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Brown bagging it has become the new vogue, but we're not talking about ham and tomato sandwiches and a piece of fruit. The Bree Van de Kamp's of the world have all nature of home baked goodies to feast on while the eternal dieters sip their diet shakes. The leftover queens laugh their way through different meals every day, while others bring the humble sandwich up to date with pita pockets or mountain bread.

My father's idea of brown bagging it is taking a potato! With most workplaces supplying a microwave in the lunchroom a baked potato makes a nutritious lunch. My dad listens to the leftover queens and if he has had chili or bolognaise the night before he will bring that to put on top of his potato. Another back up for him is a small tin of baked beans, one of his favorite toppings. Personally I like added a can of tuna on top of my baked potato.

With tuna there are a wide number of alternatives. I will often pop some mixed salad leaves into a container, along with some cherry tomatoes and add my tuna to that. Another use for tuna is a delicious cannelloni bean and tuna salad. To make this salad I take about 200g cannelloni beans (1/2 a tin), a small can of tuna, and toss in with some baby spinach or rocket leaves (whatever I have on hand), some chopped cucumber, sliced red onion and cherry tomatoes (halved). I also take a little Paul Newman Zesty Lime Vinaigrette in a separate container to add just before eating delicious!

I sometimes puree a can of tuna with some mayonnaise to make a delicious dip which I will eat with crackers and/or chopped up raw vegetables. Of course you could use any dip for this idea. While thinking of dips I also love taking chunky salsa with pita triangles to work simply cut some pita bread into triangles and bake in the oven for a few minutes at 180C.

My husband loves my roast capsicum and tomato soup so when it's winter I make up a big batch so that he can take some everyday. Soup is a great lunch idea, I really like a chunky soup myself as I find it more filling. There are plenty of ready to heat soups in the supermarket if you do not have the time to make your own.

My daughter is going through a 'predictable stage' at the moment where she wants to have a sandwich, yogurt, fruit and granola bar every day and if I pop something different in she is NOT happy! When she was younger, however, she got bored easily so I would make mini bacon and egg pies, quiches, frittatas or even savory muffins for her to eat. These days it is only my husband and I that enjoy these lunchtime delights.

My daughter is a tween' and to her what her lunch box looks like is even more important than what is inside. We do not actually brown bag in our household as I believe it is more environmentally conscious to use lunch boxes, but we definitely brown bag' our lunches as it's economically responsible.

Buy yourself some fun looking lunch boxes (why should children have all the fun) and brown bag' it's the new, trendy way to lunch. Your taste buds and wallets alike will thank you. It's also fun to think of new' lunchtime ideas. One last idea before you go is rice; if you are cooking some rice the night before then make a little extra and add shredded meat (I like chicken) and a few diced vegetables (raw or cooked) and you have a great rice salad.

Learn more about this author, Louanne Cox.
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