30 Easy Keto Lunch Ideas Ready In 5 Minutes
These easy keto lunch ideas are ready in 5 minutes or less, perfect for when you’re short on time!
Yes, that’s 5 minutes total, including prep!
So if you’re running around like a crazy person before work and forgot to pack your lunch the night before, you can easily throw together these quick keto lunches!
(By the way, if you have more time for your keto lunch prep, these easy keto lunch recipes are excellent too.)
Now, these aren’t traditional keto lunch recipes because most of these ideas don’t have super detailed directions and ingredient quantities.
These are just some yummy keto-friendly lunches that you can throw together on the fly (no measuring ingredients required).
Also included are some premade lunch ideas that can be found at the grocery store or online.
Easy Keto Lunches For Work
If you’re specifically looking for some keto work lunch ideas, almost all of these lunches would be wonderful.
The cold keto lunches mentioned below are super easy to make for work and pack well. For the salads, pack the dressing separately, so the veggies don’t get soggy.
All but a few of the warm lunches are also wonderful choices for work if you have access to a microwave.
Quick Keto Lunch Ideas
Whether you’re having a hectic day and need something quick or just feeling a little lazy, these speedy 5 minute keto meals will take all the stress out of lunchtime!
Included are both no-cook keto lunch ideas and ones that require a minimal amount of cooking, so they’ll still be ready fast.
Let’s get to these simple keto lunches that you can make in a pinch!
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Keto Cold Lunch Ideas (No-Cook & Ready In 5 Minutes!)
Before we get to the lunches, I wanted to let you know about this bestselling digital keto cookbook bundle.
It has 120 amazing keto recipes that have only five net carbs and five ingredients.
1. Deconstructed Caprese Salad
This salad will be your favorite fast keto diet lunch idea, and it’s a great way to get in some fresh veggies for the day!
Caprese is one of my favorite classic salad recipes. Although it’s fairly quick to make already, cutting tomatoes and mozzarella cheese can take a little more time.
I came up with this quick deconstructed Caprese salad you can make even faster than the traditional recipe.
There’s no chopping required! Plus, it’s in a single-serve lunch portion.
30 Easy Keto Lunch Ideas Ready In 5 Minutes
Ingredients
- 5 Cherry tomatoes
- 5 Small mozzarella pearls (or mozzarella balls)
- 5 Basil leaves
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- ½ tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Instructions
- Wash the cherry tomatoes.To save time, this recipe uses whole cherry tomatoes that aren't cut into smaller pieces. If you want, you can always half them or cut them into quarters.
- Place the tomatoes and mozzarella balls in a bowl.
- Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Measurements are just a suggestion. Add more or less depending on your taste preference.
- With your hands, shred basil leaves and sprinkle them on the salad.Keep in mind, since this recipe only takes 5 minutes to make, I opted to quickly shred the basil leaves by hand. If you have more time you can chop them with a knife.
- Mix everything together.
2. Keto Ham, Cheddar & Pickle Roll-Up
Wrap ham and cheddar cheese around a pickle. You may want to eat more than one or have it with something on the side to make it more filling.
If you don’t like ham or cheddar cheese, you can of course, make substitutions.
Roll-ups make excellent keto lunch ideas on the go because they’re so portable and not messy to eat.
3. Buffalo Chicken Celery Boats
Ingredients
- Canned chicken
- Celery
- Mayo
- Frank’s red hot sauce
Quick Directions
- Mix chicken, mayonnaise and hot sauce to taste.
- Scoop mixture in celery slices and serve.
4. Mini Charcuterie Keto Lunch
Your taste buds will go crazy for this fun low-carb lunch idea.
Charcuterie boards are platters with all types of cold cut fixings, cheese, olives, nuts, and more. You’ll love this fun lunch idea!
Typically when you think of a charcuterie board, you think of something big you might put out for a party.
However, this will be a mini version you can make just for yourself.
You can also make a more extensive spread and divide it up into multiple lunches.
Here are some ideas of things you can put in your mini keto charcuterie board lunches:
- Salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, or other cold cuts of your choice (just make sure they have no added sugar)
- Pre-sliced and pre-cubed cheese
- Olives
- Keto-friendly nuts (be sure not to overdo these as the carbs can add up fast)
- Berries
- Low carb pickled veggies
- Parmesan crisps and low carb crackers
How To Serve
Now, if you’re eating this at home, you could spread everything out on a wood serving board or plate.
But, if you’re taking this to go, pack them in a food prep container (preferably one that has different compartments).
For A Little “Carby” Crunch
Charcuterie boards are often served with bread, but to get that crunch, add some prepackaged parmesan cheese chips or your favorite keto crackers.
Most importantly, get creative putting this together. These are so fun to make, and I know you’ll enjoy making your own!
Related: 150+ Healthy Keto Snack Recipes & Ideas
5. Keto Shakes & Bars
Some people love having shakes and bars for lunch because they make an easy keto lunch on the go.
To make your lunch even more filling, you may want to pair your keto shake or bar with a side of nuts, fresh berries, string cheese, etc.
Like so many people on a low-carb diet, Perfect Keto is my go-to for shakes and bars.
They also make a fantastic breakfast or a quick snack!
Try them out for yourself by shopping through my special link here to get 20% off your entire Perfect Keto* order!!
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6. Quick Low Carb Fajita Steak Salad Recipe
Fajita salad will become one of your favorite keto lunch recipes to make because it’s packed with flavor, and you can make it with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- Packaged fajita seasoned steak or chicken (already cooked)
- Precut red bell peppers (or prep ahead of time)
- Guacamole pack
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Lettuce
Quick Directions
- Combine all your ingredients. If you don’t want to buy precooked packaged fajita steak, you can always prep your own ahead of time.
- I used red peppers, but you can use any color of bell peppers.
- The guacamole, I usually get the Wholly Guacamole mini packs. Other brands make small individual-sized guacamole packs as well. They’re the perfect size for a salad.
7. Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Cucumber Bites
If you’re sick of the same old keto lunch ideas for work, these cucumber bites will give you something to look forward to at lunchtime.
Ingredients
- Smoked Salmon
- Cream Cheese
- Cucumber Slices
Quick Directions
- Spread cream cheese on cucumber slices.
- Top off with some tasty smoked salmon.
8. Turkey & Pesto Lettuce Wraps
These lettuce cups are perfect for a tasty midday meal to pack for work or school.
The next best thing to using deli meat is prepping some chicken breast or thighs ahead of time.
Ingredients
- Turkey deli meat
- Fresh mozzarella cheese (pre-sliced)
- Pesto
- Romaine or iceberg lettuce
Quick Directions
- Spread pesto on a piece of lettuce.
- Place turkey and fresh mozzarella (or cheese of your choice) towards the middle of the lettuce leaf.
- Fold and eat like a taco.
9. Keto Tuna Salad Stuffed Avocado
These stuffed avocados are packed with healthy fats and are one of the best no cook keto meals.
Ingredients
- Canned tuna
- Avocado
- 1-2 stocks of celery
- Mayo
Quick Directions
- Cut your avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop out all the avocado into a bowl.
- Mash the avocado and mix with a can of drained tuna, mayo, and celery.
- Stuff the avocado skin with the mixture you just made.
- If you have more time to prep, you can add chopped red onions, tomatoes, and herbs.
10. Keto Chicken, Feta, Pumpkin Seed & Spinach Salad
This five ingredient chicken salad couldn’t be easier to make. To make this salad vegetarian, just omit the chicken.
Ingredients
- Precooked chicken (already packaged, or you can make your own ahead of time)
- Feta cheese
- Pumpkin seeds (1-2 tablespoons)
- Spinach
- Salad dressing (make sure it’s sugar-free)
Quick Directions
Toss all of your ingredients together.
You may notice I gave a measurement for the pumpkin seeds. Because pumpkin seeds contain carbs, it’s easy to overdo them.
Put more if you like, but two tablespoons of pumpkin seeds only have two grams of net carbs, and this amount should be more than enough for your salad,
Related: Mouthwatering Crack Chicken Slow Cooker Keto Recipe
11. Keto-Friendly Italian Sub Salad
So this is a quick and condensed Italian sub salad. Some recipes have even more ingredients, but this one is simple to save time.
You can omit ingredients if you want or add others, not on the list, such as other cold cuts, chopped onions, etc.
Ingredients
- Salami
- Pepperoni
- Pepperchinis (banana peppers pre-sliced rings in a jar)
- Romaine or lettuce leaves of your choice
- Cherry tomatoes (or cut regular tomatoes if you have time)
- Italian vinaigrette dressing or Italian dressing
- Cheese (See below about cheese choices)
- Italian seasoning (optional)
Quick Directions
- Combine all ingredients and use quantities of your liking.
- Add dressing and mix completely.
Just tear them into pieces with your hands for the pepperoni, salami, or any other cold cuts you want to add.
This little meal prep hack may not be pretty, but it saves me in a pinch when I don’t have time to cut up anything.
Cheese Options
You have some different options for the cheese that would be great in this salad. Pick your favorite.
- ShreddedpProvolone
- Shredded Italian cheese
- Mozerella pearls (mozzarella balls)
- Shredded mozerella
To save time, buy pre-shredded cheese, but if you have the time to prep your cheese ahead of time, that works too.
12. Turkey, Avocado, Sprouts & Cream Cheese Sandwiches (Low Carb Style)
Before starting a ketogenic diet, this was one of my favorite sandwich combos.
When I first made this sandwich low carb style (wrapped in lettuce), I was pleasantly surprised that it was still really yummy.
Ingredients
- Turkey deli meat
- Avocado
- Sprouts
- Cream cheese
- Romaine lettuce
Quick Directions
- Take a piece of washed romaine lettuce and place a couple of turkey pieces on top.
- Spread your cream cheese onto the turkey. ( I found this easier than spreading the cream cheese onto the lettuce.)
- Add slices of avocado and top with sprouts.
- Place another piece of romaine on top, making a sandwich. Cut in half and enjoy!
13. Tuna & Celery
Combine a can of drained tuna and mayo in a bowl. Serve on celery slices, or you can just chop up the celery and eat everything out of the bowl.
14. Keto Taco Sald
Easy keto lunch recipes, like taco salad, are something you can eat many times without getting bored.
While you need to prep the taco meat ahead of time, an entire batch can last you all week.
Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Taco seasoning packet
- Premade guacamole pack
- Sour cream
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese
- Salsa
- Lettuce
- Jalapeños (optional)
Quick Directions
- Cook your ground beef (you can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork) and follow the cooking directions on the taco seasoning packet.
- Combine all ingredients.
- My favorite guac is the Wholly Guacamole mini packs. Other brands make small individual-sized guacamole packs as well.
Healthy meal prep tip: Keep all your ingredients separate until you assemble your salad each day.
Throwing together all you’re ingredients should only take about 5 minutes.
Warm Keto Lunch Ideas
15. Easy Keto Meatballs
Ingredients
- Frozen meatballs
- No sugar added tomato sauce or tomato paste
- Pre shredded parmesan cheese
Quick Directions
- Follow directions on the package for microwaving meatballs.
- When you have about 40 seconds left, open the microwave and add a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce and parmesan cheese to the meatballs.
- Microwave until cheese is all yummy and melty.
Quick Note: Be sure to check the net carbs on the frozen meatballs. It can vary a bit, and some are higher in carbs than others.
If you’re having difficulty finding low carb lunches that aren’t salads, try these meatballs, yum.
16. Savory Pork Rind Microwave Nachos
On a low-carb diet, pork rinds are a great alternative to tortilla chips and go great with nacho cheese.
Ingredients
- Pork Rinds
- Nacho cheese or shredded cheese
Toppings (Pick some of your favorites.)
- Sour cream
- Premade guacamole
- Jalapeños
- Precooked chicken or meat of your choice
- Olives
- Salsa
Quick Directions
- Spread a couple of handfuls of pork rinds onto a plate
- Add your desired amount of nacho cheese or shredded cheese
- Microwave for about a minute. Check if the shredded cheese is melted, and make sure the nacho cheese is warm enough.
- Microwave another 15-30 seconds if needed.
- Take the plate out and top with your favorite nacho toppings.
Make sure you don’t microwave them too long (especially with the nacho cheese) because the pork rinds will become soggy.
17. Super Fast Keto Cheeseburger
Precooked frozen microwavable patties are great to have on hand for fast keto meals.
Ingredients
- Precooked frozen microwavable burger patties
- Cheese of your choice
- Romaine lettuce
- Ketchup (no sugar added)
- Mustard
- Mayo
Quick Directions
- Follow microwave directions on the package and add cheese towards the last 30-60 seconds.
- Wrap in lettuce and add your favorite condiments.
By the way, I’ve never actually tried frozen precooked burgers made with ground beef, so I can’t speak to their quality or taste.
Let me know in the comments below how you liked them or your favorite brands you’ve tried.
You can also just cook some burgers ahead of time and freeze them; then you can just pop them in the microwave.
18. Low Carb Hot Dogs In a Lettuce “Bun”
Microwave a couple of hot dogs and serve them in a piece of romaine lettuce instead of a carb-filled bun.
Top hot dogs with your favorite keto-friendly hot dog toppings.
Keto-Friendly Hot Dog Toppings
- No sugar added ketchup
- Mayonaise
- Mustard (avoid honey mustard)
- Sauerkraut
- Relish (avoid sweet relish)
Hot dogs are one of the most simple low carb lunch ideas ever, and the best part is it’s pretty cheap too!
19. Keto Mexican Lunch Scramble
This flavorful scramble uses simple ingredients that take only 5 minutes to cook.
You can of course add even more tasty ingredients like bacon, mushrooms, cauliflower rice, bell peppers, etc.
But, those types of ingredients are not included on purpose because they take longer to cook. If you have a little more time, by all means, load the scramble up!
Main Ingredients
- 2-3 eggs
- 2-3 tbsp of water
- Pre-shredded pepper jack cheese
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Prepackaged guacamole
- Jalapeños (optional)
- Bacon (optional)
Quick Directions
- Whisk together your eggs with a couple of splashes of water. Typically I add 1 tbsp of water per egg to my scramble. The water makes the eggs nice and fluffy. If you like more dense eggs, don’t add the water.
- Add shredded cheese to your egg mixture.
- Cook your scrambled eggs until thoroughly done on medium heat, which typically shouldn’t take longer than five minutes.
- Transfer your scrambled cheese eggs to a plate.
- Add your desired toppings like guacamole, salsa, sour cream, jalapenos, etc.
You can also use egg whites. I prefer using the entire egg because the yoke is flavorful and higher in fat.
Bacon
Bacon is listed as optional because you would need to prep some ahead of time for this recipe to take five minutes.
Another option is cooking bacon in an instant pot, which typically takes 5 minutes or less.
20. Easy Low-Carb Quesadilla
Now quick disclaimer, this quesadilla lunch idea uses store-bought low-carb tortillas.
Some people on a keto eat store-bought low-carb tortillas, while others avoid them because they contain traditional flour.
For those of you doing more lazy or dirty keto, you probably don’t mind that the tortillas contain flour, as long as it fits into your net carbs for the day.
Typically I just use one Mission Carb Balance tortilla with six net carbs, and I have no problem staying within my net carbs for the day.
There are other brands out there, too, some even lower in net carbs.
If you fall into a camp that avoids store-bought low-carb tortillas, you can always make your own ahead of time to have them on hand for lunch.
Here is a wonderful 15 minute recipe for homemade keto tortillas.
Because of everything I mentioned above, I contemplated even listing this quick keto lunch idea.
But in the end, I opted to because many people living a keto lifestyle do eat low-carb store-bought tortillas.
So, these aren’t technically keto in the true sense of the word because of the flour, but if you can work them it into your net carbs and make it work, more power to you.
It all comes down to doing what works best for you and your personal preferences.
If you are totally against them, that’s fine too. I try to limit the tortillas because they are processed, but I do enjoy them when I need something fast.
Ingredients
- Pre-shredded Cheese
- Low-Carb tortilla
- Precut & cooked chicken or meat of choice (optional)
Toppings (Pick your favorites)
- Premade guacamole
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Jalapeños
Quick Directions
- Toss some cheese into a low-carb tortilla. You can add store-bought precooked chicken or other meat if you want.
- Microwave until cheese is melted.
- Top with your favorite toppings.
If you have more than five minutes but still want a fast lunch…
Cook the quesadilla in a bit of butter on the stove.
I also like to sprinkle a little cheese on the outside of the tortilla because it gets all crispy. Because who doesn’t like crispy cheese??
21. Keto Casserole Leftovers For Fast Keto Lunches
While casseroles take more than five minutes to make, you can cook one for dinner and have leftovers for lunch the next day.
So if you need some good keto meal prep lunch ideas, casseroles are the way to go.
Another great thing you can do is make a casserole just for lunch prep.
Then, just serve a piece and reheat for a quick and convenient keto lunch to give you your comfort food fix.
Here are seventy keto casserole recipes you can make for dinner then have leftovers the next day!
My favorite casserole from this list are the big mac, crispy bacon cauliflower, and tuna with zucchini noodles
My favorite casseroles on this list are the Philly cheesesteak, deconstructed pizza, and keto chicken broccoli casserole.
22. Sausage & Eggs
Ingredients
- Precooked sausage
- Eggs
- Spinach (optional)
- Seasoning (Black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Everything Bagel Seasoning, etc.)
Directions
- Heat the precooked sausage in the microwave or on the skillet.
- In the same skillet, fry some eggs.
- You can add some spinach to the skillet as well. Spinach cooks very fast and is a great way to get some healthy greens in your diet.
- Season the eggs to taste.
Premade & Quick Keto Lunches
For those busy days when you just need something simple, these premade keto lunches are super convenient.
You can find these lunches already cooked or packaged at your local grocery store.
23. Premade Buffalo Wings & Ranch or Blue Cheese
Most deli sections at the grocery store will have premade buffalo wings. So if you buy a big enough pack, you could get a couple of lunches out of it.
Serve them with ranch or blue cheese dressing and a side of celery. Yum!
Related: 45 Keto Breakfasts The Whole Family Will Love
24. Easy Keto Egg Salad
Pick up some premade egg salad in the grocery store’s deli section for an easy low carb lunch idea on the go.
25. Meat & Cheese Snack Packs
Single-serve packs of meat, cheese, and sometimes nuts are usually located in the lunch meat section.
It’s like having a Lunchable but without all the carbs. Talk about delicious keto lunches, yum!
26. Hard-Boiled Eggs
Many grocery stores carry already peeled and cooked hard-boiled eggs.
Below are some ideas of things to eat with eggs to make a complete meal.
- Keto-Friendly nuts
- Jerky or beef sticks
- Cheese slices
- Berries
- Keto-Friendly crackers
You can also boil a big batch of eggs ahead of time to have on hand.
27. Premade Cesear Salad Bowl (Omit Croutons)
Just skip the croutons, and caesar salad is typically keto-friendly.
The creamy dressing is usually low-carb, but to be safe, make sure you read labels.
28. Keto Lettuce Wraps
A lot of deli counters will make lettuce wraps on request.
Order meat, cheese, keto-friendly condiments, and low-carb sandwich toppings wrapped in lettuce instead of bread.
29. Rotisserie Chicken
Most grocery stores carry rotisserie chicken in the deli section. If you shop at Costco, they’re only $5, which is incredibly cheap.
As a bonus, a rotisserie chicken can double as dinner too.
30. Hearty Soups
Another amazing low-carb option for lunch is canned soup. Just read labels and check the number of net carbs to ensure it’s a good choice.
Stay away from soups containing rice or noodles.
This helpful post covers soups to avoid and the best canned keto soup to eat on a keto diet.
Below are some soup flavors that are typically low-carb and make good keto lunches.
- Bone broth soups
- Beef and cabbage
- Vegetable and roasted chicken soup
In Closing
I hope you enjoyed these quick keto lunch recipes! Comment below and let me know how you liked them.
More Easy Keto Lunch Recipes For Beginners:
Don’t miss these 20+ keto diet lunch recipes.
Even More Easy Keto Recipes & Ideas For Weight Loss:
Keto Diet Stories
Thanks for this amazing post. I am trying to lose weight for a long time. Regarding keto i was worried about the amount of fats one need to take. Hope keto works for me. again, its a amazing post.
Hi Kathir. You’re very welcome. Best of luck to you.
Bravo! Thanks for the ideas, its hard for me to find keto recipes that dont result in leaky anus and flying stool. TY!!!
You’re very welcome Robbie. Glad you found some keto recipes that you want to make.
It’s sometimes hard to come up with lunch ideas when you follow a Keto lifestyle when we as humans tend to overthink everything. Then we can feel defeated, and fall off track, because we didn’t spend the ‘time’ to make a full meal/lunch the night before. Sometimes we just need a reminder that it’s so much easier (and often more enjoyable) to just keep things simple. Thanks for this list that does just that!!
Good points Chantal, keeping it simple and prepping the night before is key. Glad you enjoyed the list.
You had me interested until I saw ‘canned chicken’. Nope
Hi Simon. You can always opt for making your own chicken, it just won’t be a five minute lunch. Also you could use shredded rotisserie chicken if you are trying to avoid canned.