How many days in a row would you eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch? Even if you absolutely love PB&J sandwiches, at some point, you’ll never want to eat them again!    

But what other lunch ideas can you bring to work when there’s no fridge or microwave at the office? Thankfully, if you bring your lunch to work, you don’t need to sacrifice delicious and healthy eating just because your office doesn’t have a kitchen or simple cooking supplies. And you certainly don’t need to eat a cold lunch every day. Sure, there are many excellent non-refrigerated meals for work, but why give up all hot meals when you don’t have to?

Let’s explore some of our favorite healthy lunch ideas for work with no fridge or microwave at the office.

How to Keep Food Cool Without a Fridge? 

When you don’t have access to a fridge, you should pack your lunch in a lunch bag. There are plenty of great brands with fun patterns you can choose from. Whichever you pick, ensure it has good insulation to keep your food cold. This means you should avoid metal lunch boxes and brown paper bags because they don’t have insulation.

You can leave your lunch bag in the freezer overnight to keep it nice and chilly. It’s also helpful to put an ice pack in your lunch bag before leaving the house so all perishable items stay cold until it’s time to eat.

Our Fitlife Foods meals are designed to be portable and perfect to bring to the office. Your meal will stay fresh in a lunch bag with an icepack until lunchtime. So browse our menu and give our meals a try. From low-carb to gluten-free options, we have something for everyone! 

There Are Ways to Heat Your Food Without a Microwave 

If you want to eat a hot lunch, but your office doesn’t have a microwave, invest in a portable oven. You can find plenty of options online for under $50!  They are small and compact, so you don’t need to leave them sitting on your desk, taking up space. You can store it away when not in use and whip it out as soon as it’s lunchtime.

When you bring Fitlife Foods’ pre-made meals to the office, you can still reheat your meals in the portable oven instead of the microwave. Just transfer the meal to an oven-safe dish before doing so. 

Is Food Safe to Eat When You Have No Microwave or Fridge? 

The FDA advises not to consume food at room temperature for more than two hours. After two hours, the food begins to enter the “hazard zone.” Food between 40°F and 140°F can grow toxic bacteria.

If you feel concerned about food safety, put a little thermometer in your packed lunch to track the temperature. Of course, if anything looks or smells bad, don’t eat it. 

Our All-Time Favorite Meals to Eat With No Microwave or Fridge 

Let’s explore some of the best and easy lunch recipes so you can enjoy a delectable meal right at your desk! These are some of our favorite healthy, non-refrigerated lunch ideas for work that don’t require a microwave or fridge.

What Should I Pack for Lunch? 

In our busy modern lifestyle, most of us don’t have time to go to the grocery store to get ingredients to throw together, say, a burrito bowl or tacos. Take one of our Fitlife Foods pre-made meals instead. We have more than 60 different healthy meals you can choose from for home delivery for hassle-free, nutritious lunches.

Fitlife Foods is always in the test kitchen creating delicious options for you – so no need to worry! Some of our most popular dishes include: 

We also have a Breakfast Quesadilla for those extra-long workdays. Additionally, we have plenty of people-pleaser Italian, Greek, and Mediterranean options:  

If you do find a little time for meal prep, we suggest packing a salad, such as a Greek salad, Moroccan chickpea quinoa salad, peanut soba noodles, or pasta or tuna salad. Bento boxes are a good option, too; you can include cheese, edamame, green beans, hard-boiled eggs, marinated white beans, nuts, or salami.  

There are so many super easy lunch ideas for work with no microwave or fridge you can indulge in! 

What to Prepare Beforehand 

To prepare your lunches at home, you may want to have a few things on hand to make the process easier. We recommend buying a few or all of the following:  

  • Bento box  
  • Ice packs  
  • Lunch bag
  • Packable cooler

These simple items help ensure your packed lunch or meal delivery stays fresh until lunchtime. 

Tips & Tricks When Preparing Lunch 

It can feel overwhelming to know what to pack every day for lunch. What’s great about Fitlife Foods is you can simply choose a variety from our menu! This way, you’ll have all your meals for the week ready to go. 

Try mixing and matching foods from the following categories:

  • Dairy
  • Grain
  • Fruit
  • Protein
  • Vegetable

There are no rules when it comes to what you should and shouldn’t eat together. If you like something, include it! And don’t forget to pack snacks for those extra-long days. Victory Bar, Turkey Roll-Ups, or Tarragon Chicken Salad are excellent options. We even have nutritious sweets on our menu at Fitlife Foods! 

Order Your Delicious and Easy Work Lunches Today 

The workday is stressful enough as it is. No fridge? No microwave? No problem! Fitlife Foods has delicious and nutritious lunches – order your meals at your convenience from Fitlife Foods. Fresh, all-natural meals are available for delivery and pick-up every day of the week!