by B. Taylor

Created on: November 20, 2008   Last Updated: February 10, 2009

There is growing awareness and concern among working adults about the hidden calories and fats in restaurant food. On the other hand, nobody older than six years can tolerate peanut butter and jelly every day. It is easier than many think to pack fresh, quality, and tasty lunches from home. With a minimal amount of planning ahead, people can pack gourmet lunches for mere pennies on the restaurant dollar.

To get started, make a minimal investment in small Tupperware-like containers. Nothing will ruin a brown-bag lunch more quickly than a soggy bag full of leaking, plastic baggies. Little containers are easy to find among the saran wrap and foils in the grocery store. They will soon pay for themselves.

The following brown-bag lunches are well balanced for both nutrition and flavor.

SPINACH SALAD LUNCH

Ingredients:

* A big Tupperware-like bowl of fresh washed spinach.

* A container of cottage cheese.

* A container of raisins and sunflower seeds (or try walnuts and cranberries for variety).

* A small bottle of balsamic salad dressing.

* Some alfalfa sprouts (optional.)

* Slices of French Bread (butter optional.)

* Hard boiled egg.

* Peach or Plum.

* Cold Tea or Juice.

* Oatmeal Raisin Cookie.

At lunchtime, mix the sprouts, raisins, sunflower seeds and balsamic dressing in with the spinach. After, drop the cottage cheese on top. Fruit and an oatmeal raisin cookie give just the right touch of sweetness to make this meal complete.

WRAP AROUND

Ingredients:

* Chicken or Tuna Salad in a Flour Tortilla Wrap with Lettuce.

* Container of Cherry Tomatoes.

* Container of your favorite salad dressing to dip the tomatoes.

* Your favorite snack chips.

* Cheese stick (optional.)

* Juice or Skim Milk.

* Some dried fruit.

Make the wrap ahead of time by placing the lettuce between the flour tortilla and the tuna salad. The lettuce will prevent the tuna salad from making the tortilla wrap soggy.

Instead of purchasing small drink cartons, put a small amount of milk (or other beverage) in a freezable thermos, and place it in a freezer the night before. In the morning, fill the rest of the thermos and pack it with lunch. The frozen milk will melt but keep the drink cold over the course of the morning.

Keep a large bag of chips at home and bring a handful in a small container. The extra packaging of the small bags make the same amount of chips more expensive.

HUMMUS LUNCH

Ingredients:

* Container of Hummus, ready to eat.

* Pita bread, to dip in the hummus.

* Sugar Snap Peas.

* Cup of Yogurt.

* A fresh apple.

* Tea, juice or milk.

* Raisins and chocolate chips mixed together, or a chocolate chip cookie.

Hummus can be bought in the store or made at home. To make at home, place garbanzo beans, some fresh squeezed lemon juice, and just a touch of sea salt in the blender. Presto! It really is that easy. Add seasoning to taste, such as a little minced garlic.

Don't buy small, single serving tubs of yogurt. Save money purchasing a large tub of yogurt and scooping it into a small, washable lunch container.

The above menus are enough to get started. When planning lunches, let your imagination and your appetite run wild!

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