The best of the brown bags: Healthifying your lunch

Bringing your own lunch to work is a great way to cut those extra calories that come from dining out. That is, if your lunch is healthy. All too often, lunches are full of refined, processed foods, sugar and not enough healthy stuff. So how can you make your lunch healthier -- and better for your waistline?

If you're packing a sandwich, the first step is looking at the bread you're using. White bread is out in favour of whole grain bread that's low in a fat and full of satisfying fibre. Lean meats, low-fat cheeses, veggies and some sort of healthy spread (think mustard) round off the sandwich, and a small of salad or fruit is a great addition. If you're not in to sandwiches, try cooking something the night before, such as some grilled chicken and veggies. eDiets has more suggestions here.

What's your ideal lunch? For me, it's smoked salmon on whole wheat with some low-fat cream cheese and veggies, plus a side of a fruit.