take to work lunches

What's Your Best Advice for Taking Your Lunch to Work?

MICRO RESOLUTIONS FOR 2016

10 Sandwich-Free Lunch Ideas for Kids and Grownups Alike

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For the third year in a row, one of my New Year's resolutions is to take my lunch to work. There are so many benefits this goal will have on my life — I'll save some money, eat a little healthier, and be less wasteful. This is going to be the year that I actually follow through on my resolution, but I need your help. What's your best advice for taking your lunch to work regularly?

Salad Swag: 3 Cures for the Common Salad

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I want to set myself up for success this year by making things a little easier. Instead of saying I want to take my lunch to work every day, I want to commit to just four days a week. Right now I'm thinking I'll make lunches on Sunday night for Monday and Tuesday, and then on Wednesday night I'll make lunches for Thursday and Friday. Wednesday will be the day I order from Seamless for lunch.

This year I also want to come to terms with what I actually want to eat for lunch. Most days, to be totally honest, I just want a giant salad. I don't want that new burger everyone is talking about for lunch, or that sandwich with all of the salami. My body craves greens at least once a day, so anything with lots of kale or arugula is going to be great for lunch. Extra points for lots of cheese and some nutty grain like farro.

This recipe roundup for salad might be aimed for summer, but I think it can really apply year-round.

Get the Recipes: 20 Salads You Need to Eat This Summer

This week I made a simple arugula salad with quinoa, black beans, corn, red onion, feta, and a lemon vinaigrette. I packed the quinoa, black beans, corn, red onion, and feta in a Mason jar, and the vinaigrette in a jam jar. I took the entire container of arugula with me to the office to spread out throughout the week, but I'm not sure that habit is sustainable with a communal fridge.

So here's what I want to know from you: What are the habits that have helped you bring your lunch to work? Are there any lunch boxes or containers that make things easier? Preferably something that isn't bulky. And if you bring a salad to work, how do you transport it without it getting gross? How do you transport your greens? Do you transport it all separately and assemble at the office? Do you transport all your lunches in bulk to the office?

(Image credits: Faith Durand)

20 Salads You Need to Eat This Summer

RECIPES FROM THE KITCHN

Baked Red Lentil Falafel Salad

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OPEN SLIDESHOW

Salads are amazing all year-round, but come summer, it's a whole different ball game. There's a bounty of fresh produce in peak season — it's salad's time to shine.

From classics you might not have tried at home yet, like French-inspired baked goat cheese salad and the perfect toss of strawberries and poppy seed dressing, to hearty dinners of red lentil falafel on greens and the ultimate BBQ chicken Cobb salad, here are 20 salads to make your summer complete.

Jeffrey Alford & Naomi Duguid's Lettuce Salad with Hot Beef Dressing

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If a lighter, fresher bite to eat is what you're after, then it's time for a really good salad. Go the traditional route with a spinach and strawberry salad, or try the path less-traveled with a lettuce salad with hot beef dressing (my favorite!).

Leafy Green Salads

• Garlicky Grilled Kale Salad with Grilled Bread
• Alice Waters' Baked Goat Cheese with Spring Lettuce Salad
• Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
• Jeffrey Alford & Naomi Duguid's Lettuce Salad with Hot Beef Dressing
• April Bloomfield's Steamed and Raw Radish Salad with Kimchi and Sesame
• Kale & Quinoa Salad with Dates, Almonds & Citrus Dressing
• Bar Tartine's Chicory Salad with Anchovy Dressing
• Wild Rice and Mixed Greens Salad

BBQ Chicken Cobb Salad

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Sometimes salads make a nice addition to your meal, and other times, the salad is the meal. Packed with hearty toppings and mix-ins, these salads know how to hold their own as the main attraction.

Salads Fit for a Meal

• Classic Salad Niçoise
• Baked Red Lentil Falafel Salad
• BBQ Chicken Cobb Salad
• Shrimp & Arugula Salad with Preserved Lemon Dressing
• Chickpea Waldorf Salad
• Classic Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese

Cold Lentil Salad with Cucumbers and Olives

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Sometimes you just want a salad without greens. Plenty of salads are actually better off without them, like our perfect-for-summer tomato salad, a cold lentil salad, carrot salad tossed with spiced chickpeas, and a Mediterranean cauliflower couscous salad.

Salads Without Greens

• Tomato Salad with Red Onion, Dill and Feta
• Yotam Ottolenghi's Roast Chicken & 3-Rice Salad
• Cold Lentil Salad with Cucumbers and Olives
• Anna Jones' Raw Thai Citrus Crunch Salad
• Mediterranean Cauliflower Couscous Salad with Roasted Chickpeas & Lemon Dressing
• Carrot Tahini Salad with Spiced Chickpeas