21 Paleo Lunch Ideas
I've had a few emails in the last couple of weeks asking for Paleo lunch ideas, so I thought I’d make some suggestions in this blog post. I've also written the “Paleo Lunch Recipe Book“, so take a look if you'd like lots of lunch recipes to brighten up your lunchtimes!
Here are 21 suggestions that you can mix and match to come up with an unlimited variety of Paleo lunches:
1. Make kebabs with your choice of meat and vegetables on sticks. Easy finger food and delicious cold.
2. Take in cold meat and veggies – and pour over a hot bone broth from a thermos just before serving.
3. A big salad with your favourite meat, avocado, eggs, leaves, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Keep the dressing and “crunchy” ingredients separate and mix them together just before you eat. Try extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice or mashed up avocado for the dressing.
4. Olives
5. Lettuce wraps – instead of bread, use lettuce to wrap your sandwich filling
6. Invest in a good thermos/ flask and bring in a hot, ready to eat soup, chilli or stew
7. Bag up last nights leftovers
8. Make up a crustless quiche or fritella
9. Blanch some veggies
10. Make up nori wraps with your favourite meats and vegetables
11. Raw veggies with a almond butter or guacamole dip
12. Breadless sandwiches using cold meat or flat capsicum (bell pepper) for the “bread”
13. Hard boiled eggs
14. An avocado and a spoon
15. Beef – or even kangaroo jerky (make your own to make sure it’s Paleo)
16. Cold cuts of roast meat
17. Mashed sweet potato, pumpkin or parsnip
18. Make a batch of egg muffins with your favourite ingredients
19. Make a trail mix with nuts, shredded coconut and jerky
20. Take in frozen prawns/ shrimps, which should be nicely chilled by the time lunch comes round
21. Or you could take it as an opportunity to Intermittently Fast…
Try buying a bento box with lots of small compartments to encourage lots of variety in your lunch.
Reheat?
If you've got access to a fridge and microwave as a minimum, your options are numerous. You can make batches of stews, soups, Paleo chilli or casseroles, freeze them and simply reheat at lunchtimes. A microwave enables you to reheat last nights leftovers – or even cook a sweet potato.
Buying Lunch
Food courts, café's and restaurants all provide Paleo options, especially where you’re able to make a few substitutions. All day breakfasts are a good choice (think bacon, eggs, avocados or omelettes), roast dinners, salad bars; at a pinch I've even ordered a sandwich – without the bread (but with a few confused looks). The problem with buying lunch is the price – and you can’t always be entirely sure about all of the ingredients.
Emergency Paleo Food Stash
Despite your best intentions, there’s always that day you forget to bring in lunch – or worse still your money – so it makes sense to have an emergency Paleo stash at work. This way when there are no good options around, you can always put together a Paleo snack. Things like tinned mackerel, sardines, salmon and tuna, jars of olives, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and jerky will store for a long time and could be good options.
Brown-Bag Lunches
For a lot of people kitchen facilities aren't available and eating out isn't an option at lunchtime. Which leads to the question, what can you put in a Paleo Packed Lunch? Just because you can’t heat food, definitely doesn't meant you can’t keep it Paleo.
What’s your favourite Paleo lunch? I’d love to hear any tips and Paleo Lunch Ideas that you have – particularly for quick and easy Paleo lunches!
How to Make Paleo Lunches Work for Your Lifestyle
When you're following a Paleo lifestyle, lunch can either be your most empowering meal — or the one that derails your whole day. That's why having a solid list of easy Paleo lunch ideas ready to go is so essential. Whether you’re working from an office in the city, staying home with the kids, or packing meals for uni or a road trip, Paleo lunches can be simple, satisfying, and stress-free.
Make-Ahead Paleo Lunch Prep
The best way to avoid lunchtime decisions that lead to poor food choices? Do the thinking ahead of time. If you’re already prepping dinner, double the recipe and box up leftovers for the next day. Invest in quality storage containers so you always have grab-and-go meals ready in the fridge. Freezer-friendly recipes like beef stew, chicken curry, or cauliflower soup are also great options — just defrost the night before and reheat at work.
Try building your lunch using this formula:
Protein: Chicken thighs, grilled steak, boiled eggs, roast lamb, salmon, sardines
Fat: Avocado, olives, nuts, coconut flakes, Paleo mayo, EVOO-based dressing
Veggies: Raw veggie sticks, salad mix, roasted sweet potato, grilled capsicum, sauerkraut
No-Microwave? No Problem
If you don’t have access to a microwave or stove at lunch, plan meals that taste great cold or at room temperature. Roast vegetable salads with chicken, frittata slices, lettuce-wrapped meats, and cold sweet potato with tahini drizzle can be just as satisfying without heating. You can also make up a cold antipasto box — think cured meat (check ingredients), olives, cherry tomatoes, and pickled veg.
Pro tip: Use a thermal container to keep meals hot until midday. Fill it with boiling water for 5 minutes before adding your hot food, and it’ll stay warm for hours.
Paleo Lunch on the Go (No Kitchen, No Fridge)
If you’re on the road, out in the field, or stuck at your desk all day, don’t let convenience derail your efforts. Stock up on non-perishable Paleo-friendly foods to stash in your bag, car, or drawer. Tinned wild-caught salmon, jerky, pouches of olives, mini nut butters, and coconut chips are great for this. Add a boiled egg and an apple and you've got a surprisingly complete Paleo lunch.
Paleo Lunch Ideas for Kids (or Grownups Who Like Fun Lunches)
Paleo lunches don’t have to be boring or overly serious. Try making Paleo “snack boxes” with a little of everything: boiled eggs, turkey roll-ups, blueberries, roasted pumpkin seeds, cucumber rounds, and coconut yoghurt. It’s satisfying, colourful, and easy to pack in a bento-style lunchbox with little compartments for variety.
Batch Cooking = Lunchtime Freedom
A little weekend prep goes a long way. Set aside an hour on Sunday to roast a tray of chicken thighs, bake a batch of egg muffins, boil a dozen eggs, prep chopped veggie sticks, and make a simple dressing. With these building blocks, you can mix and match for the rest of the week without having to think too hard at 7 a.m.
Quick Paleo Lunch Combos to Keep on Repeat
Grilled salmon + roast pumpkin + spinach + macadamia oil
Chicken breast + smashed avocado + cherry tomatoes + rocket
Hard-boiled eggs + sauerkraut + raw veggie sticks + Brazil nuts
Slow-cooked lamb + mashed cauliflower + steamed broccoli
Leftover steak + fried zucchini ribbons + tomato salsa
Still stuck for ideas? Try combining your leftovers with fresh produce or turning dinner favourites into wraps, salads or bowls. Keep it simple, keep it colourful — and don’t be afraid to repeat meals that work for you.
What are your go-to Paleo lunches? Share your quick wins, meal prep tips, and favourite time-saving recipes in the comments — let’s help each other keep lunch easy, delicious, and fully Paleo.