No-Cook Lunch Is Here

Home-cooked meals are great, but when it’s this hot, sometimes you just want to take cooking out of the equation. A no-cook lunch solves the problem in minutes, and the key is our trusty seafood packet: It’s the high-protein, flavor-rich base that anchors your meal, and the rest of your lunch comes together around it. Add whole grains or greens, throw in some vegetables for fiber and substance, top with a zingy sauce, vinaigrette, or citrus squeeze, and you’re eating in minutes.

The Build-Your-Own Formula

Pick a seafood packet. Add your base. Toss in vegetables. Dress it. That’s it.

Your packet does the heavy lifting nutritionally, which means you can keep the rest flexible based on what you have on hand or what sounds good that day. Here are four ways to put the formula to work. 

The Grain Bowl

Start with whatever fiber-rich grain strikes your fancy: brown rice, quinoa, farro. Top with your packet of choice. Add black beans, pinto, or kidney beans for staying power. Then pile on cherry tomatoes, cucumber, shredded carrots or zucchini, corn, fresh herbs, avocado if you’re feeling it. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt, and you’re set. A Frank’s RedHot^® Tuna bowl tastes completely different from a Lemon Garlic Tuna bowl tastes completely different from a Maple Smokehouse Salmon bowl, so variety keeps things interesting without extra work. 

The Lettuce Cup

This one’s even simpler. Use butter lettuce or romaine leaves as your vessel, fill with a packet mixed with diced vegetables, chickpeas, and whatever crunchy things appeal to you: nuts, seeds, fried onions or shallots. To take it in a Thai-inspired direction, try Sweet and Spicy Tuna with peanuts and cilantro—or for a creamier iteration, Dill Tuna Salad mixes well with celery, fresh parsley, and a touch of mayo. This travels well if you keep your lettuce leaves packed separately until the moment lunch is served—and, of course, the whole thing requires zero cooking.

The Mason Jar Salad

Layer from the bottom: dressing first, then vegetables, then beans, then greens, then your packet—we’re fans of our OLD BAY^® Tuna for iconic summer seaside vibes. When you’re ready to eat, just shake it all up. The beauty is its prep-ahead potential: if you pick greens like romaine or kale, these can last for a couple of days in the fridge. 

The Loaded Toast

This open-faced classic remains one of our all-time favorites when it’s hot out. Start with a slice of good whole wheat bread, toasted or not, depending on your mood. If you feel like going gourmet, do like the Italians and lightly rub a half clove of fresh garlic on your toast. Then spread a packet on top—we particularly love our Everything Bagel Salmon here. Layer with avocado, tomato, sprouts, arugula, or whatever gives you texture and nutrition. Finish with a dash of good red wine vinegar or hot sauce if you want acid and heat.

Packet and Go

The good news is these meals don’t need reheating (although if you have a microwave and want some warmth to your grain bowl, by all means, go forth). These are the types of meals you can throw together fast: Pack a grain bowl in a container for the office, pour a mason jar salad into a bowl at lunchtime, or grab a loaded toast on your way out the door. Stock your pantry with a few favorite packets and you’re never more than ten minutes away from a lunch that works.