Planning Cheap and Cheerful Healthy Lunches for one week

American Dietetic Association spokesperson Angela Ginn-Meadow, RD,compiled this grocery list for a week's worth of lunches costing $5 or less a day (assuming you already have salad dressings on hand):

Whole wheat pita bread

Romaine lettuce

2 tomatoes

1 cucumber

1 bag baby carrots

1 bag of apples & oranges

1 can of light tuna in water

1 can of salmon (split for two meals)

1 prepared grilled chicken

3 cans of low-sodium, broth-based soup

With this list of foods, you can prepare:

1 pita with lettuce and grilled chicken with light Caesar dressing; baby carrots; and an apple.

Salmon lettuce wraps with light sesame Asian dressing; 1 can of broth-based soup; and an orange.

Tomato & cucumber salad with olive oil and vinegar; tuna salad on pita; baby carrots; and an apple.

1 can of soup; and grilled chicken on a bed of romaine with sliced apple and light vinaigrette.

Garden salad with salmon, tomato, cucumber, and baby carrots; an orange; and 1 can of soup.

Diekman offers 5 more cheap lunch options that are also simple to prepare:

Whole-wheat tortilla wrap of hummus, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, feta cheese and black olives; plus a carton of fat-free vanilla yogurt, and berries.

Whole wheat pita stuffed with vegetarian refried beans, salsa, lettuce and shredded cheddar cheese; and apple slices with peanut butter.

A green salad loaded with canned chunk light tuna, carrot strips, pepper slices, tomato wedges, red beans, and dried cranberries topped with balsamic vinaigrette; with a cup of low fat chocolate milk.

A peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread; a piece of fresh fruit; and low fat yogurt.

Whole-wheat tortilla roll with sliced turkey, sliced low-fat mozzarella cheese, red pepper strips, and lettuce leaf (chill and slice into bite size pieces); with fruit salad and a glass of skim milk.

from Health MD