Random Lunch Generator: 150 Lunches to Make, Pack or Order

One press draws a lunch from a list of 150, with what goes in it and roughly how long it takes.

Random Lunch Generator: 150 Lunches to Make, Pack or Order

  1. Chip buttyBritish chip-shop sandwich: hot chips in buttered white bread. About 25 minutes with oven chips.25 minutes
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Random Lunch Generator: 150 Lunches to Make, Pack or Order: how it works

One lunch at a time is the point of this random lunch generator: a single draw from 150 sandwiches and wraps, salads, rolls and cold plates, soups, bowls and plates. Each card says what goes in it, with a badge for roughly how long it takes. Four rows of filters work together.

For the days you ask: what should I have for lunch

If it has to come out of your own kitchen, tap Make at home: 115 of the 150 can be made there. If the real question is what should I order for lunch, tap Order in. Those 91 are things a café or a delivery app will have, from pho to a Cornish pasty. Add Sandwiches and wraps and Vegetarian and the pool drops to 7.

Why lunch gets a list of its own

Lunch here means sandwiches, salads, soups, bowls and leftovers; roasts and braises belong on the dinner page. Ten cards start from leftovers, among them bubble and squeak and cold pizza crisped in a dry pan. Some dishes are lunch by custom: bun cha is a midday meal in Hanoi.

Tips

  • Stuck on what should I make for lunch today? Tap Make at home and Up to 15 minutes, draw 5, and make the first one you have the ingredients for.
  • Packable holds 49 lunches that eat well cold from a box, such as pan bagnat, tabbouleh or sesame noodles.
  • Deciding for two? Draw 5 and let each person strike out two. What is left is lunch.

Questions and answers

How long can a packed lunch stay out of the fridge?

The US Food and Drug Administration says perishable food should be refrigerated within two hours, or within one hour when it is above 90°F (32°C) outside. A packed lunch with meat, fish, egg or dairy wants an ice pack. Our Packable tag is about how the food eats cold, not how long it keeps.

Who decided the times and tags?

We did. Times are estimates for one portion, and some assume a shortcut the card names, such as cooked rice or a bought quiche. 90 of the 115 make-at-home lunches fit Up to 15 minutes. The 35 order-only lunches carry no time: a vertical rotisserie is a lot to ask of a lunch break.

What does Vegetarian mean on this page?

No meat, poultry or fish in the usual recipe, with eggs and dairy allowed: 56 lunches. The tag is off dishes that lean on Parmesan, which is made with animal rennet, off the bean and cheese burrito, because refried beans are often made with lard, and off Caesar salad and miso soup, where fish can hide. Other cheeses, such as feta and halloumi, were not screened.

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All 150 lunches

Sandwiches and wraps 56

  • Banh mi Vietnamese baguette with pork or pâté, pickled carrot and daikon, coriander and chilli. One to order.
  • Bean and cheese burrito Refried beans, cheese and salsa rolled in a warm flour tortilla. About 10 minutes.
  • BLT Bacon, lettuce and tomato on toast with mayonnaise. About 10 minutes.
  • Bocadillo de tortilla Spanish baguette sandwich filled with potato omelette. About 5 minutes with leftover tortilla.
  • Caprese sandwich Mozzarella, tomato, basil and olive oil on ciabatta. About 8 minutes.
  • Cheese and pickle sandwich Mature Cheddar and tangy brown pickle on buttered bread. About 5 minutes.
  • Chicken burrito Chicken, rice, beans and salsa wrapped in a large flour tortilla. One to order.
  • Chicken Caesar wrap Cooked chicken, romaine, Parmesan and Caesar dressing in a flour tortilla. About 10 minutes.
  • Chicken lettuce wraps Minced chicken stir-fried with soy and ginger, spooned into crisp lettuce leaves. About 15 minutes.
  • Chicken salad sandwich Cooked chicken, mayonnaise and celery on soft bread. About 10 minutes.
  • Chicken shawarma wrap Spit-roasted spiced chicken in flatbread with garlic sauce and pickles. One to order.
  • Chip butty British chip-shop sandwich: hot chips in buttered white bread. About 25 minutes with oven chips.
  • Club sandwich Three slices of toast with chicken or turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. About 15 minutes.
  • Coronation chicken sandwich Cold chicken in a mild curried mayonnaise, a recipe created for the 1953 coronation. About 10 minutes.
  • Croque monsieur French hot ham and cheese sandwich, traditionally made with Gruyère. About 15 minutes.
  • Cuban sandwich Ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, pressed hot in Cuban bread. About 15 minutes.
  • Cucumber and cream cheese sandwich Thin cucumber slices and cream cheese on soft white bread. About 5 minutes.
  • Döner kebab Turkish meat shaved from a vertical rotisserie into bread with salad and sauce. One to order.
  • Egg salad sandwich Chopped hard-boiled eggs with mayonnaise and mustard on soft bread. About 15 minutes.
  • Falafel pita Falafel in pita with salad, pickles and tahini sauce. About 15 minutes with bought falafel.
  • Fish finger sandwich British comfort food: hot fish fingers in buttered bread with tartare sauce or ketchup. About 15 minutes.
  • Fish tacos Fried or grilled fish in warm tortillas, a style that began in Baja California. About 20 minutes.
  • Fried chicken sandwich A crisp fried chicken fillet in a bun with pickles and mayonnaise. One to order.
  • Fried egg sandwich A fried egg in buttered bread or a soft roll, with ketchup or hot sauce. About 5 minutes.
  • Grilled cheese sandwich Buttered bread and melting cheese, fried in a pan until golden. About 8 minutes.
  • Gyro pita Greek rotisserie meat in pita with tomato, onion and tzatziki. One to order.
  • Halloumi wrap Fried halloumi, salad and chilli sauce in a warm flatbread. About 10 minutes.
  • Ham and cheese toastie Ham and cheese pressed between bread and toasted until the cheese runs. About 8 minutes.
  • Hummus and roasted pepper wrap Hummus, jarred roasted peppers and spinach rolled in a flatbread. About 8 minutes.
  • Italian sub Salami, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion in a long roll with oil and vinegar. About 10 minutes.
  • Jambon-beurre The Parisian standard: a baguette with butter and ham, nothing else. About 5 minutes.
  • Kati roll Kolkata street food: a kebab rolled in a paratha. One to order.
  • Katsu sando Japanese sandwich of breaded pork cutlet and tonkatsu sauce between slices of milk bread. About 25 minutes.
  • Leftover roast chicken sandwich Yesterday's roast chicken pulled off the bone, with mayonnaise, lettuce and black pepper. About 5 minutes.
  • Leftover turkey and cranberry sandwich Cold roast turkey and cranberry sauce, plus stuffing if there is any. About 5 minutes.
  • Muffuletta New Orleans sandwich on a round sesame loaf: olive salad, salami, ham and provolone. About 15 minutes.
  • Pan bagnat From Nice: a Niçoise salad of tuna, egg, tomato and olives packed inside a round loaf. About 15 minutes.
  • Peanut butter and banana sandwich Peanut butter and sliced banana on soft bread. About 3 minutes.
  • Philly cheesesteak Thin-sliced beef and melted cheese in a long roll, from Philadelphia. One to order.
  • Pinwheel wraps A tortilla spread with cream cheese and ham, rolled tight and sliced into rounds. About 10 minutes.
  • Quesadilla A tortilla folded over melted cheese and toasted in a dry pan. About 10 minutes.
  • Reuben sandwich Corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on grilled rye. About 12 minutes.
  • Roast beef and horseradish sandwich Cold sliced roast beef, horseradish sauce and watercress on bread. About 5 minutes.
  • Sabich Israeli pita filled with fried aubergine, hard-boiled egg, salad, tahini and amba. About 25 minutes.
  • Sardines on toast Tinned sardines mashed onto hot buttered toast with lemon and black pepper. About 5 minutes.
  • Smoked mackerel pâté on toast Smoked mackerel mashed with cream cheese, lemon and horseradish, on toast. About 8 minutes.
  • Smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel A split bagel with cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers and red onion. About 5 minutes.
  • Smørrebrød Danish open sandwich: buttered dense rye bread under a topping such as pickled herring. About 10 minutes.
  • Stuffed arepa A maize-dough cake from Venezuela and Colombia, split and filled with cheese or meat. About 30 minutes.
  • Torta Mexican sandwich on a bolillo or telera roll with meat, avocado, chilli, tomato and onion. One to order.
  • Tuna melt Tuna mayonnaise on bread under melted cheese, grilled until it bubbles. About 12 minutes.
  • Tuna salad sandwich Tinned tuna, mayonnaise and chopped celery between two slices of bread. About 8 minutes.
  • Turkey and avocado sandwich Sliced turkey, avocado, lettuce and tomato on wholegrain bread. About 8 minutes.
  • Vada pav Mumbai street food: a spiced potato fritter in a soft bun with chutney. One to order.
  • Veggie burger A bean or vegetable patty in a bun with the usual burger trimmings. About 15 minutes.
  • Welsh rarebit A hot cheese sauce with ale and mustard, poured over toast and grilled. About 12 minutes.

Salads, rolls and cold plates 34

  • Antipasto plate Cured meats, cheese, olives, artichoke hearts and bread. About 5 minutes.
  • Beetroot and goat's cheese salad Ready-cooked beetroot, goat's cheese, walnuts and leaves. About 8 minutes.
  • Bento box A Japanese segmented lunch box: rice, a protein and a few small sides. About 20 minutes.
  • Caesar salad Romaine, croutons and Parmesan in an anchovy dressing, first made in Tijuana in 1924. About 12 minutes.
  • Caprese salad Sliced tomato, mozzarella and basil with olive oil and salt. About 5 minutes.
  • Cheese, crackers and fruit box A snack-box lunch: cheese, crackers, grapes, nuts and something crunchy. About 5 minutes.
  • Chef salad American salad of lettuce topped with strips of ham, turkey and cheese and a boiled egg. About 15 minutes.
  • Chickpea salad Tinned chickpeas with cucumber, tomato, red onion, lemon and olive oil. About 8 minutes.
  • Chinese chicken salad American-style salad of chicken, cabbage and fried wonton strips in a sesame dressing. About 15 minutes.
  • Cobb salad Chopped romaine with chicken, bacon, egg, avocado, tomato and blue cheese. About 20 minutes.
  • Couscous salad Couscous steeped in hot water, then tossed with herbs, chickpeas and lemon. About 10 minutes.
  • Fattoush Levantine chopped salad with toasted pita pieces and sour sumac. About 15 minutes.
  • Greek salad Tomato, cucumber, onion, olives and a slab of feta with olive oil and oregano. About 10 minutes.
  • Green papaya salad Som tam: shredded unripe papaya pounded with chilli, lime and fish sauce. One to order.
  • Kimbap Korean seaweed rice rolls, seasoned with sesame oil where sushi uses vinegar. About 40 minutes.
  • Leftover steak salad Last night's steak sliced thin over leaves with a mustard dressing. About 10 minutes.
  • Lentil salad Ready-cooked lentils with goat's cheese, red onion and a mustard dressing. About 10 minutes.
  • Mezze plate Hummus, olives, flatbread, feta and whatever raw vegetables are in the fridge. About 10 minutes.
  • Niçoise salad From Nice: tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, olives and tuna or anchovies. About 20 minutes.
  • Onigiri Rice balls in nori with salted salmon or pickled plum inside. About 10 minutes with cooked rice.
  • Panzanella Tuscan salad of stale bread soaked with ripe tomatoes, onion, basil, oil and vinegar. About 15 minutes.
  • Pasta salad Cold pasta with chopped vegetables, olives and a sharp dressing. About 20 minutes.
  • Ploughman's lunch English pub plate of bread, cheese, pickled onions and sweet pickle. About 5 minutes.
  • Poke bowl Hawaiian-style cubes of raw fish over rice with soy, sesame and toppings. One to order.
  • Quinoa salad Quinoa with roasted vegetables, herbs and lemon. About 20 minutes.
  • Soba noodle salad Cold buckwheat noodles with cucumber, spring onion and a soy and sesame dressing. About 12 minutes.
  • Summer rolls Vietnamese rice-paper rolls of prawn, pork, herbs and rice vermicelli, served cold. About 25 minutes.
  • Sushi rolls Rice with fish or vegetables, rolled in nori and sliced. One to order, or a tray from the shop.
  • Tabbouleh Levantine salad that is mostly parsley, with bulgur, tomato, mint and lemon. About 20 minutes.
  • Taco salad Tex-Mex salad of seasoned beef, beans, lettuce and cheese in a fried tortilla shell. About 20 minutes.
  • Three-bean salad Three kinds of tinned beans in a sweet and sour vinaigrette. About 8 minutes.
  • Tuna and white bean salad Tinned tuna, white beans and red onion with olive oil and lemon. About 5 minutes.
  • Tuna-stuffed avocado Half an avocado filled with tuna mayonnaise and a squeeze of lemon. About 5 minutes.
  • Waldorf salad Apples, celery and mayonnaise, as first served at the Waldorf-Astoria in 1896. About 10 minutes.

Soups, bowls and plates 60

  • Beans on toast Baked beans heated and poured over hot buttered toast. About 8 minutes.
  • Bibimbap Korean rice bowl topped with seasoned vegetables and gochujang, often with egg and beef. One to order.
  • Black bean soup Tinned black beans simmered with onion, cumin and lime, half of it blended. About 20 minutes.
  • Bubble and squeak English fry-up of leftover potatoes and cabbage, pressed into the pan until crusty. About 15 minutes.
  • Buckwheat galette Breton buckwheat crêpe folded around ham, Emmental and an egg. About 20 minutes.
  • Bun cha Hanoi lunch of grilled pork with rice noodles, herbs and a dipping sauce. One to order.
  • Burrito bowl Rice, beans, salsa, cheese and chicken or peppers in a bowl, no tortilla. About 15 minutes.
  • Butternut squash soup Squash simmered with onion and stock, then blended. About 40 minutes.
  • Chicken noodle soup Chicken, noodles, carrot and celery in broth. About 25 minutes.
  • Chicken souvlaki plate Greek grilled chicken skewers with pita, salad and tzatziki. One to order.
  • Chicken teriyaki rice bowl Chicken glazed in a sweet soy sauce over rice with steamed greens. About 20 minutes.
  • Chickpea curry Chana masala: chickpeas in a spiced tomato and onion sauce. About 25 minutes.
  • Clam chowder New England style: clams and potatoes in a milk or cream broth. One to order.
  • Cornish pasty A pastry case of beef, potato, swede and onion that tin miners carried as a full meal. One to buy.
  • Dal and rice Spiced lentils over plain rice. About 30 minutes.
  • Dim sum Cantonese small plates of dumplings and buns, by tradition a morning and lunchtime meal. One to order.
  • Egg drop soup Chinese soup of beaten egg stirred into hot chicken broth in ribbons. About 10 minutes.
  • Egg fried rice Day-old rice fried hot with egg, spring onion and soy sauce. About 10 minutes.
  • Empanadas Baked or fried pastry turnovers with a savoury filling. One to buy.
  • Fish and chips Battered fried fish with chips, an English takeaway since the 19th century. One to order.
  • Frittata A thick Italian omelette with vegetables and cheese, good hot or cold. About 25 minutes.
  • Frozen dumplings Dumplings from the freezer, steamed or pan-fried, with soy, vinegar and chilli oil. About 10 minutes.
  • Gazpacho Andalusian cold soup of raw tomato, cucumber, pepper, garlic, olive oil and vinegar. About 15 minutes.
  • Grain bowl A cooked grain, a roasted vegetable, something pickled and a dressing. About 15 minutes with a grain pouch.
  • Hainanese chicken rice Poached chicken with seasoned rice, a national dish of Singapore. One to order.
  • Jacket potato with beans and cheese A baked potato filled with baked beans and grated cheese. About 12 minutes in a microwave.
  • Kimchi fried rice Rice fried with chopped kimchi and topped with a fried egg. About 12 minutes.
  • Koshari Egypt's national dish: rice, lentils, macaroni and chickpeas, tomato sauce and fried onions. One to order.
  • Laksa Spicy Peranakan noodle soup, often in a coconut curry broth. One to order.
  • Last night's curry Leftover curry reheated until it steams, with rice or bread. About 5 minutes.
  • Leek and potato soup Leeks and potatoes simmered soft and blended smooth. About 30 minutes.
  • Leftover chili on a baked potato Yesterday's chili reheated over a microwaved potato with grated cheese. About 12 minutes.
  • Leftover pasta frittata Last night's pasta bound with egg and cheese and fried into a cake, as Naples does it. About 15 minutes.
  • Leftover pizza Cold pizza crisped in a dry frying pan, with a lid on to melt the top. About 8 minutes.
  • Lentil soup Red lentils simmered with onion, carrot, cumin and lemon. About 30 minutes.
  • Loaded sweet potato A microwaved sweet potato with black beans, salsa and soured cream. About 12 minutes.
  • Masala dosa South Indian crisp rice and lentil pancake around spiced potato, with sambar and chutneys. One to order.
  • Minestrone Italian vegetable soup with beans and small pasta or rice. About 35 minutes.
  • Miso soup with rice Miso stirred into dashi with tofu and seaweed, with a bowl of rice on the side. About 10 minutes.
  • Nachos Tortilla chips baked under cheese and jalapeños, first made in Piedras Negras in 1943. About 15 minutes.
  • Omelette Two or three eggs folded over cheese, herbs or whatever needs using up. About 8 minutes.
  • Pad see ew Thai flat rice noodles fried with dark soy sauce for a charred edge. One to order.
  • Pad thai Thai stir-fried rice noodles with egg, tofu or prawns, peanuts and lime. One to order.
  • Pesto pasta Pasta tossed with pesto and a spoonful of its cooking water. About 12 minutes.
  • Pho Vietnamese rice noodle soup with beef or chicken and a plate of fresh herbs. One to order.
  • Pita pizza A pita topped with tomato sauce and cheese and grilled until it blisters. About 12 minutes.
  • Pizza by the slice One or two slices from the nearest pizza place. One to order.
  • Quiche and salad A slice of French savoury custard tart with dressed leaves. About 5 minutes with a bought quiche.
  • Ramen Japanese wheat noodles in a rich broth, topped with sliced pork. One to order.
  • Sausage roll British bakery staple: sausage meat baked in puff pastry. One to buy.
  • Sesame noodles Cold noodles tossed in a sesame or peanut sauce with cucumber. About 12 minutes.
  • Shop-bought tortellini with butter and sage Fresh filled pasta boiled for three minutes and tossed in butter and sage. About 8 minutes.
  • Spanakopita Greek pie of spinach and feta in crisp phyllo pastry. One to buy.
  • Thali An Indian set meal: a round platter carrying small helpings of several dishes. One to order.
  • Tofu and vegetable stir-fry Tofu and whatever vegetables are left, fried fast with soy, garlic and ginger. About 15 minutes.
  • Tom yum Thai hot and sour soup scented with lemongrass, usually with prawns. One to order.
  • Tomato soup with grilled cheese Tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich cut into strips for dipping. About 15 minutes.
  • Tuna and sweetcorn jacket potato A baked potato filled with tuna, sweetcorn and mayonnaise. About 12 minutes in a microwave.
  • Upgraded instant noodles A packet of instant noodles with an egg cracked in, greens and chilli oil. About 8 minutes.
  • Wonton noodle soup Cantonese egg noodles and wontons in a clear broth. One to order.

How this list was compiled: We wrote the list of 150 lunches ourselves. What goes into each dish, and every place, date and name on a card, was checked on 2026-09-18 against the dish's own English Wikipedia article, read through https://en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php (article indexes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sandwiches, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_salads and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_soups). The two-hour rule for packed lunches comes from https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/safe-food-handling, checked 2026-09-18. The plan also named USDA MyPlate Kitchen, which refused automated reading on that date, so nothing here is drawn from it. Times (x.time, and x.mins as a number) are our own estimates for one portion in a home kitchen, and the Make at home, Packable and Order in tags are our own grading. Vegetarian (x.diet) means no meat, poultry or fish in the usual recipe; eggs and dairy are allowed, dishes that lean on Parmesan are left untagged, and other cheeses were not screened for rennet. The bean and cheese burrito is untagged because refried beans are often made with lard (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refried_beans, read 2026-09-19). Licence: own work