by Sharon Chapman

Created on: November 20, 2008   Last Updated: August 11, 2011

Brown bag lunches are becoming a practicality with the economy in such a state of flux. From construction sites to corporate offices people are packing their lunch to save money. The bag may have changed from brown to an insulated lunch tote but the premise is still the same, pack a sandwich, some chips and a cookie and save the $10 you would have otherwise spent going out for lunch. Alas, the sandwich and chips become boring and they aren't all that healthy either. Don't despair, with a little pre-planning you can have a healthy, tasty lunch and stay within your budget.

The most obvious brown bag lunch option is leftovers from dinner the night before. This works best if you have access to a microwave. Most employees have either an inner office break area or a community break area. Construction sites and other outdoor jobs may not have access to a microwave or will need to drop in at the local convenience store and use theirs.

Leftover meats and fish are excellent salad toppers or sandwich fillings. Fresh veggies atop a bed of greens topped with leftover chicken, beef strips or grilled fish make a healthy, inexpensive brown bag lunch. Place your low fat salad dressing in a small cup to keep your salad from wilting before lunch.

For healthier sandwiches using your leftover meat, opt for whole wheat bread or whole wheat tortillas for wraps. There are a variety of alternatives to mayonnaise. Choose a low fat version or spicy mustard to flavor your lunch. Skip the chips and toss in some fresh fruit for a balanced meal.

Cut vegetables with hummus is another easy, healthy brown bag lunch alternative. Hummus is available in a large variety of flavors, is high in protein and low in fat and is quite tasty. If you want you can add some sliced deli meat to round out your lunch. Top it off with a low fat muffin or fresh fruit. You will be treating yourself to a low fat, high protein brown bag lunch.

Protein bars, fresh fruit and yogurt are also a good way to brown bag your lunch. Protein bars are, as their name implies, high in protein and filling. Add yogurt and fresh fruit and you are set to finish the rest of your day with ample energy.

If you do have access to a microwave at your place of employment, you have even more options. Toss a potato wrapped in plastic in your lunch bag. Throw in a single-serving size of cottage cheese and you have a healthy lunch that is very tasty. The cottage cheese is high in protein and is also an excellent alternative to butter and sour cream for topping your potato.

The freezer section of your local grocer has many lunch entrees that are single serving and geared toward healthy eating. While they are not inexpensive, they are less expensive than eating out. The variety is large, ranging from low fat pizzas and Panini to pastas and rice dishes.

Brown bag lunches don't have to be the same boring sandwich in a brown bag anymore. It's up to you how much time and planning you put into your lunch. Opt for healthier choices; you could even be a trend setter among your peers.

Learn more about this author, Sharon Chapman.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.