44 Easy Lunch Ideas for One
So you don’t have to do ingredient math to scale back big recipes.

Preparing meals for one can sometimes be difficult considering that “standard” recipes typically serve four. And unless you love algebra and fractions, who wants to start recalculating ingredient quantities for everything you make? Not to mention figuring out the best way to quarter an egg (Whisk it, weigh it, divide it by 4).
That’s why we’ve pulled together this collection of single-serving lunch recipes. Whether you’re a household of one or just making a lunch separate from the others in your home, we’ve got a little bit of everything, from your basic—but delicious—soups, salads, and sandwiches, to a little bit fancier—but simple—pastas, grain bowls, and pizzas. There’s more than a month’s worth of recipes to choose from, so say goodbye to lunchtime boredom.
Soups and Chili


Spring Chicken Soup with Veggies and Quinoa


Instant Classic Chicken Noodle Soup For One


Red Lentil Soup with Coriander & Cumin


Easy shrimp chowder for one


Instant Pasta e Fagiole Soup for One


Poblano & Turkey Chili


Tomato-fennel soup


Chipotle-Black Bean Chili


Speedy Broccoli-Cheddar Soup
Salads and Lettuce Wraps


Chicken, peach & fig salad with ricotta salata


Lime-Ginger Quinoa, Mango & Chicken Salad


Mediterranean Tuna Salad Lettuce Wrap


Orange, Pomegranate & Feta Salad


Chicken, Grape, and Toasted Walnut Salad


Pan Con Tomate with Spanish Salad


Lentil & Green Bean Lettuce Cups with Caesar Dressing


Sesame-Lime Chicken Salad on Baby Kale


Tofu Cobb Salad Shaker with Shallot-Dijon Dressing
Sandwiches


Honey Mustard Chicken Salad on Whole Wheat


Shrimp Salad Sandwich with Cucumber & Dill


Ham and cheese melt with fresh slaw


Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches


Grilled chicken sausage with pineapple salsa


Grilled Chicken Sausage Sandwiches with Spanish Chickpea Salsa


Grilled Broccoli, Cherry Tomato, and Olive Pizzas


Quick Beef Gyro


Smoked Salmon Canapés


Cuban Sandwich Kebabs
Pastas and Bowls


Mediterranean Pasta & White Bean Salad For One


Asian Wheat Berry Bowl


Cauliflower Gnocchi with Peppers and Spinach


Pasta with Rosemary-Roasted Vegetables and Feta


Zoodle pasta primavera


Veggie “pasta” with lemon, chives, and goat cheese


Greek Quinoa Bowls with Chickpeas, Peppers and Eggplant


Greek Chicken Bowl






