Name: Thai Pasta Salad Lunch
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 oz cooked penne pasta; 2 tablespoons shredded red cabbage; 2 tablespoons matchstick carrots; 1/4 bell pepper (thinly sliced); 1/2 leftover cooked chicken breast (sliced); 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts; 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro; Thai peanut dressing

Recipe

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Bursting with flavor and crunch, this Thai pasta salad is the perfect quick lunch!

This Thai pasta salad is an easy-to-prep school lunch that tastes just as good straight from the fridge as the day you made it. Keep reading to learn all the best tips to keep it fresh until lunchtime!

thai chicken pasta salad in a lunch container with pineapple chunks and green snow peas

Healthy Thai Pasta Salad Lunch for Teens

If my teens had an unlimited budget, they'd live on overpriced takeout. But since I'm not funding a five-star lunch habit, this Thai pasta salad lunch is the next best thing! It's healthy, vibrant, and honestly? It tastes just as good (maybe better) than the one at our favorite Thai place.

Just like my deli meat salad and Cobb salad, this Thai salad with creamy peanut dressing keeps lunch interesting. Plus, it’s packed with protein and energy to keep teen appetites happy. If any school lunch deserves a fire emoji, it's this one!

Ingredients

Make this simple Thai pasta salad for dinner and save the leftovers for this quick and healthy school lunch. You can find exact measurements in the recipe card below, but here's the basics of what you'll need:

Cooked penne pasta: you can use any shape pasta, but I find penne holds the peanut dressing really well.
Red bell pepper: thinly sliced.
Shredded red cabbage: crunchy and adds a nice bright color!
Matchstick carrots: for sweetness and extra crunch.
Leftover cooked chicken: leftover grilled chicken breast or rotisserie chicken adds protein and makes this recipe extra quick to put together.
Chopped peanuts: adds texture and classic Thai-inspired flavor.
Chopped cilantro: adds freshness!
Thai Peanut Dressing: SO tasty and the perfect finishing touch to this salad.
Optional Sides: fresh fruit and veggies like tangy pineapple and crisp snap peas add extra nutrition and energy.

thai chicken pasta salad in a lunch container

How to Pack Thai Pasta Salad for High School Lunch

Lunch doesn't get any simpler than this! Just toss all the ingredients together, give it a good mix, and you're ready to go:

Assemble the salad
Grab a large bowl, add the cooked penne, cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, chicken, peanuts, and cilantro. Drizzle on the Thai peanut dressing and toss until everything is well coated.
Refrigerate
Cover and refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
Pack it for school
Scoop the salad into the large section of a lunch container with compartments and add pineapple and snap peas to the remaining compartments to keep them fresh. Pack the lunch container into a lunch bag with an ice pack. Keep any additional lunch sides separate.

Keeping this Teen Lunch with Chicken Fresh

Pasta salads are a great make-ahead lunch idea that tastes even better the next day! Follow these tips to keep it fresh until the lunch bell rings:

Use the right container
A hard, lunch container with compartments is a the best way to prevent a messy lunch. For extra crunch, you can keep the chopped peanuts or other dry toppings separate and sprinkle them on at the last minute!

Make it ahead
Most pasta salads hold up well in the fridge. Store this one in an airtight container or divide it into meal prep containers for easy grab-and-pack lunches.

Keep it cool
Add an ice pack to regulate the temperature inside the lunch bag and keep your salad crisp, cool, and ready to enjoy at lunchtime.

Separate extra dressing
This dressing is seriously amazing, so be sure to pack extra in a small leak-proof dip container!

More High Protein Lunches for Teens

My son's big into sports, so he likes high-protein options like a BBQ chicken wrap, a zesty pesto chicken sandwich, or a customizable burrito bowl. In just 5 minutes, you've got a healthy, filling lunch that feels like takeout without the hefty price tag!