For all of you who regularly nip into the nearest coffee shop to grab a sandwich for lunch back at the office desk – this post is for you.  Why not try BYOL or Bring Your Own Lunch? It is a healthier and often cheaper way to go about that crucial mid day fuelling exercise which so easily finishes with a bag of crisps and a chocolate bar if we’re not careful. 

Creating a powerful lunch with bells on is not only nutritious and inexpensive, it is also a great way to use up leftovers lurking in your fridge that may never see the light of day otherwise. It is taking frugality up a notch whilst keeping the bulge down. Make no mistake this is not cooking as we know it, instead it is food assembly which even the most culinary averse individual can dabble in.  Make it pretty, varied and colourful. Once you’ve decided what to put into your lunch concoction, assemble all ingredients in a container and take with to work.  Here are some ideas of what it could look like:

• A bit of cold left over fatty fish such as mackerel or salmon (omega 3 fatty acids, selenium, protein and vitamin D).
• Green leaves such as rocket salad, spinach, lambs lettuce or water cress (calcium, vitamin K).
• Pulses or beans (calcium, fibre, iron, manganese, protein) are all great additions cold in a salad.
• Drizzle with good quality cold pressed olive oil or rapeseed oil.
• Add freshly squeezed lemon juice or fermented apple cider vinegar (Bragg’s or Biona).
• Dash of Himalayan sea salt or Maddon flakes (mineral rich) and black pepper.
• A dollop of hummus or Greek yogurt mixed with ground turmeric and herb salt or mustard.
• For bigger appetites add left over sweet potato or regular potato – alternatively any cold roasted veg.
• Seeds optional but a good idea.

Simple. Inexpensive. Nutritious. Unique. Filling. Home made. End of story.