eating lunch at work

For some, a weekday lunch is the most dangerous meal of the day. Often there's not time for much of a lunch. Or there's only time for lunch at the desk. Or you're meeting friends for lunch. Or colleagues.

It's safest, if you are able to take time for lunch at work, to bring a salad or some leftovers. Sandwiches are gone too quickly. A salad is a good way to get 5-a-day, or even more. I used to vary my salads, but once I found my favorite, it became my stalwart. There's always room for a variation or two:

everyday lunch salad
(serves 1)
50 g baby spinach
5 cherry tomatoes, halved (or 2 tomatoes-on-the-vine, chopped)
1/2 a large carrot, sliced into matchsticks or chopped (approximately 70 g)
2-3 inches of cucumber, chopped or sliced (approx 75 g)
1/4 tin of chickpeas
25 g reduced fat feta
red wine vinegar

Rinse and prepare all the ingredients and combine into a tupperware container.

Calories: 170, which leaves room for a few pieces of fruit as a snack during the day.

Tips for this lunch:
-Add more vegetables if desired, to bulk the salad further - this will help to increase satiety. But CONTROL the portions of cheese and chickpeas. The cheese is a treat, and the chickpeas are there to sustain energy levels for the rest of the afternoon.

-The red wine vinegar is a substitute for an oil-based dressing. With the vegetables, as well as the cheese, there's plenty of flavor there already.

-Substitutes for chickpeas: butter beans, sliced chicken

-Open a tin of chickpeas on Monday: rinse and put into a small tupperware in the refrigerator. Use 1/4 of it each day and the tin will last you most of the week.