Brown Baggin' on the Cheap

The Topic: Tips for making brown-bag lunches on the cheap

The Dish: We know we have it good. The VegNews offices are located within a few blocks of four vegan restaurants, plus dozens of vegetarian and veg-friendly eateries offering up delicious plant-based fare. But what's a vegan trying to watch her budget (and her waistline) to do? Brown bag it.

Yes, it's glamorous to run out during lunch to pick up a sandwich, sushi, or burrito and not have to think about shopping, prepping, or cleaning up. But I enjoy packing lunch for myself, especially knowing that I am not spending money on food that I could make in my own kitchen (okay, not always true). Plus, restaurant food is ridden with oil, salt, and sugar, and the portion sizes send me into an afternoon coma. Here are my top five brown-bag meals that keep both my body and my bank account healthy.

1. Kale Salad

It's no secret that we're a bunch of kale lovers around here, but when a marinated kale salad costs upwards of $10 at a local vegan restaurant, I'll make my own. Buy a bunch of kale ($1.75), marinade it in an olive oil-lemon juice vinaigrette (50¢), and top with half of an avocado (75¢). Voilà—a delicious, nutritious meal for $3.

2. Bagel with Avocado, Sprouts, and Cucumbers

A toasted bagel loaded with fresh veggies makes for a hearty lunch to fuel an afternoon of editing. Buy a bagel (75¢), spread on fresh avocado (75¢), and top with sliced cucumbers (20¢) and sprouts (25¢). That bagel sandwich that costs $4 at a nearby café set you back just $1.95. Life is good.

3. Baked Potato with Toppings

If your office has a toaster oven or microwave, you can bake up a potato before lunch for a tasty midday meal. I love a baked Yukon Gold potato (50¢) topped with a slathering of vegan mayo (20¢), shredded lettuce (25¢), and chopped cherry tomatoes (40¢). Heaven for $1.35? Yes.

4. Soup

During the cold-weather months (that would be nearly all of them in San Francisco), I love to make a big pot of soup on a Sunday afternoon and then eat soup for lunch during the week. Think smoky black bean, curried sweet potato, coconut butternut squash, and African peanut. If an entire pot of soup costs $5 in ingredients to make, a bowlful amounts to just pennies. In my opinion, soup is the most underrated food on the planet. It's downright delectable, cheap, and filling.

5. Leftovers

Less ambitious and sexy than any of the above, packing leftovers from the previous night's dinner is actually a great habit to get into. Just make a little more dinner than usual, pack leftovers into a Tupperware/tiffin/lunchbox, and bam! Lunch is done. It takes a lot less time to make 25 percent more dinner than to create a new meal from scratch.

The Final Word: Whether you're new to packing your own lunch or are a seasoned brown bagger, bringing your lunch helps you save cash while keeping you healthy. My go-to meals are ideal for those who are time-starved, but I love the thought of fancy-pants bento boxes and gourmet lunch boxes. Enjoy the process, and happy eating!

Vegan Lunching

The Topic: Back-to-School Spirit

The Dish: Despite the fact that it has very little to do with me, I still get insanely nostalgic and excited during the back-to-school rush. Sure, I know lots of students might not agree with my happy attitude, but who can resist fresh notebooks and pens? On top of that, I loved taking my lunch—better food for less money, and I was nerdy enough to get a thrill from picking out an awesome lunch box. Today, there's an even wider range of sweet lunch carriers (including this one by PlanetBox up for grabs as this week's giveaway) that are long-lasting, eco-friendly, and, most importantly, pretty cute.

I was prompted to dig out my own while grabbing lunch to-go at a nearby café. One freaking bagel with hummus set me back almost $5—talk about a rude awakening. To think, I had just felt guilty for spending $3 on a bag of five bagels at the corner store. I don't even need to do the math for you, do I? Adding insult to injury, I'll be real with you: One bagel isn't going to fill me up. Packing my lunch means I can have a more balanced meal, and one that's actually filling.

The Final Word: Spending extra time at the store and in the kitchen will save you a major headache when blood sugar is low and you need a food fix before you Hulk out and start stealing your coworker's snacks. Need ideas? This week's VegWeb newsletter is full of them. Oh, and if heating up a vegan grilled cheese every day sounds likes heaven, don't forget to vote in the Veggie Awards—you'll be automatically entered to win a year's supply of Daiya.