A healthy spin on your favorite childhood throwback, these high-protein adult lunchable ideas will keep you full and crushing your goals!
I’ve made a lot of lunch mistakes in my life. Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane, shall we?
In grad school, I ate the same thing almost every single day: an almond butter and banana sandwich on a sandwich thin, plus a side of carrots. Not shockingly, I was starving about 0.5 seconds later—because there was basically no protein in that meal.
Then, when I worked at WIC, I brought a salad to work. Every. Single. Day. I packed them so often that just looking at a salad grossed me out. And let’s be honest, they were sad diet salads—some kind of lean protein plus calorie-free dressing. No carbs, no fat, no joy. Not surprisingly, I felt foggy and miserable by mid-afternoon.
When I worked at a gym, I got a little better at balancing meals, but with a 70-hour workweek, I often leaned way too hard on Quest bars to get me through the day. That was until I noticed one of my coworkers—who had nonstop energy—always brought these easy “finger food” lunches she called adult Lunchables. And they were a game changer.
Finally, a lunch that was satisfying, energizing, and took less than 10 minutes to prep. I ate that style of lunch nearly every day for a year and never got sick of it—the combinations are endless.
With summer in full swing, now’s the perfect time to bring back the ultimate no-cook adult Lunchable (or bento box) guide. Below is my go-to cheat sheet for building balanced, satisfying combos.
10 Healthy Adult Lunchable Combinations
Here are 10 high-protein adult lunchable ideas to get you started—these are some of my personal favorites! Perfect for summer or any time you just don’t feel like cooking. Each box has at least 20 grams of protein (most closer to 40!), and I’ve estimated the macros for you to make things easy. Enjoy—and let me know if you try one!
Equipment:
- Glass bento boxes - I've had these forever (since 2019), and I still love them.
- Silicone muffin cups - great, flexible little cups that can help you divide up your sections even more.
- Stainless steel sauce cups - these fit great in the glass bento boxes I linked above, but they are too tall for regular Pyrex containers. I originally bought these for food photography, but we ended up using them a ton in everyday life!
1. Mediterranean Box
- 4 ounces cocktail shrimp
- 2T cocktail sauce
- Individual hummus pack - about 3T
- 5 cherry tomatoes
- ½ cucumber cut into slices
- 10 pita chips
Macros: 593 kcal| 24g PRO |77g CHO | FIBER 9g |23g FAT
*Nutrition facts are estimates only as they will vary with different brands of crackers, meat etc.
2. Southwest Fiesta Box
- 4 ounces of turkey and 2 slices of pepperjack
- Guacamole cup
- 1 serving tortilla chips (10-15 chips)
- Bell pepper strips
Macros: 548 kCal | 37g PRO |46g CHO|9g FIBER |26g FAT
*Nutrition facts are estimates only as they will vary with different brands of crackers, meat etc.
3. Italian Deli Box
- 3 ounces of turkey
- 8 slices of salami
- 1-2 ounces of mozzarella balls
- 5 cherry tomatoes
- 3-4 pepperoncini slices
- 10 olives
- 10 whole-grain chips
- ½ ounce dark chocolate
Macros: 777 kCal |37g PRO | 33g CARB |55g FAT
Need lower calories? Reduce salami to 4 slices and chips to 5 to get the following macros: 572 kCal | 28g PRO | 22g CHO |41g FAT
*Nutrition facts are estimates only as they will vary with different brands of crackers, meat etc.
4. Roast Beef Box
- 4 ounces of roast beef
- 1 ounce of cheddar
- 1 ounce ry crackers
- 2 tablespoon ounces low-calorie ranch
- ½ cucumber cut into slices
- mandarin orange
Macros: 467 kCal |33g PRO | 34g CHO |3g FIBER |21g FAT
5. Reuben Box
- 4 ounces of pastrami
- 1 ounce Swiss
- 5-6 pickle slices
- 2tbsp sauerkraut
- 10 sourdough crackers
- 2 tablespoon Thousand Island dressing
Macros: 613 kCal | 34g PRO |27g CHO | 1g FIBER |40g FAT
*Nutrition facts are estimates only as they will vary with different brands of crackers, meat etc.
6. Yogurt Box
- Greek Yogurt (I used two Chobani 20g containers)
- ⅓ cup berries
- ¼ cup granola
- ¼ cup dark chocolate-covered almonds (I used Lilly's)
Macros: 463g kCal |45g PRO |39g CHO | 11g FIBER |20g FAT
*Nutrition facts are estimates only as they will vary with different brands of crackers, meat etc.
7. Smoked Salmon Box
- 3 ounces smoked salmon
- 2 soft cheese wedges (like Laughing Cow or Brie)
- ½ zucchini sliced
- 10 brown rice crackers
- 2 dried mango halves
Macros: 433 kCal | 31g PRO | 52g CHO | 5g FIBER| 11g FAT
*Nutrition facts are estimates only as they will vary with different brands of crackers, meat etc.
- 4 ounces of ham
- 1 ounce white cheddar or provolone
- 9 pretzels
- celery
- 2tbsp peanut butter
Macros: 430 kCal | 33g PRO | 18g CHO | 6g FIBER |27g FAT
*Nutrition facts are estimates only as they will vary with different brands of crackers, meat etc.
9. Cottage Cheese Box
- 1 cup cottage cheese and 1 tablespoon hot honey
- 2-3T hummus
- 15-20 plantain chips
- 3 mini peppers
- ½ ounce dark chocolate
Macros: 602 kCal | 28g PRO | 5g FIBER | 63g CHO | 25g FAT
*Nutrition facts are estimates only as they will vary with different brands of crackers, meat etc.
10. Breakfast for Lunch Box
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 2 slices bacon
- ⅓ cup berries
- 1-2 T maple syrup
- 2 mini pancakes
Macros: 475 kCal | 29g PRO | 33g CHO | 3g FIBER |25g FAT
*Nutrition facts are estimates only as they will vary with different brands of crackers, meat etc.
Emily @ Zen & Spice says
I make lunchables like this as well! My favorite combo is a fruit (usually grapes or strawberries), a veggie (cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumber), a grain (crackers or a tortilla) and a protein (turkey meat or cheese). Its so fast and easy to pack!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
fast and easy = on track, am I right?
Chris says
I take plantain chips or cucumber slices instead of crackers, and pile cheese and meat on top.
Olives have healthy fats in them.
Sushi rice and nori wrappers with shrimp and Julianne veggie strips.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Cute idea! Haha, when I was a kid, I LOVED the pizza ones!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
ha ha ironic since now your GF! Thanks!
athletic avocado says
Totally a great idea! Id go for any of these combos over the kid's "lunchables" anyway! So much better and fresher! Nom noms!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
all grown up is so much better right?
Marisa @ Uproot from Oregon says
Love this idea - pinned! I want that bison with a slice of avocado now, please 🙂
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Sooooo Gooood! Thanks girl!
Rebecca Clyde says
Love this idea! I always begged my mom to buy lunchables as a kid! The only bad thing was that I'd be hungry not too long after eating one. These are obviously way more filling!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Seriously! The only time I was ever allowed to get one was during field trips ha ha!
CARLA says
((whispers))
my nine year old may now officially be an adult 🙂
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Lucky Kid!!!!!! 🙂
Lauren @ Fun, Fit, and Fabulous! says
This post came at the perfect time! I get to eat lunch at home every day, but my husband has to take his with him. He is stuck in a serious sandwich rut, so I was looking for some new ideas for him. Thanks for sharing!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Aw you're welcome Lauren! Hope you find some fun combinations for him!
Maryanne Patterson says
I've been packing my husband's lunch for a few years now.
I give him a fruit snack of grapes, an apple, or sliced strawberries.
Lunch is a sandwich:. Roast beef, sliced thin cheddar cheese and Dave's spicy pickles on whole wheat.
Or turkey with cream cheese and cranberry sauce on a croissant
Or pastrami with Swiss and sauerkraut on dark rye bread. Thousand island dressing and spicy mustard.....
All kinds of ideas!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Absolutely! Mix and Match and go!
Amber says
OMG.... I cant believe that I have never thought or heard of this..... I love lunchables and I normally just use crackers and I never even thought to use veggies. My son will also love this. A simple switch from crackers to Cucumber and I have an even better snack or lunch for both of us. Just brilliant.....
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Can't wait to hear how it goes! Glad you got a new idea!
Maggie says
Recently got put on a low-carb, high-protein diet, and have gotten into meal planning. I got stumped on finding enough LCHP lunches that I don't have to heat up before eating, so I'm really happy to find these and try them out! Thank you!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
I'm glad you found it helpful Maggie!
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says
I watched your video. Really good info girl!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
You are the best thanks!
Emily @ Pizza & Pull-ups says
I love lunches (and dinners) like this, I always call them picky plate meals. Great combo ideas!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
LOVE that! picky plate meals ha ha
Bethany says
Here in Japan everyone uses the bento boxes and it's so perfect for lunches.
Patrick@looneyforfood.com says
I love this! I never had them as a kid but my sister has lunchables all the time and I'm always wanting one, but bigger! I live your ideas!
Anne|Craving Something Healthy says
These adult lunchables almost make me want to get a job outside of my house! Almost...
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
it's good I teach two days a week so I can bring stuff like this and remind myself how nice it is to be at home the other days... I also eat the lunchables at home... 😉
Bobby A. says
I do a pretty similar thing each week for my lunch! It's kind of the key to ensure that I eat well-balanced, healthy meals throughout the week. If I leave it to the last second, it doesn't happen so much.
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
same here!
SHYLAH says
I BAG UP SOME PLANTAIN CHIPS. IN MINI BOWLS I PUT SOME SALSA, 2 OZ CHOPPED GRILLED CHICKEN, AND 1-2 OZ SHREDDED CHEESE. I GRAB A WHOLLY GUACAMOLE 100 CALORIE PAC, AND I HAVE A GOOD LUNCH WITH PROTEIN, FATS, AND VEGGIES. SOMETIMES I AD A LITTLE BLACK BEANS AND LIME INSTEAD OF THE CHICKEN. I ALWAYS LOVED NACHOS. THIS COULD BE DONE WITH TORTILLA CHIPS OR CORN CHIPS, BUT I TRY TO AVOID GRAINS
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
SOUNDS YUMMY!