by Linda St.Cyr

Created on: November 21, 2008   Last Updated: January 03, 2012

Brown-bagging your lunch to work does not have to be boring. There are several ways to make your lunch healthy, appealing and tasty. The first thing you must absolutely do to makeover your brown bagging experience is to get a good lunch box. Lunch boxes do not have to be a boring bag. All shapes, sizes and colors that reflect your personality can be found for you to pack your lunch into. This is the first step into making your lunch more appealing. A stylish carry pack is almost guaranteed to have mouth watering delights inside.

Next you need to get plastic storage containers that will fit nicely into your new lunch bag. This will keep your food fresh throughout the day and you will not have to worry about a sandwich being squished. These containers also give you the ability to pack more delightful foods like salads, fruits and veggies. The fresher these foods are the more health benefits are provided.

Now you must pack your storage containers for a mouth watering lunch that beats out the standard chips and a sandwich any day of the week. Here are a few ideas to get your taste buds livened up at lunch and also keep you on track with a healthy diet.

Spinach-Walnut Salad is a great addition to your lunch menu. Fit into a medium sized container or a small salad bowl container a hefty layer of baby spinach greens. Dice up low fat mozzarella cheese, slice a few cherry tomatoes in half and add to the bowl and throw in a handful of walnut pieces. Close the lid and toss. Add 2 teaspoons of low-fat raspberry vinaigrette dressing to a small container or one attach to the salad bowl (these bowls can be found at Curves). This salad is delicious all on its own but if you need a side dish add a low-fat yogurt cup in your favorite flavor. This is a great way to makeover your brown bag lunch experience, eat healthy and spice up your lunch menu.

Another idea for your brown bagging makeover is to make a healthy pita sandwich instead. Slice a whole wheat pita in half, slide some low fat mayonnaise into this half of your pita and set aside. Prepare the pita insides in a small bowl. Add diced tomato, diced cooked chicken breast, diced green pepper and Mrs. Dash to the bowl. Mix together. Spoon this mixture into the pita half. Place this in a storage container. It should fit nicely into a sandwich container. For a side dish to this delectable sandwich add sliced fresh fruit to a container that you can add to your bag. Sliced apples, pears, peaches or grapes taste wonderful as a side dish with this lunch.

Make your lunch menu fun and healthy by trying out different things. Using storage containers in a stylish lunch bag makes it easy to take almost any kind of food with you on the go. Play with different salad styles, remember to stay away from iceberg lettuce though as it is 90% water and adds to water weight gain. Cobb, Spring and Romaine mixes are all perfect for lunches. You can also try different pita sandwiches which add a whole new element to the original sandwich. Not only are they a healthy alternative they taste great.

Also consider adding a different fruit to your lunch menu for every day of the week. This prevents your new lunch from turning into the same old mundane lunch that you wanted to get away from in the first place. Eat healthy and in style with your brown-bagging makeover.

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