"Prepping a week’s worth of lunches can quickly get boring and monotonous. When you’re eating the same thing every day of the week, eating can feel like a chore. Enter Bento boxes—the perfect way to make lunches fun again. These meal prep lunches break up your meal into different sections, which means they’re essentially adult Lunchables! Beyond reconnecting with your inner child and implementing a little nostalgia into your lunch break, adult Lunchables are a delicious and easy way to meal prep with less time and effort. Plus, you can customize your Bento box with your favorite foods and include more nutritious options than served in a traditional Lunchable.
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What Goes in an Adult Lunchable?
The great thing about adult Lunchables is that they are entirely customizable, but most follow a basic formula. Typically, this includes protein, some carbs, and a serving of fruits or veggies. This makes it easy to switch up the sides every day, so you aren’t eating the same exact meal five days in a row. Think celery and ranch as a side one day, but an apple with peanut butter the next, while keeping the main portion the same.
If the thought of your food touching gives you the ick, invest in a Bento box with divided sections. Otherwise, just pile everything into your favorite meal prep container, and you’re good to go!
20 Adult Lunchable Ideas
Ready to give adult Lunchables a try? These 20 Bento box recipes are the perfect solution for on-the-go meals.
1. Pizza Lunchable
Growing up, the pizza Lunchable was always my favorite, and on the rare occasions my parents allowed me to have one, I was absolutely ecstatic. Now that I’m an adult, I am obsessed with this recipe, which re-creates a favorite childhood snack with healthier ingredients.
2. Leftover Chicken Lunchbox
Leftovers can be a blessing and a curse. They mean you don’t have to cook another meal, but you also have to eat the same thing as the night before. This leftover chicken Lunchable is a fun way to mix up how you use last night’s chicken dinner.
3. Lunchable Tacos
There’s nothing worse than a soggy tortilla ruining a taco, but let’s be honest: the tortilla is one of the best parts. Making a taco Lunchable gets you the best of both worlds. You don’t have to ditch the tortilla and turn your taco into a bowl, and it still tastes fresh by the time lunch rolls around.
4. Greek Salad and Hard Boiled Eggs Bento Box
This Greek salad is an incredibly fresh, light lunch. It packs in tons of veggies, while the side of hummus and hard-boiled egg will give you the protein you need to get through your afternoon slump.
5. Cheese Board Lunch Box
If your appetizer of choice is a charcuterie board, why not make it for lunch? Customize it with any meat, cheeses, nuts, and dried fruits, and you’ll have a new favorite go-to lunch.
6. Peanut Butter and Banana Snack Box
Peanut butter and banana are an unmatched combo typically reserved for breakfasts and snacks, but this recipe will convince you to incorporate it into your lunch rotation as well. You can also customize the fruit and vegetables you pair with it based on what’s in season.
7. Greek Pita Bento Box
This Greek pita Bento box is a light and refreshing lunch option. Just be sure to store it in a container with divided compartments so the tzatziki doesn’t make your pita soggy and the vegetables stay fresh throughout the day.
8. Turkey Spinach Pinwheels Bento Box
Instead of opting for a basic wrap, try these turkey spinach pinwheels that are way more fun. Switch it up during the week by swapping the turkey and spinach for your preferred greens or deli meat, or up the flavor by adding a spread like pesto or hummus.
9. Zucchini Noodle Caprese and Chicken Bento Box
Swapping average pasta for zucchini noodles is an easy way to get in some more greens. Zucchini noodles can also be served cold, so you don’t need to mess with the microwave before eating.
10. Falafel Hummus Adult Lunchables
If you are trying to incorporate more plant-based foods into your life, falafel is a tasty way to get your protein in without meat. With more vegetables on the side, this adult Lunchable is equal parts nutritious and delicious.
11. Chickpea Salad Bento Box
Whether you’re vegetarian or not, this chickpea salad is a tasty alternative to the traditional chicken salad. If you have a can of chickpeas collecting dust in your pantry, put them to good use in this adult Lunchable recipe.
12. DIY Starbucks Protein Bistro Box
I know every time I’m at Starbucks, I’m tempted by the convenience of the premade bistro boxes sitting right by the checkout. This recipe allows you to have all the convenience but for a much cheaper price at home.
13. BLT Salad Lunch Box
This BLT salad promises all the flavor of a delicious BLT sandwich minus the bread. Add some protein and fruit on the side, and you have an incredibly easy, well-rounded lunch.
14. Curried Chicken Salad Adult Lunchable
This curry chicken salad packs tons of flavor and can be served in many different ways: on a sandwich, in a lettuce wrap, with crackers, or by itself. If you’re not a mayo fan, don’t worry: This recipe uses avocado to achieve the creamy texture that most recipes rely on mayo for.
15. Mediterranean Meal Prep Lunch Boxes
If you’ve never had tabbouleh, you need to try this recipe. The second I tried this Mediterranean salad, I was hooked. It’s especially good when served with pita bread, like in this recipe.
16. Turkey Bagel Sandwich
Bagels are one of my go-to breakfasts, but thanks to this recipe, they are also making their way into my lunches. Bagels don’t get as soggy as regular bread, so they’re better suited for lunches you are packing to take on the go.
17. Apple and Peanut Butter Sandwiches
You might only think of peanut butter and apples as a snack, but they’re a great lunch option, too, especially when combined with a protein like a hard-boiled egg and some vegetables on the side. Plus, who doesn’t love an excuse to add some chocolate chip toppings to their lunch?
18. Mini Quiches
Another one of my most ordered items at Starbucks (other than coffee, of course) is their egg bites. This egg muffin recipe offers a way to make them at home, and you can easily customize them with your favorite add-ins.
19. Granola Bento Box
I’m no stranger to eating handfuls of granola while running out the door, but this Bento box makes it much easier to take on the go. Plus, paired with fruit and a hard-boiled egg, it will fuel you up way more than just granola.
20. Pico de Gallo Quinoa Bowls
This recipe is so easy to make and only takes about 20 minutes to throw together. The homemade pico de gallo adds so much flavor, while the quinoa and black beans offer a plant-based protein source.
Lauren Blue, Lifestyle Staff Writer
As a Lifestyle Staff Writer for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives. Her articles span the topics of home decor, delicious recipes, hobbies, travel itineraries—and everything in between. When she isn’t testing the latest TikTok trend, she can be found scouring Instagram for beautiful homes to feature on the site.