10 Easy Lunch Ideas

American Dietetic Association spokesperson Angela Ginn-Meadow, RD, says planning ahead is essential for quick lunch assembly. "A planned menu with all the ingredients in the kitchen will make it easy to put together tomorrow's lunch after dinner," she says.

She compiled this grocery list for a week's worth of lunches costing $5 or less a day (assuming you already have salad dressings on hand):

Whole wheat pita bread

Romaine lettuce

2 tomatoes

1 cucumber

1 bag baby carrots

1 bag of apples & oranges

1 can of light tuna in water

1 can of salmon (split for two meals)

1 prepared grilled chicken

3 cans of low-sodium, broth-based soup

With this list of foods, you can prepare:

* 1 pita with lettuce and grilled chicken with light Caesar dressing; baby carrots; and an apple.
* Salmon lettuce wraps with light sesame Asian dressing; 1 can of broth-based soup; and an orange.
* Tomato & cucumber salad with olive oil and vinegar; tuna salad on pita; baby carrots; and an apple.
* 1 can of soup; and grilled chicken on a bed of romaine with sliced apple and light vinaigrette.
* Garden salad with salmon, tomato, cucumber, and baby carrots; an orange; and 1 can of soup.

Diekman offers 5 more cheap lunch options that are also simple to prepare:

* Whole-wheat tortilla wrap of hummus, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, feta cheese and black olives; plus a carton of fat-free vanilla yogurt, and berries.
* Whole wheat pita stuffed with vegetarian refried beans, salsa, lettuce and shredded cheddar cheese; and apple slices with peanut butter.
* A green salad loaded with canned chunk light tuna, carrot strips, pepper slices, tomato wedges, red beans, and dried cranberries topped with balsamic vinaigrette; with a cup of low fat chocolate milk.
* A peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread; a piece of fresh fruit; and low fat yogurt.
* Whole-wheat tortilla roll with sliced turkey, sliced low-fat mozzarella cheese, red pepper strips, and lettuce leaf (chill and slice into bite size pieces); with fruit salad and a glass of skim milk.

To save money on beverages, use the water cooler at work instead of buying bottled water or a soda from the vending machine. And bring coffee in a to-go mug instead of stopping at your favorite coffee shop. Got a sweet tooth after lunch? Have fruit, a few pieces of hard candy, or a few low-fat Graham crackers or vanilla wafers.
Keep Your Lunch Healthy and Safe

Don't forget: Lunches that include meat, fish, poultry, or dairy need to kept refrigerated. Toss your lunch in the refrigerator at work. If you don't have access to refrigeration, invest in a lunchbox, Thermos, reusable plastic containers, plastic baggies, and ice packs to keep your lunch at the proper temperature.

Beans are the cheapest food money can buy, and they are low in fat, high in fiber, are a good protein source and have high amounts of calcium, Folic Acid Iron and many other vitamins and minerals.

There are many different flavors and textures of beans as well to add variety to a lunch. To really get the most out of beans flavorwise it helps to add stuff to them which costs a lttle bit more money. But beans with an onion and some spices, or rice and beans, is still a pretty cheap meal. For lunch, you'd want to make it the night before and then reheat it at work.

Other things that are cheaper and still nutritous are Progresso brand canned vegetable soups, which have beans and vegetables in them and are low-cal.

Some of the frozen meals out there like "Lean Cuisine" and "Healthy Choice" are pretty good calorie and nutrition wise, but you have to look around for good deals and you also have to look at the nutrition information to find out which meals are have high amounts of fiber, lower amounts of fat, and 10% or more of the daily value of some of the key vitamins and minerals (Vitamin A, C, D, E, Iron, B vitamins, Calcium...)

One note with canned soups and some frozen meals: they can be pretty high in salt. Some people may consider this unhealthy. The evidence on high-salt diet is mixed. For people with high blood pressure, yeah, it's not good, but for people who do not have blood pressure issues, high sodium consumption is not as problematic.

Just wanted to add that disclaimer so you are as informed as you can be. "healthy" is such a vague term. Fat, in modest amounts, is actually healthy. A "zero-fat" diet can be dangerous. The body uses fat to create and maintain cells and other structures in the body. If there's no fat, the body can't do this and it can cause problems. So, just something to keep in mind there.

Clearly a salad, some fruit like an apple and a can of tuna is your best bet. Low fat, high protein and high fiber. Skip the dressing or put it in a dish on the side and dip your fork in it before picking up the salad.

Salad = fifty cents.
Fruit = 25 to 75 cents
Can of tuna = fifty cent to a $1.50

All in? $2

You could also make a Tuna Salad sandwich for < $2 a day:
http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/2005/06/20/tuna-sandwich/