I've been following a rule I learned from a friend who brings bento boxes to work all the time. Always include 5 colors in your meal. Now, when I'm shopping for lunch, I make sure I have a veggie, a fruit, a dessert and some sort of sandwich fodder that all add up to 5 colors. It almost guarantees variety and is usually delicious. Another thing I do is get creative with bread. The same fillings somehow feel different when wrapped in lavash or stuffed in a pita.

Usually i have a yoghurt with almond slivers and some fruit or a granola or Luna bar. Sometimes a salad. Hardly ever eat too much carbs at lunch. I work in the office and it would be too heavy and stuffing i guess.
Maybe you could bring some soup for the fall season now. Personally don't like soup because it makes me hungry again in a short time....but at least it's warm and healthy.

In high school and college, I always packed a mini-lunch, to get me through the afternoon, until I ate lunch at home (leftovers). The mini-lunch was a sandwich, carrots, apple, and water, or I would purchase a salad at school. Now it's leftovers (which doesn't help you out).

I try to follow the food pyramid, so sandwich or crackers (I make my own out of leftover whole wheat tortillas), a veggie (carrots, jicama, raw broc or cauliflower), a fruit (apple, pear, orange, pomegranate, berries), a glass of milk, and some type of protein (nuts, beans with salsa, edamame).

my fave sandwich --

- bread of choice (I go for rolls cause they hold more)
- sliced avocado
- jalepeno peppers or spicy pepper of some kind
- cheese (provolone or pepper jack go very well)
- mustard
- tomato
- lettuce

It's all vegetarian but its always so filling. and yes I really like very spicy foods

I also like making big pots of soups and taking servings for lunches. same thing with salads - I'll make a big bowl of salad and then dress it at work. favorite there is arugula or mixed greens, sundried tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, olives, grilled chicken optional

It depends; if I work the early morning shift, I pack a "breakfast" instead of a true lunch...I put oats in a microwavable bowl, bring a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts. Then I make my oatmeal at work and eat my breakfast/brunch at around 11. Otherwise, I pack a turkey sandwich made on two pieces of whole grain bread with a slice of tomato and lettuce and mustard, a baggie of carrots and celery, a container of salsa to dip my veggies into, and a piece of fruit.

I find myself in a rut also! I always bring my lunch and was eating turkey wraps, with carrots and chips. But lately it's been sandwiches. Every once in awhile I will eat a Lean Cuisine.

whole grain bread with canned tuna or salmon, lettuce, onion, tomato. and any fruit or veggie on the side, i also squeeze lemon into fresh water as my beverage

something else that's nutritious, fast, and delicious i make is to take canned black and white beans, add onion, red peppers, olive oil, and an herb blend. heat it up and it's filling and yummy!

tofu steaks are also a staple lunch item of mine. i season and marinate them the night before and then you just grill it and all the flavors soke right into the tofu-so good!

Sometimes it's leftovers, but more often it's 1 cup of nonfat greek yogurt (so much protein!) + homemade preserves. carrots, some kind of seasonal fruit (persimmons today!), 1 calcium chew, 1 (small) fruit leather, and 1 oz pretzel slims or plantain chips. Usually my lunch tallies about 500 calories which seems a reasonable amount to eat for lunch.

I usually have leftovers to take, but on other days it's a mix of the little odds and ends in the fridge & pantry. Hummus or ajvar with carrots and bell pepper slices, cottage cheese, string cheese, lox, hard boiled eggs, fruit, nuts, etc. I like when a have just a few bites of lots of different things.

I too also often follow the bento box thing! It is a great way to force you to be more creative and use things that only have a little left. I follow a flexivore diet and homemade three bean salad is a great lunch item for me!

I also like to mix my leftovers for something new. Most recently it was leftover rice from chinese, chickpeas from a can and leftover cooked veg. and curry spice...Yum!

Either one of my giant salads or lean cuisine style thing and a side green salad if I am in a rush.

My big salad today (and it only took 5 minutes to make I swear) - In a big bowl:
Tear up one romaine heart, 1/3 bell pepper chopped, 1/3 cucumber chopped, handful of mini tomatoes, ounce of crumbled feta cheese, 1/3 cup garbanzo beans, 6 black olives chopped, sprinkle of shredded carrots.
On the side I just mix a little olive oil and lemon juice, and carry a half a whole wheat pita. 400 calories, very balanced, and very filling.

My favorite "easy" thing is soup! I keep cans in my desk. I also like to bring in fruit, salads, and especially chicken salad sandwiches! Yum!

It is so easy to get in a rut, but I was really pleased with my new lunch that I packed today:
Wasa Crispbreads Crisp N Light
Chicken breast lunchmeat
Laughing cow
It's like lunchables for adults!
I also had carrots and hummus on the side, and a kiwi for the afternoon. YUMM

A usually eat a Lean Cuisine, frozen, or other microwaveable meal and a yogurt. If I get hungry I'll grab a cereal bar out of the vending machine.

One of my favorite lunches to pack is various cheeses, salami, some dried fruit and nuts, and a little fresh fruit if I have it. It's like a cheese plate with extras.

I pretty much pack the same lunches all week. A turkey sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce and mustard or a salad with turkey or chicken, an apple, and a kashi granola bar for around 3 pm. Oh, and I always have a coffee after my lunch as "dessert."

I pack a sandwich (turkey, ham, cheese, pickle, mayo, deli mustard), yogurt and an apple. 99% of the time I just eat the sandwich and pick either the yogurt or the apple. I drink herbal tea through the day to keep hydrated.

For the past week or so, I've been packing a yogurt, a small baggie of homemade trail mix (walnuts, dried cranberries, raisins, and banana chips), a Laughing Cow cheese wedge, some crackers, and sometimes a granola or Luna bar. I prefer to snack throughout the day instead of one big lunch.

2 laughing cow cheese wedges, 2 slices of good sourdough, and top it with anything you like. Leftover salad from yesterday's lunch, a couple of slices of sopressata or turkey, or just a slice of tomato - it's delicious.

Arnold's Sandwich Thin with Turkey (Boars Head!)
Weight Watchers String Cheese
Fruit (Apple, Grapes, Banana, Strawberries, etc)
Veggie (Organic baby carrots, etc)
Something sweet or a piece of gum

Sometimes I throw in Goldfish or Wheat Thins instead of the sweet. Or I'll add soup instead of a veggie.

A huge salad. Spinach or mixed greens and then anything in the fridge and cupboard. Celery, tomato, cucumber, peppers, beans, corn, slivered almonds, artichoke hearts, cilantro, basil, onions, avocado and then top with parmesan, salt, pepper, dried onion flakes and garlic pieces. No dressing needed. I try to keep it all in the fridge and toss onto a salad the night before or in the morning. Tomatoes and avocado make the salad a little moist so you don't miss the dressing. People think I make these elaborate lunches but they are just a mix of whatever I have on hand. Sometimes I slice the stuff at work in the kitchen with a plastic knife. Better than going out for something unhealthy. It's always filling and delicious!!

I'm very big on soups right now, since I've finally found a container that doesn't leak: The ziplock "lunchbox":) And the soups I'm most in favour of are clear soups based om stock/broth from chicken, meat or veggies, and then I just add some kind of protein (minced meat, fish, chicken or beans) and change it up with hearbs, lots of veggies and potatoes/suede/carrots/corn/parsnip etc. Spice it up with tomatoe-purée, tabascoe or soy.

Ach, I always bring in last night's leftovers but recently I've taken to having a big hot dessert right after from the canteen... not good!!!

Fit.. this is my lunch for next week. Bed of spinach with mushrooms, tomato, yellow pepper, hardboiled egg and a dash of 2% cheddar with honey mustard dressing.
I've just been making sandwiches lately too... but I alternate between peanut butter and apple, peanut butter and banana, cheese and tomato, and egg salad w/ low-cal miracle whip (and occasionally pickles). Some with WW bread, some with pitas.

This is usually the lunch I bring to work: 1 (salt and sugar free) peanut butter on whole wheat sandwich. 1 good sized gladware container filled with fresh spinach, baby carrots, grapes, bell pepper slices, crimini mushroom slices, celery slices, and strawberries or other berries. I'll bring some lowfat organic yogurt, or an apple or an orange (those are interchangeable). And then a packet of whole wheat Melba toast for a snack if I get hungry before or after lunch. I only drink water and maybe some tea if I feel it's a good idea. It's kind of a boring lunch for 5 days a week, but it's easy to put together and healthy.

I like to make a chicken tabbouleh salad, it is a Barefoot Contessa recipe. It is really healthy, you just roast chicken breasts with the bone in, and add the chicken to the bular wheat with cukes and tomatoes, and a lemon dressing. It is easy, delicious and very healthy, you can search for the recipe on foodnetwork.com.

I've been buying my lunch at work but thanks to everyone for all the great ideas, I'm sure I will be using them in the future.

this is not the norm but today I had a slice of leftover chicago-style spinach pizza and some celery and an apple. (the pizza is not the norm: raw veggies and fruit are though)

Mamasitamali - we were separated at birth! That's my fave sandwich too, and usually what I have for lunch. I go for peperoncinis over jalapenos, though.

I do not like to rely on frozen meals and try to stick to sandwiches/leftovers as well, but they are a great way to have a little something different for lunch, especially now that we're in colder weather. I keep a few meals (Safeway's Eating Right) in the office freezer and dip into them when I feel like having a warm meal without having to walk in a downpour or high winds (our office is overlooks the Puget Sound so we get some really windy days) only to spend $7-10 on a hot meal that's probably high in fat anyway. Especially since these meals are almost always on sale and therefore super cheap.

All of summer and as much as I can squeeze out of fall I've been making a fruit salad for lunch. It consists mostly of berries: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries. Both BB's are out of season now at the farmers market so I've been slicing up apples, pears, kiwi, figs, bananas or whatevr suits my mood with the rasp and strawberries

I also bring a yogurt, a whole piece of fruit not in the salad, once in a while a hardboiled egg and a Luna bar. Breakfast by 8. Snack at 10am. Lunch at 12. Snack at 2 and 4 and then dinner around 6 or 8, depending on what I cook.

I dunno what I'm going to do without my strawberries or raspberries once they finish the season I want to buy only USA grown, or local CA fruit.

I'm so confused about how americans will happily eat lashings of peanut butter on their sandwiches! It's a total treat when I have it and I'll use it sparingly. Is this really a common thing? Eating peanut butter and "jelly" (jam?) sandwiches sounds like a dessert to me rather than a main meal!

As for my lunches - I'm eating chutney and smoked ham on gluten free bread at the moment.

- Ground Beef Burgers
- Ground Bison Burgers
- Ground Elk Burgers
- Ground Ostrich Burgers
- Hot Dogs
**All Grass-Fed**
- Ground Turkey Breast
- One Poached Egg & Tuna Jarred in Olive Oil

I usually bring leftovers and a cup of soup. I try to make a big batch of veggie based soup once a week to last all week. Last week was butternut squash this week it's pumpkin. I also keep a piece of fruit and kettle corn in my bag for hungry emergencies.

I like to take one small apple, a bottle of water, kashi crakers, a few cubes of cheese and a handfull of cherry tomatoes.