There are those days where you don’t even get a moment’s break to scroll through TikTok, let alone a whole half hour for lunch. But even when you have more work than can fit in a standard workday, a girl’s still gotta eat. So we put together a list of six fast and easy office lunch ideas that are tasty, comforting, and a little bit of a treat-yourself moment.
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- Lean Cuisine Salisbury Steak with Macaroni & Cheese
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Lean Cuisine doesn’t exactly scream “fun,” but this one is a lunchtime winner. Pull up a chair and your favorite spreadsheet that has to be submitted “by 12 p.m. PST or else” and dig into this marvel of a microwaved meal. Sporked managing editor Gwynedd Stuart called this dish “rib-sticking, filling, and nostalgic,” and noted that it contained a “hunk of ground beef drenched in mushroom gravy and served alongside some mac and cheese.” Salty beef and creamy cheese? What’s not to love?
Related: Best Lean Cuisine Meals
- Premium Pepperoni Pizza (Crispy Crust) Hot Pocket
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If the PowerPoint your supervisor just assigned to you at 11 a.m. that was actually due at 10 a.m. means you don’t have time to do the whole “get a fork and plate and eat like a civilized human” thing, you bet your butt we’ve got the lunch for you. Yep, it’s a Hot Pocket. But not just any Hot Pocket—it’s Sporked’s favorite hot pocket, the Pepperoni Pizza one with a crispy crust. It’s handheld like a sandwich but eats like a dream. Jordan Myrick, Sporked senior writer, called this Hot Pocket one of the best things they’ve eaten in their entire life. And they eat food for a living. Think about that for a second. This thing is incredible.
Related: Best Hot Pockets
- Trader Joe’s Joe’s Diner Mac and Cheese
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Sometimes, all you need in the middle of a work marathon is cheese. I am mildly lactose intolerant and yet this still rings true for me. And what better type of cheese is there to brighten your workday than cheese with a little mac added to it? Yes, I meant to say a “little” mac because this Trader Joe’s Diner Mac and Cheese had Gwynedd noting that there is “a psychotic amount of cheese on this.” That was not a complaint. If you want a cheese overload to drown your workplace sorrows, this is the best office lunch for you.
Related: Best Frozen Mac & Cheese
- Kraft Original Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
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If you prefer a more balanced ratio of mac to cheese, this could be your new best desk lunch friend. Plus this one doesn’t need to be frozen at any point. Just add water and microwave and you’re on your way to flavortown. Er…mild flavortown. But that’s the goal! This mac has a “mild, cheesy flavor, a creamy texture, and an overall sense of nostalgia,” according to Jordan. Perfect for a quick, comforting office lunch before or after a stressful meeting with the boss’ boss’ boss.
Related: Best Microwave Mac & Cheese
- Banquet Turkey Pot Pie
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Sometimes you need a large, hearty home-cooked meal—even if you’re in the office. This isn’t that (we’re sorry), but it comes pretty darn close. Made with a broth that combines chicken and turkey for some sort of super poultry flavor, this bad boy’s seasoning, taste, and overall vibe is on point. It’s got the rich flavor of “creamy gravy, big dark meat turkey chunks, potatoes, carrots, and peas,” Danny Palumbo wrote in his review. In other words, this is a great office lunch when you have to hunker down and create a 60-slide deck in one day. Good luck to you!
Related: Best Chicken Pot Pie
- Tapatío Ramen Noodle Soup, Chicken Flavor
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We had to have an instant noodle on here. There is not a single one of us that hasn’t opted for the instant noodle option when deciding on a quick and easy-to-eat office lunch. But if you have to eat instant noodles, get the good kind. We recommend the Tapatío collab ramen. Oh my gosh, y’all this collab is such a revelation. Jordan noted that the “Tapatío flavor is distinct, but also mild enough to meld well with the other classic packaged ramen flavors.” Danny pointed out that the package the ramen comes in is “popcorn bucket” sized so not only will you be getting more sustenance out of this than other ramens, but the high wall will act as a splashguard for your keyboard.
Related: Best Instant Ramen
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!