Four Great Brown Bag Lunch Recipes

Here are four of my favorite brown bag lunches.  Depending on your dietary preferences and restrictions, they can all be made as salads, sandwiches or wraps.  I like to mix it up so that I’m not eating the exact same thing for days on end.  I prefer whole wheat tortillas for my wraps and those whole wheat sandwich thins for my traditional sandwiches.

• Southwestern – This is one of my go-to mixes. I usually include diced rotisserie chicken, cubed pepper jack cheese, a mix of butter lettuce and spinach, roasted red peppers, and baby corn.  You could also add any other veggie you like, and substitute black beans for chicken if you prefer.  I dress this one, salad and sandwich alike, with a 3 to 1 ratio of taco sauce and fat-free ranch dressing.

• Caprese – My favorite salad of all time is the classic Italian pairing of tomato slices layered with fresh mozzarella. But you can really jazz it up if you want to make it your main meal.  You can dice the tomatoes and mozzarella, and add arugula or spinach, roasted red peppers, chicken if you like.  Dress it with balsamic vinegar or pesto sauce for a flavor boost.

• California – I just recently discovered this combination and it is wonderful! A combination of diced turkey, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, goat cheese, and poppy seed dressing.  You can turn that into a salad or a sandwich, depending on your preference.  But it was delicious!

• Chef – This one does work better as a salad, but I think you could turn it into a sandwich as well. Any kinds of lettuces and veggies work, and make sure to get your protein from diced turkey or ham, hard-boiled egg, and a yummy cheese like Gorgonzola or pepper jack.