Typically, a Swedish lunchbox is prepared and cooked in bulk to be taken to work in advance, or it's leftover food from last night's dinner that was intentionally made in excess to be used for a lunchbox. Most Swedish workplaces have a lunch area in the office intended for eating lunchboxes from home or eating take-away food from restaurants.
If you buy lunch from a restaurant, it usually costs between 110-150 SEK ($10-15), but at the same time, restaurant food can be salty and quite unhealthy.
Possible with a healthy cheap lunch?
It can be challenging to find a good lunch that is balanced, mostly unprocessed, and nutritious, yet filling and tasty. Is it even possible to achieve this in a simple way in Sweden?
A freelance journalist at Sweden Herald have personally tested these lunch options and think they're quite successful. However, it might not be a lunch option that can be eaten every day, but it stands up well against other alternatives when you don't have good ideas or want to eat a quick and healthy lunch. This lunch assumes you have a basic ingredient, seed crackers, in your office pantry and access to a salad bar where you pay for the weight of the food.
Meal Goal:
- Affordable: around 20-30 SEK ($2-3) per lunch
- Easy (salad bar + crispbread in the office)
- High in protein (25-30g)
- 470-500 kcal
- Mostly unprocessed
- Flavorful without mayonnaise or fatty sauces
- Varied (eggs sometimes, but not every day)
Variants to test
Rotation scheme for 5 lunches (all around 470-500 kcal, 25-30g protein)
Egg + avocado + caviar (classic)
2 seed crackers
2 boiled eggs
½ avocado
Some salad/greens
1 tbsp Swedish caviar
Flavor: herb salt + black pepper
Cottage cheese + caviar + vegetables
2 seed crackers
150g low-fat cottage cheese
1 tbsp caviar
Cucumber, tomato, bell pepper
Flavor: chives + dill
Tuna + avocado
2 seed crackers
½ can of tuna in water (75g drained)
½ avocado
Salad mix
Flavor: lemon + black pepper + dill
Mackerel in tomato sauce
2 seed crackers or corn tortillas
100g mackerel in tomato sauce (canned)
Salad mix, cucumber, bell pepper
Flavor: smoked paprika powder + red onion
Chicken + avocado
2 seed crackers
60g grilled chicken breast (from salad bar)
½ avocado
Salad mix
Flavor: chili + lime + coriander
There you have it - variations on crispbread with mostly unprocessed ingredients that make for a successful, very affordable lunch that is both healthy and tasty.
Seed crackers
✅ Nutrient-dense – Seeds like chia, flax, sunflower, and pumpkin are packed with fiber, protein, healthy fats (especially omega-3s from flax and chia), vitamins, and minerals.
✅ High in fiber – They support digestion, help you feel full, and can stabilize blood sugar.
✅ Good fats – The unsaturated fats in seeds are heart-healthy.
✅ Gluten-free (often) – Many seed crackers are naturally gluten-free if no wheat flour is used, making them suitable for gluten-sensitive people.
Watch out: Seed crackers are energy densed, check the ingredients, and avoid crackers with starch and filler additives.
Note: Nutritional values are approximate and based on standard ingredients. This article is for general informational purposes only and not intended as medical advice. Ingredients and nutritional values may vary. Always check packaging labels and adjust according to your own dietary needs.
