Healthy Field Trip Lunch Ideas: You don’t need to skip lunch because there’s no refrigerator at work.
Neither do you need to endure soggy sandwiches you made from home during a break?
This was an issue we dealt with until we turned it into an opportunity that inspired this field trip lunch ideas that require no refrigeration.
These non-perishable lunch ideas for adults will hold till when you need them and still taste fresh and delicious.
Whether you’re a student or a worker, these cold sack lunch ideas for adults will help you eat healthily and save money on buying lunches.
Contents
Field Trip lunches That Need No Refrigeration
1. Spiced Chicken Couscous Salad
Who says you can’t eat a gourmet meal for lunch?
The best part: it’s healthy, will keep till lunch, and still stay delicious.
The spice in the chicken will bring heat to your taste buds.
You can substitute the Israeli couscous with rice if you want to go the regular route.
It takes just 25 minutes to prepare, and you can add your favorite veggies that go with it.
Store it in an airtight container to maximize its freshness till it’s lunchtime.
2. Orzo Salad
This is a suitable lunch idea for field trips that’ll have your colleagues envy you.
It’s such a healthy and satisfying meal.
It takes a bit to prepare, though.
However, the outcome is totally worth the effort.
You can get the Orzo salad from a grocery store or a salad bar.
Prepare it with roasted cauliflower, parsley, and pine nuts.
To complete your lunch, pack it with snap peas, baby carrots, barre apple chips, and roasted almonds.
You can get the recipe here.
3. Quinoa Tabbouleh
Sack lunches that don’t need refrigeration do not need to be makeshift or junk.
This cold sack lunch idea for adults is healthy and tastes great.
If you don’t want the traditional quinoa for this meal, you can switch it out for bulgur.
That’ll bring a ton of protein into your lunch for a boost of nutritional goodness.
You can use black olives, green beans, clementine, and roasted almonds as extras.
The Kitchn is responsible for this recipe.
4. Fruity Peanut Butter Pita
Pitas are a great option for field trip lunch ideas when there’s no refrigerator.
They’re portable enough to fit into your lunch bag and durable enough to remain fresh till lunchtime.
Whip put your peanut butter and jelly with slices of fruits to stuff your pitas.
This recipe from Taste of Home uses a sprinkle of cinnamon powder.
You can easily get pita bread from a store near you.
5. Soba Noodle Salad
We weren’t kidding when we said these field trip lunch ideas with no refrigeration are healthy.
There are quite several salads here.
This quick meal is highly nutritious and you can whip it up with any of your favorite vegetables to make it truly yours.
If you’re not that choosy, toss the soba noodles with shaved carrots, scallions, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
Here’s a detailed recipe to help you pull it off.
You can pack this lunch with sliced cucumber, beef jerky, and cubed avocado to balance the nutrition.
6. Apple and Turkey Cheddar Sandwich
Packing a sandwich for a brown bag lunch for a field trip is common.
How about a sandwich with apple, turkey, and cheddar?
If you’re new to this, you have to give it a shot.
You’ll thank us for the experience.
Here’s a pro tip:
To prevent the bread from getting soggy, toast it before layering it into a sandwich.
Another one is to add a little lemon juice to the apple slices to keep them from getting brown.
7. Chickpea Pita
Vegans can enjoy this pita too!
You can make a big batch of it so your family can enjoy it for lunch in their various locations.
This field trip lunch idea that requires no refrigeration is a blend of sauteed vegetables and a blend of spiced chickpeas.
To enjoy it fresh during lunch, keep it frozen the night before.
It would have completely thawed by lunchtime.
Here’s the recipe.
8. Grilled Vegetable Hummus Wraps
The name pretty much explains itself.
If you love hummus, this will soon become a favorite.
This field trip lunch idea passes the vegan test and gets the nod from expert nutritionists.
The best part of this lunch idea that requires no refrigeration is that you can customize it to your preference.
Take out whatever you don’t like and replace it with your favorite.
You can even make the hummus from scratch.
Workweek Lunch makes the recipe available.
9. Ham and Cheddar Muffins
Go from sandwiches to muffins while maintaining your favorite ingredients.
You’ll get the same delicious taste with a little more excitement.
This is a great recipe you can make ahead.
Find a weekend to make a batch and throw them in the freezer.
Cut into halves and pack them for lunch.
By the time you’re ready to eat, they’ll have thawed and ready to release tongue-busting flavors.
Pack these slices of goodness with apple slices, nut butter, graham crackers, and mini sweet peppers.
If you want to learn how to make these muffins,
The Kitchen provides us with the recipe.
10. Curried Chicken Salad
Imagine delicious curried chicken salad in flavored wraps.
This collection of veggies, chicken, and grapes is a fantastic field trip lunch idea for how handy they come.
If you don’t lie about mayonnaise, substitute it with Greek yogurt and a little lemon juice.
You can wrap it in a pita pocket, or if you want to type, use toasted bread.
11. Buffalo Tofu Wrap
Here’s another handy field trip lunch idea.
You won’t even need a plate.
Simply get it out of the bag and straight into your mouth.
This lunch idea is vegan-certified.
You’ll be using tofu, tempeh, and buffalo sauce.
Of course, you’ll include some vegetables.
Turn it into a sandwich or stuff it in a pita, whatever suits you.
12. Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad
Whatever meal it is, you can make it as healthy as you can and enjoy it to the fullest.
Since you don’t have access to a refrigerator, this salad is still great at room temperature.
You can make it ahead and put it in the refrigerator all night.
And you can use store-bought pesto, or if you have time and a food processor, why not make one?
You can use some chicken in place of chickpeas to increase the protein count of your lunch.
13. Rice Cake and Nut Butter
How would you like chewy dips for lunch?
They’re convenient to eat and quite delicious.
Nut butter is an excellent complementary choice.
If you’re nut-free, use Chickpea butter instead.
You’ll still get the same nutritional goodness.
Make lunch even more exciting by packing it with apple chips, celery sticks, and some blueberries.
14. Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
Greek salad is an awesome choice any time of the year.
Since you need more staying power for your lunch, throw some pasta into the mix.
Add all your favorite vegetables to this to make it pack some nutritional punch.
Use lemon juice in this salad to keep the veggies super fresh all morning till you need to feast at lunch.
Budget Bytes has a detailed recipe.
15. Lentil Salad
If you’ve been eating lentils, you’ll know they are not just nutritious but also filling.
Go for the brown or green lentils.
They’ll keep you filled for longer.
Source your lentils from a grocery store or a salad bar.
Prepare it with herbs, or add some bacon in there.
Complete your lunch pack with some clementine, green beans, almonds, and snacking cheese.
Try this recipe from The Kitchen.
16. Lean Chicken Meatloaf Muffins
Not all muffins are made equal, and this meatloaf muffin is certainly a field trip lunch idea delight.
It’s a pack full of protein and you can make it in a large batch and freeze it.
Pack it into your lunch box and try not to think about them all day.
You’ll find the recipe at Haute and Healthy Living so you can experience this meaty goodness.
17. Banana Pinwheels and Peanut Butter
Peanut butter and banana toasts are delicious.
However, they lack staying power.
That doesn’t mean you should sacrifice what you love.
A little improvisation makes it possible to have this delight at lunch.
Simply switch the bread with tortilla and you’ll have the same great taste that’ll stay fresh till lunch.
Use whole-wheat tortillas and spread PB on them, roll it up with peeled banana inside and cut it into bite sizes.
Pack your lunch with blueberries, roasted almonds, and dried mangoes.
18. Turkey Ranch Wraps
This field trip lunch idea lets you masterfully use Greek yogurt.
Flavor your wraps with it and add the veggies and turkey slices.
Check out Garnish and Glaze for the detailed recipe.
19. Peanut Noodles
This field trip lunch idea is simple to make and even requires no cooking.
Prepare your rice noodles according to instructions and mix them with two tablespoons of peanut sauce.
Throw your favorite herbs in the mix and you’re ready.
Pack this lunch with baby carrots, Triscuits, and sugar snap peas.
20. Marinated White Beans
This is a great school lunch that doesn’t need refrigeration.
That’s because marinated beans get even better when it is kept for a long time.
So, you can make a big batch over the weekend and portion it for lunch through the week.
Pack your lunch with grape tomatoes, olives, pita chips, and hummus.
Conclusion
There will be times you don’t have access to a refrigerator or microwave.
If that’s the case, you don’t need to spend extra ordering lunch or eating stale food.
This list of field trip lunch ideas that need no refrigeration will help you whip up healthy meals that stand the test of time.
Investing in a good lunch pack that can keep food hot or cold will go a long way in helping you succeed with this plan.
