Easy AIP Lunch Ideas On The Go
Starting the autoimmune protocol can daunting in a lot of different respects. “What do I do when I eat out?”, “What do I have for breakfast?”, “What do I have for lunch?”, “What do I bring to work/school?”. Though I’m always learning and evolving, I feel like I’ve become more of a lunchbox aficionado and have what I bring for lunch to work down with lots of easy, stress-free, AIP lunch Ideas!
One of the keys to my success while healing my Hashimoto’s and following a healing diet has been cutting down on stress. One of the easiest ways to do that has just been planning ahead. Though it may sound stressful to have to think ahead, it’s far more stressful in the long run to waste time and money on food that makes me sick. Yes, it takes time to get into the habit, and though it may seem easier to just hit up a drive-thru, it’s just not worth it… the money, the gas, or the stomach ache. Packing my lunch ahead of time and preparing my meals for the week ahead of time has been a game changer on my healing journey.
But, before we get to my favs, it’s important to have some staples on hand to actually accommodate an AIP (autoimmune protocol) lunch on the go. Here’s what I recommend:
Here are some of my favorite AIP lunch ideas!
The Low Maintenance Option
You’ll find me eating this meal weekly… typically on a Friday when I’m down to just whatever I have in my pantry! Plantain chips, half an avocado, and wild planet tuna with red onions.
The Tasty Salad
A bed of italian kale topped with sliced apples, proscuitto, and drizzled with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice.
The No-Cook Hero
Perfect for travel, those times when you have no access to a fridge or can’t carry an insulated lunch box, or you’re just over cooking for the week (I get it). A bison epic bar, avocado, baby carrots, and plantain chips are what’s in order.
The Left-overs
Honestly, this what you’ll find me eating most days. I firmly believe that we don’t have to make lunch complicated or prepare something separate to stress us out further. For this option, I threw together some grass-fed meat balls, sweet potato roasted in bacon fat, and oven roasted cabbage.
Though it may indeed take the effort of forethought to prepare these lunches, it’s so worth it in the long run to be less stressed out over food! For more ideas on how to make AIP less stressful and prepping food ahead easier, check out the free AIP Meal Prep guide that I put together to help do just that!
Note: also pictured here are my Anti-inflammatory Coconut Turmeric Bites.
For even more AIP lunch ideas as well as dinner, breakfasts, and snacks that are all targeted towards healing the gut, be sure to check out my e-book Autoimmune Makeover!
- 6 weeks of paleo and AIP meal plans targeted towards healing the gut
- Shopping lists and prep guides to help you prep meals fast
- Tons of information about the AIP diet!
What do you usually bring to work/school for lunch?
This post contains affiliate links. Learn what that means here.
AIP
Low Carb
Paleo
Whole30
I keep a pretty strict gluten free/dairy free diet due to my rheumatoid arthritis, and it’s amazing the impact that food can have on our overall wellness. I know it sounds crazy, but it took me a while to learn that! I love that you used plantain chips with your tuna salad…every time I see those I think I should make them, but I always forget to grab plantains when i’m in the store!
That’s great to hear that you found something that works for you! I totally feel you that it took me a while to figure it out too. For so long I was trying to exercise off the bad food, and say that cheating didn’t matter. At the end of the day, it’s all about getting good, healthy, local, nutrient dense foods!
And oh my gosh, the plantain chips and tuna are addictive! I buy mine pre made from Trader Joes 😉 It’s one of the only “processed foods” I get, but it’s so worth it! No junk ingredients either.
This was fabulous! I did the ALCAT test but was so overwhelmed with the list of what not to eat, I only cut out a few and really need to go all the way down to see what makes the biggest difference.
Thank you! 😀 Oh I know it can be so overwhelming. I had 50+ foods on my food sensitivity test! Not fun to have to eliminate things like spinach. Good news is that I’ve been able to reintroduce a lot of them and I feel so much better as a whole. Good luck! I’m here if you ever need to vent, because I’ve totally been there 🙂
I’m so glad I found your site. I should seriously look into getting some testing done because the last year or two I’ve noticed I don’t feel the best after eating sometimes. Love that you show what you ate lunch for the week and I’m looking forward to trying some of your recipes. BTW, was totally sucked in and signed up for your newsletter 🙂 lol!!
Hey, Karrie! Thank you so much! When I got allergy tested, I got an IgG test from a chiropractor that specializes in nutrition, and that’s what changed the game for me. Hope you find out what’s making you feel not so great!
Your site is so wonderful! I’m really happy you’ve chosen to take on nutritional therapy. You’ve done an amazing job detailing your journey healing with food and providing easy options. That’s what it all comes down to with AIP sometimes, as the restriction/prepwork can get overwhelming, especially long-term. The most important thing is having some great glassware to store!
Thank you so, so much Alexandra! That is so sweet! It really can get overwhelming, but it’s been so much more enjoyable after just breaking it down and finding ways to make it easier. I love a great cookbook and fancy meal like as much as the rest of ’em, but sometimes tuna and plantain chips are all I can mentally handle, and that’s totally fine sometimes. And heck yes to glassware! I got TONS of it at my bridal shower and it was seriously one of the best gifts ever 😉
This looks so great Michelle! Giving me some new ideas!! Already miss ya!
Thanks, Julie!! Miss you too <3
I love all of your easy lunch ideas! These are so simple and yet I’d be thrilled to open my lunchbox and find any of them.
Thank you so much, Liv!! 🙂
I have far fewer food options than normal AIP. Having to eat the same foods all the time gets super boring but using super cute lunchboxes, cutlery, dishes, napkins etc really helps me. I also have stuck super cute decals on my more plain food storage containers. I find it helps at work or on holidays where everyone else is eating pizza and cake.
I love that idea!! <3
Super random, but I stumbled across this pin Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/94646029653276483/ which links to this random weight loss site insted of this page! As a web dev/marketer/designer I figured you might want to know. You can file a complaint with Pinterest that they’ve stole your intellectual property (your photo) to advertise for their site and usually they’ll pull it down.
Oh wow, yikes. Thanks for letting me know, Jaime!! Really appreciate it.