Do you regularly pack a lunch? It saves money, but until you make it part of your regular routine, it can be a hassle. My husband and I want the health and money saving benefits of taking lunch from home, but often are too unorganized, lazy, short on time, or whatever to consistently get something together either the night before or in the morning. Here’s what we’ve done:

My noon lunch is usually ‘super cheap’…and super easy. I always keep a variety of light yogurt and fresh fruit on hand. If there are no leftovers available, I can just grab a yogurt and 1 – 2 pieces of fruit and my lunch is ready. If I happen to have cut up veggies or whole wheat crackers on hand I may grab them, too. This lunch costs about $1. The down side is that for some people it would not be enough to eat…and I admit, some days I’m hungry at the end of the work day. If you want to watch calories and sugar intake you do have to be careful when buying yogurt. Look for the containers that are both low fat and low sugar, they will usually have 100 calories or less for a 6-ounce serving.

Tell us about your ‘lunchtime solutions.’ How do you eat economically—yet healthy—for  lunch?

-contributed by Renee