Simple Saturday: Brown Bagging It

We probably all know that the best way to eat healthy and on the cheap at lunch during the workday is to bring your lunch.

I set a goal of bringing my lunch to work at least 4 out of 5 days and save quite a few dollars and know that the food I'm eating is tasty and healthy.

And you can totally get on the lunch train, too!

Here are some ideas to hopefully get your homemade lunch wheels turning.


Salads 
These are great to help you get your greens and you can always add some protein (meat or beans) to amp them up a bit.
-Chicken Salad Minus the Mayo
-Kale Salad
-White Bean Salad
Tip: I like to bring my greens and veggies in a glass Pyrex container and my dressing in a separate smaller container to mix in right before I eat.

Grains
Couscous, farro and quinoa make a delicious and filling lunch when combined with veggies, beans, meat and a simple citrus dressing.
-Cilantro and Black Bean Quinoa
-One Pot Farro (this is great leftover)

Starches
I have just recently discovered the microwave baked potato and love making one for lunch. Also, roasted sweet or white potatoes with veggies is a great lunch (add cheese if you like).
-Broccoli-cheese Baked Potato (pictured above)
Wash and poke your potato with a knife and microwave for 3-4 minutes until tender inside. When your potato has 1 minute left, put a glass container of broccoli with a little water and salt with a top on it to steam for 1 minute alongside the potato. When done, combine the potato with the drained broccoli and sprinkle with cheese.
-Black Bean Rice Bowl or Pinto Bean Rice Bowl
-Stir Fry
-Stuffed Peppers

Soups
I love making a batch or two of soup on Sunday night and eating it throughout the week for lunch. Pair with some chopped veggies, bread or cheese for a complete meal.
-Curry Carrot Soup (I love this one with rice, too.)
-Tuscan Soup
-Sweet Potato Soup
-Potato Soup

Leftovers
Whatever is leftover from last night's dinner or the one two nights ago is a perfect lunch option. In fact, many dishes taste even better the next day!

And here's some more fabulous lunch ideas from the Kitchn.

What is your favorite brown bag lunch?