Brown Baggin' It: Cheap Lunch Ideas For The Working Stiff - San Francisco

Someone found a deep-fried rooster head in their McNuggets last year.

The likelihood of ingesting such an item decreases tremendously when you prepare your own meals.

Anything With Beans

Chili, black bean soup, lentils, etc. All easy on the pocketbook.

Pastas

Thin out pricy veggies with cheap bulk pasta. It’s another thing that prepares will in big batches, and can be stretched out. It also improves in flavor over time.

Canned Salmon & Tuna

Skip The Drinks

You can save $500 a year by skipping your daily vending machine beverage. Use office-supplied teas, or be good and drink water.

Or Don't

You can always leave greens, peppers, cherry tomatoes and whole cucumbers in the fridge and chop them when you need them. I like doing this because it’s a nice change from staring at a computer screen all day.

And even though some of these options can be pricy, they can be a small supplement to liven up your frozen burrito.

TIP: Buy a real head of red leaf lettuce instead of paying 3 times as much for a wimpy bag of pre-mixed stuff.

It's An Excuse To Go Lunchbox Shopping

Corn Bread

If time isn’t a huge issue for you, corn bread is a really cheap and fun recipe to make. I like to take the pre-packaged mix and add in 1/4 cup of pesto and some crushed red pepper for extra flavor. A great side to any of these bean-based dishes, or even salads.

It’s no more expensive than buying a loaf of bread, and it’s so much more satisfying.

Anything With Eggs

I like to hardboil a batch of eggs at the beginning of the week and bring them to work. Then I can prepare them into egg salad, throw them on a salad, or have them as emergency snacks. Plus, they are cheaper than Dolly Parton. I just got a pack of 24 for 3.19 this week at Costco!

Prep Layered Jar Combos

You can make these ahead, and create variations on pasta salads, bread salads, pilaf dishes, etc. A few fresh herbs, and a good dressing will make all the difference.

Or Buy Generic...

I heart Dr. Skipper. Or RC Cola. If you must buy drinks at lunch, get a 2-liter bottle and keep it in the fridge.

Don't Stay In The Break Room

Just because you bring your lunch doesn’t mean you have to eat it in the stinky old break room listening to the co-worker who talks about her cake-decorating class all of the time. Find a park, or eat quickly and go for a walk.

Prep Big Batches