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Advice / Succeeding at Work / Break Room

25 Instagram Accounts That Will Inspire Your Workday Lunches

We all get stuck in a rut from time to time, especially when it comes to workday lunches. If you’re like me, you probably end up in some rotation of running out to the closest lunch place, throwing together a quick sandwich, and eating leftovers from the night before. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

When I find myself stuck in this cycle and needing a little lunchtime inspiration, I turn to Instagram—specifically, to these 25 Instagrammers. Some are professional chefs, some are food bloggers, and some are just regular people like you and me, but they all make lunchtime a whole lot more fun.

Follow away to get inspired for weeks to come, plus get quick recipe ideas you can make now.

Make This Now: Quinoa Salad Bowl. Mix together quinoa, cucumbers, walnuts, tomatoes, avocado, then toss with a lemon vinaigrette when you’re ready to eat.



Make This Now: How awesome are the packed lunches she makes for her kids? They’d be just as amazing for grownups, too, with lots of variety to get you through the workday.



Make This Now: Pesto grilled cheese that you can warm up in the toaster oven in your office kitchen.



Make This Now: Lemony yellow tomato soup. Simply reheat on a cold winter workday, and you can skip the long line at the soup spot around the corner.



Make This Now: Orecchiette with raw tomato sauce—perfect eaten room temperature or heated up in the microwave.



Make This Now: Honey chipotle chicken bowls. Prep everything the night before, then toss together once the clock hits 12.



Make This Now: Boost your energy with this Superfood Salad—it will be sure to get you through the afternoon.



Make This Now: Use leftover roasted vegetables to make a delicious salad—simply toss with goat’s cheese and a simple vinaigrette.



Make This Now: Brussels sprouts, baba ganoush and feta salad—roast the Brussels sprouts the night before, buy a tub of baba ganoush, and toss together with some fresh feta cheese.



Make This Now: Combine fresh juicy tomatoes with rosemary croutons for a quick panzanella salad.



Make This Now: There's loads of amazing veggie inspiration here, like this cranberry orange crostini with goat cheese.



Make This Now: Whip up a tomato tart on the weekend, and bring a wedge to work with you during the week.



Make This Now: Pack a punch with this veggie-filled couscous salad—toss together Israeli couscous with cucumber, red peppers, olives, feta, cilantro, and mint, and you’ll be good to go.



Make This Now: Make this smoked salmon pizza into a wrap instead—buy some smoked salmon and wrap it up with capers, red onion, arugula, and crème fraiche.



Make This Now: Take on the afternoon with a colorful arugula salad, tossed together with freekeh, goat cheese, and pumpkin seeds.



Make This Now: Whip up a spinach ricotta pasta for dinner, and bring the delicious leftovers for lunch the next day.



Make This Now: Update the sandwich by making a naanwich with hummus, quinoa, pork, carrot, and cucumber.



Make This Now: Turn leftover roasted chicken into lunch for the next day—mix with mayo, Dijon, horseradish, celery, salt, and pepper, and you’ll be the envy of everyone around you.



Make This Now: Veggie-packed stir fry for two—make once for dinner and bring the leftovers to microwave the next day at work.



Make This Now: Winter minestrone soup—the perfect way to use up any leftover vegetables in your fridge.



Make This Now: When nothing else but comfort food will do, try tossing together penne pasta with chicken, pancetta, roasted peppers, pesto, alfredo sauce, and caramelized onions.



Make This Now: An oldie but goodie—grilled cheese and soup. You can’t ever go wrong with this combination.



Make This Now: A classier egg sandwich, with tomato jam and sliced eggs.



Make This Now: Peanut sauce noodles—perfect served at room temperature come lunchtime.



Make This Now: Upgrade classic roast chicken with some lemon and olives, then toss in a yogurt-tahini dressing.