15 Best Paleo Lunches To Pack For School and Work

It’s that time again!  Every year in August I make sure to round up paleo LUNCH recipes, because with back to school (and for some back to work!) packable lunches are on our minds.

For those of us who are committed to a Paleo lifestyle, doing a Whole30, or following a keto or low carb diet, packable lunches can get a little tricky, no doubt.

When I first started eating paleo and bringing my food everywhere I started to realize it’s a lot easier to pack lunches if you start thinking outside of the PB & J sandwich.  Literally for me – PB & J with sliced bananas was my go-to lunch to pack for years?

But now, if I need to pack a lunch for myself, it’s typically leftovers, reheated in the morning and packed in a thermos.  But cold lunches can absolutely exist too!  Especially when packing lunch for the kiddos who don’t have the option of reheating something in the middle of the day.

Not to mention that packing lunches for my kids ranks up there with my top 5 least favorite parenting tasks, ever.  Not joking – I can’t stand it and need things to be quick, easy, and effective.

Anyway, I figured since many of you went back to school this past week and many of you are starting soon, it’s the perfect time to roundup my most favorite easy paleo lunches from some of my favorite bloggers – and a few of my own as well.  All are Paleo, and many are additionally Whole30 compliant and keto.  I’ll label each one so you know exactly what you’re getting!

Additionally, I’m separating the hot lunches from the cold so you can get a good variety of each.  My criteria for cold lunches is that their easy to prepare the night before and will save well overnight so you can grab and go in the morning.

For kids, you might want to separate the components of a salad in their bento boxes, put the dressing on the side (or omit it) to make the recipes more kid-lunch friendly.  You can also always round out these lunches with extra cut veggies and/or fruit, or paleo friendly crackers or tortilla chips to make it your own.

Before we get started with the roundup, I’ll show you some great options for what to pack your or your kids’ lunch in.

What To Pack Your Lunch In:

Cold Lunches:

 

Hot Lunches:

*Just a note –  Every single one of these recipes can be prepped ahead of time or fully made ahead of time, and reheated as needed throughout the week.  I separated them into cold and hot lunches so there’s something for you no matter what you’re craving!

**Also, find my other 3 lunch roundups here, here, and here.

15 Best Paleo Lunches to Pack for School and Work

Cold Lunches:

Chinese Chicken Salad {Whole30} via Paleo Running Momma – you can portion this out for several lunches, even tossed in the dressing, it saves so well!

Buffalo Tuna Salad {Whole30, Keto} via Mary’s Whole Life

Triple Berry Avocado Grilled Chicken Salad {Whole30} via Paleo Running Momma

Kale Chicken Caesar Salad {Whole30, Keto} via Paleo running Momma

Everything Bagel Chicken Salad {Whole30} via The Defined Dish

Mason Jar Taco Salads {Whole30} via Food Faith Fitness

Guacamole Chicken Salad {Whole30, Keto} via Paleo Running Momma

Asian Chicken Collard Wraps {Whole30, Keto} via Healthy Little Peach

Hot Lunches:

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash {Whole30} via The Real Food Dietitians

Stuffed Pepper Soup in the Instant Pot {Whole30, Keto} via Paleo Running Momma

Beef Stir Fry {Whole30} via No Crumbs Left

Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes {Whole30} via Paleo Running Momma

Zuppa Toscana {Whole30} via Real Food with Jessica

Meal Prep Gyoza Meatballs {Whole30, Keto} via I Heart Umami

Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce {Paleo, Keto} via Paleo Running Momma}

Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Paleo Running Momma!