid eating out. There are many options available on almost every menu that you can eat. Grilled chicken or fish, steak, baked potatoes, and fresh vegetables are all perfectly edible. Just be sure to ask the server to request your items be prepared without butter or other non-compliant ingredients. Salads are of course always an option, just be sure to modify your order to remove any cheese, croutons, or tortilla strips and other non-compliant toppings. If you like something with a crunch, get a salad with sunflower seeds or walnuts.
Whole 30 Friendly Fast Food
Burger King
What to order: Plain hamburger, no bun, lettuce wrapped with extra lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. Add mustard if you’d like.
Chick-Fil-A
What to order: Grilled chicken salads, grilled chicken nuggets, grilled fish fillets, customized with your choice of toppings. Or, a cobb salad with just lettuce, tomato, and egg.
Chipotle
What to order: A salad with lettuce, steak or chicken, guac, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, pico, and red or green salsa. You can also get a Lifestyle Bowl, customized with your choice of ingredients.
Five Guys
What to order: Hamburger or sandwich without the bun, customized with your toppings of choice, including fresh or grilled veggies, lettuce wrapped. They have a secret menu burger bowl that you can request here, that is easier to eat and you can get it with a plain burger patty, lettuce, tomato, grilled mushrooms, onions, peppers, and jalapenos, plus mustard if you wish.
In-N-Out
What to order: Any hamburger, protein style (no bun, wrapped in lettuce), no sauce. Ask for extra pickles and tomatoes if you’d like.
Wendy’s
What to order: Plain baked potato and apple slices.
Grab & Go Lunch Tips
Here are some easy items that you can keep on hand at home to pack a quick grab and go lunch. You can even pack a bowl of lettuce and throw some of these on top for an easy lunch salad. Need dressing? Choose an oil and vinegar or purchase a Whole 30 compliant bottle to keep in the fridge at work.
- Hardboiled eggs
- Baked potatoes
- Plain mashed potatoes
- Pre-cooked bacon slices
- Avocado or homemade guac
- Black, green, or kalamata olives
- Baby carrots and broccoli or cauliflower florets, bell peppers
- Baby tomatoes
- Pickles
- Nuts: Cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.
- Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds
- Fruit: Mandarin oranges, apple slices, blueberries, blackberries, grapes, melon, etc.
- Compliant beef jerky or meat sticks
- Whole 30 approved bars (like Lara Bars)
- Coconut flakes
- Dried or dehydrated fruit (be sure the ingredients are compliant, no sugar added, etc.)
- Compliant deli sliced meat (no sugar or sweeteners added, etc.)
- Tuna or salmon pouches
- Compliant hot dogs or sausage
This requires a bit of prep work, but one of my favorite things to do for grab and go lunches is to slice a few of the Aidell’s Chicken and Apple Sausages and sauté them in a pan until they are browned. Pack them into a few containers so you can grab them when you need them. I also hard boil about 6 eggs to keep on hand and peel them when they cool, and place them into a tupperware container.
When I need to pack a quick lunch, I grab an egg, a container of sausage, a meat stick, a bag of olives and pickles, some cashews or pecans, and carrots or tomatoes. I can eat these together, or snack on them as I go through the day and it keeps me satiated and energized.
Ok, ready for some great Whole 30 lunch recipes to make ahead of time that you can pack up and take to work (or play)? Let’s get to it.
Whole 30 Lunch Recipes
Try these Whole 30 Lunch Recipes -- you'll need to prep ahead of time, but they are easy and delicious and will heat up well or taste great at room temp so you won't go hungry during the day. Some of them are great on their own to add to your grab and go line up for things to pack for lunch, top your salads, etc.
Crispy Baked Lemon Pepper Wings
This is the most popular recipe on this site and it couldn't be easier! Be sure to watch the video at the top of the post for visual directions if you have questions. To make these W30 compliant, make them with ghee instead of butter.
Patatas Bravas (Spanish Roasted Potatoes)
Roasted in the oven, these patatas bravas are great served with a traditional spicy tomato sauce or pico de gallo. Throw on some avocado and sliced hardboiled egg for a quick lunch.
Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce)
Making this famous Gambas al Ajillo recipe couldn’t be easier Make this ahead and pack them for a quick lunch paired with thise patatas bravas or on top of a salad.
Classic Pico de Gallo Recipe
This easy pico de gallo is perfect for an easy, fresh salsa to top your salads, baked or mashed potatoes, or on your eggs in the morning.
Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa
Fresh cherries and smoky heat make this fresh Cherry Chipotle Salsa a sweet and spicy treat! Serve over fish or chicken or on top of fresh greens.
Summer Vegetable Tian
Vegetable Tian is a gorgeous vegetarian side dish. Make it with summer vegetables or try one with winter root vegetables. Eliminate the parmesan cheese and you'll have a batch of fresh roasted vegetables to pack for lunch all week.
Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri
Cauliflower steaks are a simple and delicious way to enjoy cauliflower! The chimichurri is even better if made the night before. Break it all up and pack it up for individual lunches that can be easily reheated at work.
Green Bay Booyah Recipe
Make a batch of this hearty stew and portion it out to take for easy to re-heat lunches at work.
Golden Split Pea Soup
This Golden Split Pea Soup has just 8 ingredients and is super healthy and delicious. Make it ahead of time and you'll have a warm and comforting meal to heat up at lunch time.
Albondigas Soup
Packed with protein and veggies, this Albondigas soup is a delicious dish to make ahead and heat up for lunch.
Homemade Andouille Sausage Recipe
Make a batch of homemade sausage and use it to add to salads and baked or mashed potatoes throughout the week for an easy lunch.
Whole30 + Keto Shredded Chicken Salad
Make a batch of this delicious chicken salad and add it to salad or eat it alone with a side of hard boiled eggs, fresh veggies, and pickles.
Greek Turkey Meatball Meal Prep Bowls
These turkey meatball bowls are easy to portion out for lunches that are both delicious and easy to reheat.
Healthy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
This homemade casserole is so tasty -- your coworkers will be jealous! Take your meal prep up a notch and make this one ahead of time to take for your lunches.
Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken (Whole30, Paleo)
Who needs chinese take-out when you've got this? Seriously, it's better than the local place, and you won't feel drowsy after you eat.
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Burrito Bowls with Cauliflower Rice (Paleo, Whole30)
If you tend to grab mexican food for lunch, you can satisfy your cravings with this burrito bowl.
Chicken Fajita Whole30 Stuffed Peppers Recipe
These are great because they are pre-made and individually portioned so you can easily pack one (or two) to take with you for lunch during the week.
Whole30 Shepherd's Pie Recipe
It's a great idea to make a big batch of comfort foods like this and portion it out for your lunches for the week. It's satisfying and keeps you full until dinner time.
Easy Egg Roll in a Bowl (Whole30)
Egg roll in a bowl is so easy to make and I love heating it up for lunch. I use a combo of coleslaw mix and broccoli slaw mix, but you can customize it to your liking and add or eliminate ingredients to change it up.
Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice (Whole30, Gluten Free)
It's easy to make a batch of this to keep on hand for lunches. It reheats well and it's got lots of flavor, protein, and veggies.
Instant Pot Yankee Pot Roast (Whole30, Low Carb)
Make this one for dinner, then pack the rest up for leftover lunches. It's super hearty and flavorful, perfect for your midday meal.
Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad with Buffalo Ranch {Whole30}
This is one of my favorite lunch salads because it really fills me up. And I don't love doing a lot of prep stuff, so instead of making the dressing, I just keep a Whole 30 compliant dressing on hand that I can use when I need it.
Chicken Stroganoff {Paleo, Whole30, Keto}
I like to make a batch of this and portion it out for my lunches. I pack it with a baked potato, or a serving of mashed potatoes for a cozy lunchtime treat.
BBQ Pulled Chicken (Paleo + Whole30)
This one is easy to make in your slow cooker or instant pot and requires very little prep. When it's ready, you can keep it on hand for lunches to go with potatoes, salad, or lettuce wraps. You can even make sweet potato slider "Buns" and make it into a sandwich.
Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli: Whole30, Paleo, Keto, GF
This is another one that you can make in your crock pot to cut down on prep and cook time, then packs up easily into lunch sized portions.
Crockpot Whole Chicken (Paleo, Keto, Whole30)
You won't go hungry if you make this whole chicken in your crockpot. When it's ready, just slice ot or shred it and you can pull out what you need when you prep your lunches. Add it to your other leftovers, take it with a salad, turn it into lettuce wraps, or pair it with your other grab and go sides.
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