Bagged lunches need not be boring

What's for lunch?

Nutritious brown bag lunches should include a balance of the major food groups. If you can't eat it all in one sitting, eat smaller portions throughout the day.

• 1 serving whole grain (i.e. whole-grain brown rice, pasta or pita bread)

• 3 or 4 ounces lean protein (i.e. turkey or tuna)

• 1 serving dairy (1 ounce string or block cheese, 1 cup yogurt, 1 cup of milk, mixed with coffee)

• 1 serving fruit

• 1 serving vegetables

Dropping 10 or 15 bucks on an average workday lunch?

That'll eat a hole in your weekly budget. The alternative, brown-bagging it, usually consists of last night's leftovers or boring bologna sandwiches.

But nutritious, tasty and low-cost lunches from home can be easier and cheaper to make than you might think.

"I think people have in mind that it's either a sandwich at their desk or they're going out for a nice lunch," says Sarah Krieger, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Keep things interesting with a little planning

Shop ahead with an idea of what kind of foods you want to take to the office. Read supermarket ads that come in the newspaper every week, and choose items on sale or produce that's in season.

Hate deli meat? Find some chicken on sale and grill it up Sunday afternoon. Create entrees, salads and sandwiches for the week.

Then store the different ingredients in portioned plastic containers, so you can keep it fresh and build the meal at your desk.

A balanced diet is important

Your lunch, if based on the recommended 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, should reflect a balance of whole grains, protein, dairy, fruits and vegetables. The grains don't have to be slices of bread; try cooking brown rice or couscous ahead of time, or grabbing a serving of Triscuits.

"The bottom line is that you want to eat when you're hungry and have those foods readily available so you're not reaching for the vending machine," Krieger says.

While some people think produce choices are limited to apples or baby carrots, Krieger suggests you get creative. Eat fragile veggies like tomatoes and peppers earlier in the week, green beans or fennel mid-week, and save hearty carrots and broccoli for later. "Those you can prep on a Sunday, and they should last pretty much throughout the week," she says.

Shop smart, not just cheap

Your choices at the supermarket are critical to staying healthful. However, a recent consumer poll by Multi-sponsor Surveys Inc. showed that 40 percent of American adults who try to spend less at the grocery store are choosing less-nutritious foods.

Poor choices include enriched grain pastas and cereals and high-sodium soups. But tuna fish, peanut butter and beans are inexpensive and great sources of protein, Krieger says.

What about those ultra-convenient frozen meals that always seem to be on sale?

Thrifty shoppers shouldn't assume that because those lunches are lower in calories they're getting a balanced meal. Nutritious-sounding products, such as Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine, often contain more than 25 percent of your daily need of sodium. They also don't provide enough calories, so add some dairy or a piece of fruit to your meal.

"That's the misconception, that this will hold you over until dinnertime," Krieger says. "It's OK once in a while, but it's part of a meal."