Do you want to shed a few pounds? Are you looking for a way to boost your overall health? If so, you might be thinking about starting giving the keto diet a try. Foods that are high in fat and low in carbs are the foundation of the ketogenic diet, and it’s been proven to be extremely successful. In fact, numerous studies have found that in addition to being an effective way to lose weight, the keto diet also offers a number of health benefits; it reduces hunger, improves energy levels, boosts endurance, can maintain proper insulin and blood glucose levels, increase good cholesterol content, and even reduce blood pressure.
With so many benefits, it’s easy to see why the keto diet is the most popular diet in the United States.
While the ketogenic diet can certainly offer innumerable benefits, in order to achieve success and reap the advantages that the diet provides, changing the way you eat is an absolute must. The keto diet requires low carb, high fat foods, and fortunately, there are so many foods that meet these guidelines.
To ensure you stick to the diet on workdays (when stress, time constraints, and exhaustion can lead you to make some common keto mistakes), you’ll definitely want to forego the food truck, cafeteria, and food court. Sure, you may be able to find keto-friendly meals at a restaurant; however, doing so might require making some big adjustments to menu items, which can be a real hassle for everyone (you, your server, the kitchen, etc.).
To stay on track and ensure your success, planning and meal prepping your keto lunches so that you can pack them up and easily take them to work with you is definitely the way to go.
What are the best ingredients to make yummy keto lunches for work?
As mentioned, there are tons of ingredients that meet the ketogenic diet guidelines. Anything that’s low in carbs and high in healthy fats and proteins can be used to make tasty, good-for-you, keto-friendly lunches. The following are just some of the ingredients you should stock up on when you hit the grocery store:
- Avocados
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Eggs
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Cheese (feta, brie, cottage, cream, cheddar, parm, Swiss, mozzarella, Monterey jack, blue cheese, etc.)
- Natural peanut butter
- Natural almond butter
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Mackerel
- Lean organic poultry
- Lean organic, grass-fed beef
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Ghee
- Organic grass-fed butter
- Plain yogurt
- Organic mayo
- Clams
- Mussels
- Octopus
- Squid
- Cod
- Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Brussels sprouts
And that’s just a short list! Like we said, there are tons of ingredients that can be used to make easy keto lunches for work.
Quality Meal Prep Containers Will Keep Things Fresh!
Once you’ve prepped your keto lunch recipes, pack them in air-tight meal prep containers. Glass or Pyrex containers with air-tight lids will lock in flavor, prevent other flavors that may be lurking around your fridge from mixing in with your meals, and will ensure that your keto lunches stay nice and fresh. Plus, packing your keto lunch in the appropriate containers will prevent leakage, will keep things nice and neat, and will allow for hassle-free dining. When the lunch bell rings, just pull your meal out, pop off the lid, and dig in!
Keto Lunches for Work
Now that we’ve discussed the best ingredients for keto lunches and reviewed the importance of packing your meals in air-tight meal prep containers, let’s take a look at some easy keto lunch ideas.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of six easy keto lunch ideas that make for tasty, delicious, and totally satisfying mid-day meals.
| Recipe | Nutritional information (per serve) | Prep time |
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Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 5 mins |
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Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 12 mins |
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Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 10 mins |
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Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins |
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Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 0 mins |
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Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 0 mins |
1. Thai Tuna Salad
Low in carbs, high in fat, and packed with flavor, Thai tuna salad is a perfect work-friendly keto lunch. It’s super easy to whip up too, which makes it the perfect option to pop into your keto lunchbox for work!
In about 10 minutes, you’ll have a totally satisfying lunch that offers up 15g of fat, 10g of protein, 4g of carbs, and 184 calories.
Visit tablefortwoblog.com to find the list of ingredients and instructions for this easy keto lunch recipe.
2. Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps
Looking for a taste bud tantalizing keto lunch idea for work? Give these turkey taco lettuce wraps a try! Cook up the ground turkey the night before or at the beginning of the week and pack it – along with fresh iceberg lettuce cups or Romaine lettuce leaves – in your lunch sack in the morning, assemble at work, and enjoy!
This recipe yields 4 servings, and each serving offers 13g of fat, 7g of carbohydrates, and 239 calories.
Visit cookingclassy.com to find the full list of ingredients and directions.
3. Grilled Pesto Chicken and Tomato Kebabs
When you sink your teeth into this keto lunch recipe, there’s no doubt that you’ll be blown away by the incredible combination of flavors.
Chicken breast drizzled homemade basil pesto combined with grape tomatoes on skewers will make for a finger-licking lunch. Prep ahead and either heat them up or eat them cold. Either way, these kebabs will be sure to satisfy. They also make for a great keto breakfast when you’re on the go.
Each kebab offers 7.5g of fat, 3g of carbs, 18g of protein, and 147 calories.
Check out skinnytaste.com for the full list of ingredients and detailed instructions.
4. Keto Egg Roll in a Bowl
Also lovingly referred to as “crack slaw” because it’s so unbelievably delicious, keto egg roll in a bowl is a perfect keto lunch recipe. Lean ground pork, thinly sliced cabbage, ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce (or liquid aminos) are just some of the ingredients that come together to create a taste sensation.
It makes 6 servings and each serving delivers 18.7g of fat, 10.8g of carbs, and 297.7 calories.
Find the full recipe at ketogasm.com.
5. Chicken Cucumber Avocado Salad
No cooking is required for this easy keto lunch recipe. It’s another one of those super-simple keto recipes that only has around 5 ingredients. Even so, it packs so much flavor and is so aromatic that it really won’t come as a surprise if your co-workers stop by to ask for a bite.
This keto recipe for work delivers 38g of fat, 10g of carbs, and 545 calories per serving.
You’ll find the full recipe at cafedelites.com.
6. Deli Snack Box
This is perhaps the easiest keto lunch recipe on our list and should be part of every keto diet plan. Cold cut turkey rolls, almonds, eggs, grape or cherry tomatoes, cheddar cheese chunks (or any other type of cheese) are all you need to put this recipe together.
Each box contains 16g carbs (so watch your intake for the rest of the day), 23g of protein, 25g of fat, all for 382 calories.
Check out damndelicious.net for more info.
Our Thoughts on Easy Keto Lunches
The above are just a few easy keto lunch recipe ideas. Give them a try or create your own keto lunch recipe for work. You can easily throw together so many delicious and healthful keto lunch ideas for work.
