Are you having trouble avoiding snacks and drive through lunches? Lunch is one of those meals that people tend to forget to plan. They get too busy and by the time their body is telling them they must eat, it’s too late. The result is a vending machine or drive through lunch full of fat and sugar and lacking nutrients.

Here are 5 lunch ideas for a healthier you:

Italian tuna wrap. Tuna is full of protein and healthy fats. It’s also really inexpensive and quick to make. To prepare, simply add a bit of light Italian salad dressing to a can of tuna packed in water. Just enough for flavor. Add lettuce and tomato to a whole grain lahvash or tortilla, add tuna and season with salt and pepper to taste. You have a perfect healthy lunch that leaves you full and satisfied for hours.

A quick way to use leftover chicken or turkey. Use it to make a barbeque sandwich for tomorrow’s lunch. Chop leftover chicken or turkey and add to a bowl. Mix in a low sugar, low sodium barbeque sauce to taste. If you like it saucy then add more, if you don’t like too much mess, just add enough to coat. Place barbeque meat on a whole grain hamburger or sandwich bun and voila! A satisfying, protein rich, lunch. Add apple slices or coleslaw for fiber and a serving of fruits or veggies.

Bento Box. The bento box has been used for hundreds of years in Japan for lunch and it’s a wonderful way to provide variety and nutrition to your lunchtime. Egg, tuna, salmon or chicken salad on a bed of lettuce for one section of the bento box provides your protein. Use fresh berries or melon for fiber and antioxidants in another section. Add crunchy crackers or crisps for your third section and add crunchy veggies like carrot sticks and broccoli for your fourth and final section. You can mix it up and keep your bento box interesting every day of the week.

Soup. During the summer a cold soup like fresh gazpacho really refreshes and on cold winter days a warm soup hits the spot. And the good news is you only need a thermos for both seasons. We have an image of grandmothers or mothers slaving over a hot stove for hours cooking soup however many soups are quick and easy recipes often taking less than twenty minutes to prepare. And you can prepare them ahead of time and freeze them. Simply thaw the night before and you have a healthy lunch.

Fried Rice. Fried rice from a restaurant is guaranteed to be sky high in sodium and often fat too. However, you can make great fried rice at home and it’s the perfect microwave meal. Cook brown rice a day or two ahead of time. Chop up leftover meats. You can use tofu, shrimp, beef, lamb, chicken, or pork – just about any meat goes well with fried rice. Add peas, carrots, onions and other fresh or frozen veggies you have. Heat it all in a sauté pan with a little oil and add soy sauce to taste. Place in small sealable microwavable containers and you have lunch.

It’s not difficult to eat a healthy lunch. It just takes a little advanced planning. Five minutes to plan your week, a few minutes to prepare your lunch and you’ll lose weight, feel great and never have to rely on that vending machine or drive thru again.