Get your lunch packing mojo going with these 25 delicious and healthy Vegetarian Lunch Ideas! We've got sturdy salads, grain bowls, Buddha bowls, pasta bowls, and other tasty Vegetarian Lunch Recipes for your lunch packing inspiration!
I don't know if back to work / back to school time has already started for you or if it's looming, but I do know what will help make it easier to take: some really great vegetarian lunch ideas.
If the thought of packing your lunch makes you want to run screaming for the hills, you'll want to start by checking out my top 10 Lunch Packing Tips for healthy, tasty, and budget-friendly lunches. That post has everything you need to know, from how to make a meal plan to bulk-prepping a week's worth of lunches on the weekend, to the best containers to get your lunch to work in one piece.
Today I'm rounding up 25 incredible Vegetarian Lunch Ideas, and we're hitting up meal bowls of all kinds of all forms: Buddha bowls, fajita bowls, pasta bowls, and sturdy, packable salads that will fuel you into the afternoon. Related: How to Make a Meal Bowl Without A Recipe
To be honest, I'm much more of a lunch bowl person than a sandwich person these days. I love the variety they deliver, how versatile they are, and they're practically designed to be packed for lunch. Bowl meals also tend to be great for batch cooking and meal-prepping, which makes my meal planning heart happy. Related: Batch Cooking for Beginners.
If you're more in the mood for sandwiches and wraps for lunch, though, check out these 22 Vegetarian Sandwich Ideas! And I've also got 15 Healthy After School Snack Ideas you won't want to miss out on.
25 Make-Ahead Vegetarian Lunch Recipes
We've got healthy whole grains, plant-based proteins, and lots of veggies. What could be better than that? So without further ado, here are 22 gorgeous Vegetarian Lunch Ideas to get your season started!
1. Vegan Poké Bowls
For an easy, high-protein vegan lunch that will keep you satisfied throughout the day, try these Vegan Poké Bowls! They're as tasty as they are pretty.

2. Vegan Sheet-Pan Fajita Bowls
Here's a lunch packing tip: pack the avocado for these Vegan Sheet-Pan Fajita Bowls with the skin still on, face down in the lunch box, and it'll still be in good shape come lunch time. Tuck a little jar of the chipotle-lime cashew cream alongside and you're in business!

3. Veggie Burger in a Bowl
A veggie burger can be kind of a pain to pack for your lunch... but a veggie burger in a bowl? Now that's a vegetarian lunch idea I can get on board with! Use your favourite veggie burger, a burger topping salad, and a tasty vegan burger sauce to bring it home.

4. Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl
Will you just look at this Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl from Platings and Pairings? I don't know about you, but I'd like to dive face first into that spicy green Mojo sauce.

5. Vegan Rice Noodle Bowls
These Vegan Rice Noodle Bowls are one of my favourite vegetarian lunch ideas. They're like a salad bar meets a noodle dish and they're endlessly adaptable. Pack the dressing in a little container to add at the last minute and you'll be golden.

6. Easy Greek Orzo Salad
A salad packed with carbs is totally my kinda salad. This Easy Greek Orzo Salad from Happy Kitchen.Rocks takes practically no time to make and will last for several days in the fridge.

7. Tortellini Pasta Salad
This quick and easy Tortellini Pasta Salad is delicious served warm, at room temperature, or even cold, which makes it perfect for packed lunches! Add that to your list of awesome vegetarian lunch ideas!

8. Cold Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing
I do love a cold noodle salad, and the colours in this Cold Thai Noodle Salad from Zested Lemon are making me want to jump right in!

9. Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Kale
If I'm going to eat a salad for lunch it had better have some oomph to it so I don't end up hangry at 2pm. This Vegetarian Caesar Salad is pumped up with kale, crispy roasted chickpeas, croutons, and a vegetarian caesar dressing. What more could you want?!

10. Vegetarian Burrito Bowls
I don't know about you, but I'm kind of the opinion that a burrito bowl > an actual burrito a lot of the time. These Vegetarian Burrito Bowls are perfect for a quick vegan lunch.

11. Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
The colours in this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad from Real and Vibrant make me want to salt in the very salty sea, and then pack this salad for my lunches whenI go back to work. Is that weird? Don't answer.

12. Buddha Bowl with Maple Roasted Chickpeas
Roasted chickpeas were a revelation to me, so naturally this Nourishing Buddha Bowl with Maple Roasted Chickpeas from Choosing Chia is right up my alley. Talk about a delicious vegetarian lunch idea!

13. Roasted Cauliflower Hummus Bowls
Have you ever wanted to just eat a giant bowl of hummus for your lunch? Great, me too! These Roasted Cauliflower Hummus Bowls are just that. A base of hummus, crunchy roasted cauliflower, and pita on the side if that's your thing.

14. Cold Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad
Pasta salads just make me happy. They're such an obvious choice for vegetarian lunch ideas because they can be served cold or at room temperature, which means you can eat them anytime, anywhere. This Cold Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad from Drive Me Hungry is as tasty as it is colourful.

15. BBQ Tofu Bowls
These quick and easy BBQ Tofu Bowls are one of my favourite easy vegetarian lunches. The tofu and veggies are roasted on a sheet-pan, which makes both prep and clean-up a cinch!

16. Baked Tofu Sushi Bowls
Doesn't wasabi tahini sauce sound like a vegetarian lunch box dream come true? These Baked Tofu Sushi Bowls from Connoisseurus Veg hit it out of the park!

17. Vegetarian Meal Prep Bowls
These vegetarian meal prep bowls feature quick pickled red cabbage, roasted sweet potatoes, smoked tofu, and a magic tahini sauce that you'll legit want to bathe in.

18. Caprese Pasta Bowls
These Caprese Pasta Bowls from Happy Veggie Kitchen are right up my alley! I love the fresh flavours in there, and sometimes you just want a good carby lunch, ya know?!

19. Beluga Lentil Salad
This Beluga Lentil Salad is a vegetarian lunch idea that can be served a little on the warm side, cold, or at room temperature. Plus: Halloumi Croutons.

20. Spinach Pecan Brown Rice Salad
This beautiful and nutritious Spinach and Pecan Brown Rice Salad from Vanilla and Bean is almost too pretty to eat... but eat it, it's delicious!

21. Spicy Tofu Grain Bowls
These Spicy Tofu Grain Bowls feature tofu with a no-press technique, roasted sweet potatoes, kale, wild rice, and apples. They're a perfect meal prep lunch idea!

22. Zucchini Chickpea Quinoa Salad
This protein-packed Zucchini Chickpea Quinoa Salad from A Cedar Spoon will fuel you all the way to dinner time! It's one of my favourite vegetarian lunch ideas to date.

23. Black Bean Noodle Bowls
These Black Bean Noodle Bowls are loaded with protein and dietary fiber, and make the perfect base for a vegetarian lunch box. Topped with veggies and a spicy sesame sauce, these make for one delicious lunch.

24. Chickpea Mason Jar Salads
Last but not least, one of my favourite vegetarian lunch ideas is these Chickpea Mason Jar Salads. Super packable, easy to make, and delicious to eat.

Sustainable Cooks - Sarah
I love all these ideas and can't wait to dig into all of them!
Ceri
Wow, so much inspiration here. I need this now I'm back to packing lunchboxes a few days a week. I've totally forgotten how!
Sandra Lea
I agree with you, bowls are my favorite way to eat and so easy. It's a good way to use up leftovers, throw some veggies and grains together and top with a delicious dressing.