10 Easy Keto Lunches for Work

Are you struggling to think of easy keto lunches for work? We know that lunch meal prep can be difficult when you can’t lean on classic lunch staples like bread and carbs. Don’t let this set back your weight loss and diet goals.

We rounded together 10 of the best lunch recipes so you can have a keto-friendly lunch packed with lots of flavors that will excite your taste buds. Your work lunch doesn’t have to be boring. Read more to discover your next favorite keto lunch recipe.

10 Keto Lunch Ideas for Work

A good lunch recipe needs to be easy to transport, heat up, and eat without much fuss. A balanced keto lunch recipe has to fill you up without using lots of bread or being carb-heavy.

Luckily, there are so many things that taste great while fitting into your keto diet. Choose from these 10 keto lunch ideas we rounded up from our favorite sites. You are bound to find some lunch ideas to put into your office lunch rotation.

1. Keto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Who says that once you start eating keto, you have to give up grilled cheese sandwiches? Sandwiches are always good lunch ideas, even on a keto diet. We want to share one of our favorite recipes that we are sure you’ll have to stop yourself from eating for lunch every day.  With this tasty, low-carb recipe, you can keep eating your favorite lunch.

Our yummy keto grilled cheese sandwich recipe is your answer to low-carb indulgence. It is a great meal prep recipe that fits your keto lifestyle. We think it is the best way to treat yourself to a satisfying lunch during a busy day at work.

We replace the bread in traditional grilled cheese with sharp halloumi cheese. This Greek cheese has such a high melt temperature that you can grill it without it completely melting. This means you get a crisp crust on the outside but nice, gooey cheese on the inside.

The flavors of the Mediterranean continue to inspire this keto lunch recipe. Spinach and kalamata olives make up the inside of this tasty sandwich. Some tomatoes, onion, and garlic keep it interesting.

You need a sandwich or panini press to make this recipe work, so make sure to bring one to the office. If you want to spice up the recipe, add some interesting vegetables like zucchini or red pepper.

2. Avocado Chicken Salad (Low Carb!)

Chicken salads are always a good idea for your keto lunches. We love this recipe for a creamy avocado chicken salad lunch from Kim at the Low Carb Maven. We know life gets hectic and are happy to share their lunch idea for busy weekdays.

It replaces the mayo in the traditional chicken salad with avocado to add more nutrients without losing any expected texture. The chicken gives your body plenty of protein to keep you going hours after lunch is finished. This is a keto-friendly lunch that is at once indulgent and healthy.

Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top and place it into lettuce wraps to keep your net carbs low. Cilantro and red onion kick up the flavor. Serve it with celery sticks, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and other wholesome veggies to give the meal some crunch. This lunch works great as a dip as well!

3. Caprese Zucchini Noodle Pasta Salad

A keto diet doesn’t mean you have to leave pasta in the past! We know you will be a fan of this Caprese Zucchini Noodle Pasta Salad from the Sugar Free Mom. It is so tempting and is one of our favorite keto lunch recipes. It is a reminder that lots of carbs aren’t necessary for a satisfying and varied lunch.

Ripe cherry tomatoes, spiralized zucchini, fresh basil, mozzarella, and a dash of zesty lemon juice make this a work lunch to look forward to. The extra virgin olive oil and cheese keep your healthy fats up without any carbs.

You can experiment with this gluten-free zucchini noodle recipe and add different vegetables and seasonings. The great thing about pasta lunches is that the recipe can be augmented with whatever you happen to have in your fridge. If you don’t have parmesan, for instance, then try another type of rich and sharp cheese, like feta. If you like your noodles extra creamy, mix in something like cream cheese for a completely new recipe.

Lunch that can be made at home, kept in the fridge until you’re ready for your meal, and eaten cold at work makes lunch simple.

4. Ground Beef Vegetable Soup

Beef is so versatile and an ideal ingredient for your keto lunches. This ground beef vegetable soup from Kalyn’s Kitchen is a great keto recipe to bring to work. Make a big pot at home for dinner and have enough leftovers for stress-free work lunches for the week.

Lean ground beef, olive oil, celery, a heap of homey seasonings, and vegetables simmer in one big pot until it reaches savory perfection. Cauliflower rice gives the soup substance while keeping it low carb.

Soup recipes are easy to play around with. We have a few ideas, like adding a different type of meat or leaving it out altogether for a vegetarian soup. Add some zucchini or spinach for some extra greens. Changing up the spices will help keep your lunches interesting.

Stick a dollop of sour cream or cheese on top after you heat it up to give it an extra touch of creaminess.

5. Dill Pickle Tuna Salad

Tuna salad variations are always great ideas for a keto or paleo lunch. Iowa Girl Eats has plenty of gluten-free recipes that will make planning your low-carb lunches a breeze.

This tuna salad recipe from Iowa Girl Eats works with your busy life and keeps you full despite having low net carbs. The albacore tuna packs some serious protein into your meal and tastes great.

Don’t be afraid of the mayo in the recipe. It’s one of the top condiments in the keto diet because it has almost no carbs and lots of fat. The dill pickles add crunch and an unexpected zest that will make you forget about traditional tuna salad.

This is a perfect meal prep recipe because it tastes better as it sits in the fridge overnight. It’s eaten cold, making your office lunch hassle-free. Some hard-boiled eggs would be a welcome addition to make this meal taste a bit like an egg salad. This base recipe is suitable for variations to make it vegetarian. If you are trying to eat vegetarian, an egg salad is another easy keto lunch that is low carb and tasty.

Serve your tuna salad in a lettuce wrap with some cream cheese, crisp peppers, and some mustard for a low-carb variation on the typical sandwich. If you want to eat it like a dip, serve it with something crunchy like carrots or a celery stick. This also works wonderfully over a bed of lettuce as the protein in your salad.

6. Cacio e Pepe With Brussel Sprouts

Salads are one of our favorite keto lunches because they’re so easy for work. Just put it in a mason jar and shake it up when you are ready to eat. We got this ingenious lunch idea from the team at Skinny Taste.

This is a keto-friendly version of everyone’s favorite Italian pasta recipe. The pasta noodles in Cacio e Pepe are replaced with crunchy Brussel sprouts, making it gluten-free!

This low-carb recipe focuses on fresh, whole ingredients. Simply shred the Brussel sprouts, grate some fresh parmesan cheese and mix it with extra virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, and some toasted nuts. The finishing touches for this recipe are a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper, sea salt, and a healthy squeeze of lemon juice.

7. Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Juicy pulled pork is one of our favorite things to eat, and you don’t have to leave it behind in your old life. It is so versatile and a great keto lunch idea. Many find the idea of pulled pork intimidating, but we promise it is easy to make! You can make a lot at once, so the time to slow cook it is worth it. We know most think of pulled pork as a sandwich, but it is an easy recipe to enjoy low carb.

We have a few ideas to make your pulled pork lunch work with a keto-friendly diet. To keep your meal low carb, try eating it with lettuce wraps, putting it on top of a healthy salad, or some cauliflower rice. There is absolutely no need to put pulled pork this good in between two slices of bread.

Try this recipe from the team at Fit Foodie Finds to make a big batch of pulled pork that you will be thinking about all morning at work. The pulled pork can be heated up but also tastes great cold on a salad.

Cook your pork shoulder roast in your instant pot with some chicken broth, onions, and garlic. Using an instant pot may save you time in the roast process. Then once it’s tender enough, shred it. If you’re having a difficult time, the meat might not be ready. Give it another 15 or 20 minutes and try again.

Once you have your juicy meat shredded, mix in your favorite barbecue sauce. Beware, not all barbecue sauce is keto-friendly! Check the ingredients to make sure that unnecessary sugars aren’t added. If you want to be sure of what’s in your barbecue sauce, try making your own!

8. Keto Bison Meatballs

Sometimes it can be hard to pack protein into your lunches without adding a lot of calories. This is why meatballs and other meat recipes make great lunch ideas. We recommend these delicious keto bison meatballs from the team at Fit Men Cook. Don’t let their name scare you away. Meatballs are a great lunch idea for women too. We love that this lunch recipe also works great as a paleo dish.

To keep this recipe gluten-free, almond flour is used to bind and coat the meatballs instead of bread crumbs or wheat flour. Caramelized onions add sweetness to the meat mixture, while diced red pepper adds some crunch.

Bison meat is used instead of beef since it has fewer calories and fat. Ground pork or beef is an easy swap if you can’t find bison meat at your local supermarket. Wrap the meatballs up in bacon before putting them in the oven for even more protein and taste.

They are easy to make at home, and then you can bring them to work for lunch. These bison meatballs make great finger foods that you can enjoy quickly or share at a work lunch potluck.

Eat them in lettuce wraps for a meatball sub without the bread, or try it with some lettuce and cherry tomatoes for a protein-rich salad.  This keto-friendly recipe saves you from that after-lunch slump at work. You will have tons of energy to keep going until dinner.

9. Bacon and Egg Muffins

Egg Muffins aren’t just for breakfast. They are also great in your lunch box. Try our keto lunch recipe for easy bacon and egg muffins if you want a tasty paleo or keto lunch idea. These taste a lot like the egg sandwiches you get from your favorite fast-food joints, without the bread, carbs, and preservatives.

Our keto recipe couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is put bacon and eggs in a muffin tin and heat them up in the oven. Add some extras, like peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, cheese, or onions if you want to add some variety to your egg muffins.

This low-carb recipe is great for meal prepping. Wrap them and keep them in the fridge for up to 7 days. They heat up perfectly in the microwave.

We recommend bringing some of your favorite hot sauce to work and dousing these muffins for a keto lunch that packs a punch.

10. Keto Chicken Soup

One of our favorite recipe ideas for any cold day is soup. It is so filling and heart-warming. There isn’t a better keto lunch out there.

Another good thing about soup recipes? They are so easy to make keto. This keto chicken soup from Healthy Seasonal Recipes is a low-carb keto-friendly lunch that you will want to return to again and again. It is low cost, has accessible ingredients, and is a perfect make-ahead lunch.

This recipe stays gluten-free and low carb while having tons of substance thanks to the cauliflower rice. This lunch recipe takes less than thirty minutes, so you can spend your time focusing on other things. First, heat some onion and celery before adding fragrant spices like thyme and garlic. Add some broth and then cubed chicken thighs and your cauliflower rice. Voila, your keto lunch is ready!

This yummy keto lunch can stay in the fridge all week. Put it in a to-go container and heat it in the microwave for a low-carb lunch that tastes as good as when it was first made. Some cheese sprinkled on top makes it even better.

FAQ’s

What can I eat for lunch on keto?

The keto diet is centered on meals that are low carb and high fat. This causes your body to burn calories from your fat instead of carbs, which can help with weight loss.

With keto lunches, foods to be avoided are starchy vegetables, like potatoes, condiments high in sugar, candy, dried fruit, and carb-heavy beers. Dairy milk has many net carbs, so switch to a non-dairy alternative like almond milk, which is naturally low carb.

The diet is similar to the Paleo diet, which means many Keto-friendly recipes are also great ideas for a Paleo diet. Both focus on limiting carbs during mealtime and eating whole foods. Low-carb recipes with minimal amounts of sugar are the key when thinking of lunch ideas.

How do I pack a keto lunch for work?

A satisfying keto lunch has to keep you full for hours while being low carb and healthy. If you’re still hungry after emptying your lunch box, then the rest of your workday will drag on.

You might find yourself raiding the office fridge for snacks and other comfort food that doesn’t fit in your low-carb diet. After trying these delicious keto lunch recipes, you will find that you don’t even miss the bread.

What foods can I eat unlimited on keto?

The keto diet may sound limiting at first, but we have so many ideas for your next week of keto lunches that we promise you won’t find yourself wanting for anything. Most of these lunch ideas are easily modified to be vegetarian or suit different tastebuds.

There are plenty of delicious, wholesome foods you can eat unlimited during the day on keto. This includes low-carb vegetables (think zucchini and cauliflower), eggs, extra virgin olive oil, cheese, avocado, and meat. With these high fat and low carb options, your body will be relying on your fat instead of burning through carbs.

Since keto-friendly food is so varied and delicious, your keto lunches will be packed with nutrients and fuel you all day.

Share your favorite Keto lunch ideas!

All of these keto lunches sound so satisfying. We know you will want to try these recipes right away. Whether you’re just starting your keto or paleo journey and need some accessible ideas, or you have been keto for years but need some more inspiration, these recipes are your answer.

With so many keto lunch ideas out there, we know you’ll find your perfect recipe. Share which of these listed recipes are your favorites with us. We love to see what our readers are eating and what recipes interest them the most. Follow us on Facebook, so you never run out of recipes for lunch or dinner that fit into your diet.