We all get stuck in a rut from time to time, especially when it comes to workday lunches. If you’re like me, you probably end up in some rotation of running out to the closest lunch place, throwing together a quick sandwich, and eating leftovers from the night before. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
When I find myself stuck in this cycle and needing a little lunchtime inspiration, I turn to Instagram—specifically, to these 25 Instagrammers. Some are professional chefs, some are food bloggers, and some are just regular people like you and me, but they all make lunchtime a whole lot more fun.
Follow away to get inspired for weeks to come, plus get quick recipe ideas you can make now.
1. Aida Mollenkamp
Make This Now: Quinoa Salad Bowl. Mix together quinoa, cucumbers, walnuts, tomatoes, avocado, then toss with a lemon vinaigrette when you’re ready to eat.
2. Weelicious
Make This Now: How awesome are the packed lunches she makes for her kids? They’d be just as amazing for grownups, too, with lots of variety to get you through the workday.
3. Rosie Londoner
Make This Now: Pesto grilled cheese that you can warm up in the toaster oven in your office kitchen.
4. Food52
Make This Now: Lemony yellow tomato soup. Simply reheat on a cold winter workday, and you can skip the long line at the soup spot around the corner.
5. Jamie Oliver
Make This Now: Orecchiette with raw tomato sauce—perfect eaten room temperature or heated up in the microwave.
6. How Sweet Eats
Make This Now: Honey chipotle chicken bowls. Prep everything the night before, then toss together once the clock hits 12.
7. What’s Gaby Cookin
Make This Now: Boost your energy with this Superfood Salad—it will be sure to get you through the afternoon.
8. Sara Kate Gillingham
Make This Now: Use leftover roasted vegetables to make a delicious salad—simply toss with goat’s cheese and a simple vinaigrette.
9. City Grit
Make This Now: Brussels sprouts, baba ganoush and feta salad—roast the Brussels sprouts the night before, buy a tub of baba ganoush, and toss together with some fresh feta cheese.
10. Sarah Copeland
Make This Now: Combine fresh juicy tomatoes with rosemary croutons for a quick panzanella salad.
11. Cookie + Kate
Make This Now: There's loads of amazing veggie inspiration here, like this cranberry orange crostini with goat cheese.
12. Andrew Scrivani
Make This Now: Whip up a tomato tart on the weekend, and bring a wedge to work with you during the week.
13. The Kitchenista Diaries
Make This Now: Pack a punch with this veggie-filled couscous salad—toss together Israeli couscous with cucumber, red peppers, olives, feta, cilantro, and mint, and you’ll be good to go.
14. Spoon Fork Bacon
Make This Now: Make this smoked salmon pizza into a wrap instead—buy some smoked salmon and wrap it up with capers, red onion, arugula, and crème fraiche.
15. Sarka Babicka
Make This Now: Take on the afternoon with a colorful arugula salad, tossed together with freekeh, goat cheese, and pumpkin seeds.
16. Test Kitchen
Make This Now: Whip up a spinach ricotta pasta for dinner, and bring the delicious leftovers for lunch the next day.
17. Tara O’Brady
Make This Now: Update the sandwich by making a naanwich with hummus, quinoa, pork, carrot, and cucumber.
18. Adam Rapoport
Make This Now: Turn leftover roasted chicken into lunch for the next day—mix with mayo, Dijon, horseradish, celery, salt, and pepper, and you’ll be the envy of everyone around you.
19. Andrew Knowlton
Make This Now: Veggie-packed stir fry for two—make once for dinner and bring the leftovers to microwave the next day at work.
20. Eat Live Run
Make This Now: Winter minestrone soup—the perfect way to use up any leftover vegetables in your fridge.
21. Kevin & Amanda
Make This Now: When nothing else but comfort food will do, try tossing together penne pasta with chicken, pancetta, roasted peppers, pesto, alfredo sauce, and caramelized onions.
22. Sonya Yu
Make This Now: An oldie but goodie—grilled cheese and soup. You can’t ever go wrong with this combination.
23. A Cozy Kitchen
Make This Now: A classier egg sandwich, with tomato jam and sliced eggs.
24. Naturally Ella
Make This Now: Peanut sauce noodles—perfect served at room temperature come lunchtime.
25. Farmette
Make This Now: Upgrade classic roast chicken with some lemon and olives, then toss in a yogurt-tahini dressing.