This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at Northwestern chapter.

This edition of Intern Eats brings to you nine Spoon recipes that make perfect desk lunches for those with summer jobs or internships. Actually, make that 11 recipes. One of them is a 3-in-1, for all the overachievers.

These dishes don’t need to be refrigerated (though for some, an ice pack wouldn’t hurt), heated, cooked or assembled between the time you leave the house and lunch time, which is a great thing when you’re the intern who doesn’t want to get in anyone’s way come lunch break. From salads to sandwiches and parfaits to pastas, check out these super easy recipes that you can pack for work.

1. Avocado Chicken Salad

Photo by Paige Pulaski

Make up this healthy, sans-mayo salad and eat it as a sandwich, on a bed of lettuce or straight out of the container.

2. Mason Jar Recipes

Photo by Bernard Wen

Another Intern Eats round-up features recipes for parfaits, salads and sushi (yeah, seriously), all made and packed in mason jars.

3. Lettuce-less Salad

Photo by Krysten Dorfman

The perfect salad for people who hate salad, this is a super easy combination of corn, hummus, peppers, feta and chicken. You get your protein, veggies and healthy fats and carbs, without ever having to put a single green in your mouth.

4. Chopped Veggie Pasta Salad

Photo by Elizabeth Emery

This recipe includes gluten-free pasta and a special Trader Joe’s veggie mix, but you can really use whatever pasta and veggies you have at home.

5. Peanut Butter & Bacon Sandwich

Photo by Kristin Urso

Who needs jelly when you’ve got BACON?

6. Mediterranean Pita Pizza

Photo by Elyse Belarge

Of course, pizza recipes like this one require an oven and last time I checked, that’s not very desk lunch-friendly. But anyone who has ever had a Lunchable knows that pizza can still be delicious uncooked. Just follow the original recipe, omitting Step 7 and put two pita pizzas together (toppings in the middle) to bring to work. Or better yet, really channel your Lunchable-loving inner child and pack the ingredients separately to assemble at lunch time.

7. Matzo Creations

Photo courtesy of granolalola.com

There’s no reason you should wait until Passover to break out the matzo. While not all of the recipes in this post will work for desk lunches, numbers 3, 4, 5 and 8 would be great!

8. Picnic at Your Desk

Photo by Savannah Carter

I can’t tell you how many times a day I look out the window by my desk and see people enjoying the awesome summer weather. Bring some of the outdoors in by having a mini-picnic at your desk. Picnic food is perfect for desk lunches because it’s designed to be hassle-free, which means no refrigeration or cooking required. Check out this Parisian picnic post to choose a cheese that suits you, but we recommend you save the alcohol for when you get home.

9. Healthy Chicken Burrito Wrap

Photo by Bari Blanga

This is a personal favorite, and for some reason, whenever I add avocado or guacamole to something, it’s automatically fancier. This burrito is also super easy to prepare for work if you already have leftover cooked chicken or pre-cooked chicken strips (you can find them at most grocery stores in the refrigerated or freezer section).

Summer

Intern Eats: Desk Lunch Round-Up