My favourite way to make a low waste lunch is by making extra portions of whatever I am having for tea, to warm up the next day. Of course, there is also the trusty sandwich to fill with whatever you have in your fridge. But if you are looking to prep ahead or just want to try something different, have a look at some of our ideas below.
Fried Rice
Fried rice is an easy one-pan meal to throw together with leftovers. Just add onions, egg and seasoning to leftover rice. You can also add in any leftover meat or vegetables for some extra flavour. Recipe here.
Jacket Potato
Jacket potatoes warm up nicely in the microwave, and they’re very easy to switch up with different toppings. You could do a classic baked beans and cheese or tuna mayo. Or you could try something different and use up some leftovers as toppings, like chicken curry or chilli con carne!
Pasta Salad
Pasta salad is an easy lunch that doesn’t need to be warmed up, and a great way to use up veg, leafy greens, and different cheeses. BBC has lots of recipes here.
Another way to reduce waste from your lunches is to think about your packaging. A 2024 study showed that UK households throw away on average 60 pieces of plastic packaging per household weekly. You could swap your plastic sandwich bags out for beeswax food wrap or a reusable silicon bag. Disposable plastic food containers can be replaced with aluminium lunchboxes, or glass if it’s going in the microwave.