The Bon Appétit Guide to Actually Enjoying Your Lunch at Work
Our secret to making easy lunches for the work week starts with a few simple strategies: the right “equipment,” a well-stocked desk pantry, recipes we can’t wait to eat—oh, and some snacks we wouldn’t get through the day without. We’ll admit that not everything we bring is a composed dish (have you heard of desk dip!?) or made that morning (two-day-old leftovers can still be delicious, especially with a little drizzle of chile crisp on top). But whatever we bring, we know it will never be as depressing as ordering delivery for the third day in a row, or as disappointing as the realization that we’ve just paid $20 for a bowl of soggy curly kale and a slice of avocado. (Extras: it’s how they getcha.) Here's how we make lunch something to look forward to every day—even if we’re still going to eat it while answering emails.
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Photo by Alex Lau1/20The BA Staff Registry for Dining al Desko
We’ll do anything to make deskside dining feel more luxurious—from stashing ceramic bowls in filing cabinets to storing tins of flaky salt next to the stapler. Our reasoning is simple: The right tools can make even questionable leftovers feel thoughtful. From reusable sandwich wraps to the ideal mug to the one utensil to rule them all, these tried-and-true products keep BA staffers prepared—and happily fed—in every kind of lunch situation.
- Illustration by Łukasz Golędzinowski2/20
How I Make My Lunch Every Day Without Losing My Sanity
Long before associate editor Christina Chaey started working at Bon Appétit, she got into the routine of packing her lunch every day. Nearly a decade later, the habit has stuck. Here she shares a few of the strategies she’s incorporated into her life to make bringing lunch to work a little more enjoyable, varied, healthy, and, above all, not a big deal.
- 3/20
“If I'm putting the time and energy into cooking a nice dinner—whether it's just for myself or for a group—you better believe I'm cooking enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day. If I'm following a recipe, I just add some extra protein, grains, or veg. Or I’ll double a sauce or dressing to use on whatever I throw together in the coming days. And if I'm really on it, I'll bring a lemon to work, which livens up just about anything so it doesn't taste like an afterthought.” —Emma Wartzman, assistant editorial producer
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova4/20
Desk Recipe 1: Steak Salad With Harissa Potatoes and Crunchy Radishes
The key to unwilted greens in your lunch salad lies in the proper layering technique—but also knowing when to dress. Start with the heaviest and wettest ingredients at the bottom of your container, which in this case, means those harissa-marinated potatoes, then add the steak, and then top with crunchy radish and crispy arugula last. Only toss it all together right before you’re ready to eat. Oh, and those harissa vinaigrette potatoes? Yeah, those does double duty as the dressing, so you don’t have to bring a second container.
Get the recipe: Steak Salad With Harissa Potatoes and Crunchy Radishes
- 5/20
“I have big meal prep ambitions that sometimes end up taking five hours on a Sunday afternoon—which I'm fine with, most of the time. But other times, I remember that home-cooking isn't about being the best, it’s about doing the best I can. If I’m making this slam dunk cauliflower rice pilaf, you can bet I'm buying the riced cauliflower from Trader Joe's instead of breaking down a cauliflower, processing it in four batches, and making a huge mess in my kitchen. If I’m roasting squash for grain bowls, I won’t judge myself for buying the pre-cut squash to save myself from big knife anxiety. I've been known to buy frozen cooked brown rice before, and I won't apologize for that either!” —Alex Beggs, senior staff writer
- Illustration by Łukasz Golędzinowski6/20
Why Desk Lunch Is a Dish Best Served Cold
After Soupgate 2019, when associate editor Hilary Cadigan dropped a whole bowl of hot soup on her lap just as Anna Wintour was passing by her desk, she promised she’d never bend to the indignity of the office microwave again. Instead, she would forge a new path. A fridge-temp path, but one that decidedly didn’t suck.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova7/20
Desk Recipe No. 2: Roadie Hoagie
At what age did it stop being okay to bring sandwiches for lunch? The right answer: Never! Which is why this recipe was created for adults who commute to work with their lunches not in a cute tin box, but at the bottom of their overstuffed totes. That’s right, this roadie hoagie with beans, greens, and a briny olive vinaigrette checks all the right boxes: It’s protein rich but meat free, made to be kept at room temp, and designed to improve the more it squishes under the weight of your things.
Get the recipe: Roadie Hoagie
- 8/20
“I'm not one of those lunch-salad people who lines up daily to pay $18 for lettuce from a trough. I AM the kind of person who brings her own salad for lunch. That's because I've learned that just about any protein-based dinner—from stir-fried chicken to harissa-roasted salmon to marinated lentils—can become a salad if you do it right the night before: Hold back a handful of cooked chicken pieces or a few strips of steak (or roasted veg or tofu or tempeh) to use for tomorrow. Then in the morning, throw on your other favorite toppings (avocado, feta, and hard-boiled eggs are my go-tos), give it a drizzle of oil and vinegar, and your not-sad lunch salad is ready.” —Amanda Shapiro, Healthyish editor
- Illustration by Nicko Phillips9/20
Is It Ever Okay...to Eat Week-Old Crab Curry at Work?
And more solicited (but questionable) advice for your next office lunch.
- Photo by Alex Lau10/20
All the Snacks BA Editors Stash at Their Desks
Just because you brought your (damn good, homemade) lunch doesn’t mean you won’t still want a snack to get you through your work day. And while we’re all about that 11 a.m. banana or 3 p.m. hardboiled egg, sometimes, those just won’t do. For the moments when all you want is something salty, sweet, or sometimes both, what you’re really craving is some indulgence.
Here, a short list of the tasty treats our editors keep at their desks.
- 11/20
“If my Magic 8 Ball reading for the week is showing up hazy, I'll make a sauce and see where it leads me. Chris Morocco's jalapeño miso-tahini dressing can go on everything from crispy chickpeas to salad to leftover cold salmon. For something sweeter, Andy Baraghani's tahini-honey dressing is easy enough to make in the morning before work and is incredible on roast squash, broccoli, or cauliflower. I've written about my obsession with this walnut-anchovy dressing for hearty greens before, but it also makes a great veg dip. Oh, and I'm never mad about having fresh buttermilk ranch in the fridge.” —Alex Beggs, senior staff writer
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova12/20
Desk Recipe No. 3: Curried Peanut Dip
You’ve never met a better sad-lunch savior than this desk dip, a simple throw-together last resort to save you from that overpriced salad bar. This is the kind of thing you can use to clean out your fridge with—leftover rotisserie chicken, an extra roasted potato, those cukes you couldn’t find a use for all taste delicious when dunked in this addictively silky, spicy-sweet sauce.
Get the recipe: Curried Peanut Dip
- 13/20
“No matter what my day looks like, I inevitably get hit with a post-lunch slump around 3 or 4 p.m. That’s when I go for an espresso and a pastry. That concentrated dose of caffeine plus a satisfying measure of sugar and fat is key to getting me through the day energy wise. But they’re also essential for helping me stave off pre-dinner hunger—and all of the bad decisions I make when I’m about to bonk, but still hours away from that last meal of the day.” —Chris Morocco, deputy food editor
- Illustration by Łukasz Golędzinowski14/20
I Eat Lunch At My Desk and I Like It
When social media manager Emily Schultz’s grandma calls to check in, it’s usually a Tuesday around 12:45 p.m.—the time people in T.V. shows gather in a ‘staff lounge’ to eat their Tupperware-packed lunches. “Don’t you have a lunch break?!” She’ll ask, concerned. The answer is yes. But Emily spends it at her desk, not because she’s a crazed New York Media person. But because she actually enjoy eating her lunch in front of her computer.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova15/20
Desk Recipe No. 4: Marinated Lentils with Lemony Broccolini and Feta
This healthy, hearty dish is one example of how fantastic a modular approach to lunch (and cooking in general) can be. Though each component is individually pretty basic (simmered lentils, roasted broccolini, planks of feta), together—and with the help of a special spiced oil—the overall result is far more than the sum of its parts. It’s a good argument for keeping sturdy veg, resilient legumes, fresh cheese, and a jar of whatever mix of oil and spices you like at the ready, so you can assemble them in a container before bed, and let the fridge do the hard work overnight.
Get the recipe: Marinated Lentils with Lemony Broccolini and Feta
- 16/20
“Despite my best intentions, I’m not a regular meal prepper or Sunday grocery shopper. But with a can of chickpeas stashed in the back of my pantry, I’m usually just a couple ingredients away from a satisfying last-minute lunch. Maybe I’ll crisp chickpeas in a pan with garlic and za’atar to bulk up any dinner leftovers. Or throw them in the food processor for a quick hummus bowl. Or smash ‘em with Greek yogurt and pickled pepperoncini for a quick chickpea salad sandwich.” —Aliza Abarbanel, Healthyish assistant editor
- Photo by Alex Lau17/20
Stock Your Desk...Pantry
Stashing just a few things in a drawer can help improve any lunch you've brought to work—whether it's homemade leftovers or whatever they're serving in the cafeteria. You'll find our desks covered in all kinds of condiments and spices (black pepper, togarashi, mustard and vinegar and Cholula, honey and tahini and chile crisp...), but even a tightly edited list will do the trick. Here, a few essentials we suggest to always have around.
Finishing Salt
Yes, you know we're passionate about salt, and a little sprinkle of the high-quality flaky stuff goes a long way. Plus, Jacobsen and Maldon both make small pinch tins that are easy to store (and refill as needed).Chile Flake
Sure we love crushed red pepper flakes for their heat, but they also add richness and dimension that, when used correctly, can help bring out all the other flavors in a dish. While there are lots of varieties to choose from—Aleppo for a bright, mellow hum; Urfa Biber for something dark and smoky; Korean gochugaru for a fruity-sweet kick; or the common jar of the mixed stuff proudly featuring cayenne—you only need one to keep at the office. Just make sure you replace it when the color and aroma starts to fade.Crispy Shallots
We'll find any excuse to eat these by the handful, which isn’t hard to do, considering they’re great showered atop of soups, salads, sandwiches, noodles...really anything you might be eating. You can make them at home and use em up in a week; or you can buy a jar and store them for as long as it takes you to get through the container.Olive Oil
You've heard us say this before, but we'll say it again: Buy good olive oil; use it generously. And that goes for whatever lunch you've brought to your desk. Keep a bottle on hand to dress your greens, drizzle over soups, and toss with grain bowls. It makes a world of difference in livening up whatever's in front of you.Chile Crisp
We're very much card-carrying members of the chile crisp club, and it's not unusual to find a jar on someone's desk or in the shared fridge. Toasty, warm, floral, and deep, this oil turns anything (and we mean anything) from good enough to absolutely incredible.Nuts
Nuts are for much more than just your 4 p.m. snack. Toss a handful into noodles, salads, grain bowls, and watch how a little extra crunch (and, well, nutty flavor) ups the ante on your meal. Whether your choice is raw or roasted, peanut, almond, or pistachio is up to you, and whatever you're eating. Just remember that the salted ones have a shorter shelf life.Knekkebrod
The beauty of a cracker is that it's a blank canvas for anything. The beauty of knekkerbrod is that it's a canvas so delicious, you don't even need to complete the metaphor. The mix of rye flour plus pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, and flax seeds means each crisp, baked square is packed with tons of flavor, but also lots of fiber and healthy fats. Still, we wouldn't be made if you wanted to pair it with some labneh, cheese, nut butter, paté, hummus, tzatziki, tomato soup, peanut sauce, nam prik... - 18/20
“I'll big batch a couple of things like grains and 8-minute eggs on Sunday so all I have to do is chop up some veggies in the morning before work to complete a grain bowl. I like using wheat berries and crunchy vegetables (like radishes, carrots, and fennel) that can withstand the test of time and not get gross by day three. At work, I’ll top it all with the olive oil and flaky salt I keep at my desk. The salt is in a cute dish and the oil comes in a pretty bottle, so they double as ‘office art,’ too.” —Emily Schultz, social media manager
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova19/20
Desk Recipe No. 5: Farro and Escarole Soup
This brothy grain soup is a comforting, fortifying lunch, but it’s still lightweight enough that you won’t want to crawl under your desk for a nap after eating it. Even better: the flavors get richer and more concentrated the longer it sits, which means it’s great to make for the week ahead. Don’t worry: the grains will maintain their integrity when you reheat it—though we will admit, we also liked it cold!
Get the recipe: Farro and Escarole Soup
- 20/20
“Imagine having 30 minutes to an hour every day to decompress, clear your head, and remove yourself from the stresses of your desk. You do. It’s called your lunch break. We won’t fault you for scarfing down a sandwich while answering emails. But double-tasking your lunch hour means you get to use that precious time to do something other than work. Go buy an afternoon espresso. Find a bench outside. Meet up with a friend to debate last night’s episode. Go to a wine shop and pick out a bottle (to drink later!). It really doesn’t matter what you do on your lunch break. The only thing that matters is that you do something.” —Alex Delany, associate editor