Lunches

Because lunches are often eaten away from home, they can severely challenge your commitment to healthy eating. Since many delicatessens pride themselves on overstuffed sandwiches, and fast food restaurants have fat-laden menus, brown bagging may be a good idea.

The most obvious cold lunch is a sandwich. You can use your favorite low-fat bread, but consider going international, with either a pita or tortilla. The pita, a flat, round, and hollow Middle Eastern bread is widely available in supermarkets, usually in white and whole wheat varieties. Cut it in half, and you have two half-circles with an opening ready to fill as creatively as you’d like (but skip the mayo, including “lite” varieties, and make your own dressing with yogurt).

Tortillas are available in a number of varieties, including white, wheat, and spinach. They can also be filled, creating the now popular "wraps." Again, go light on the dressing – better still, make your own.

Leftovers from last night’s dinner may also be adapted for today’s lunch.

Try a light but satisfying appetizer