Thursday, August 14, 2008

My Every-day Lunch

I have been eating the same brown-bag lunch at work now for I don't know how many years. Some people seem thoroughly amazed when I advise them of that fact, but there are certain advantages: it's inexpensive; it's easy to prepare; I can eat it quickly; and it's almost always the most-nutricious meal I eat on any given day. (I constantly remind myself of Judd Nelson's line from the movie The Breakfast Club: "Well, Brian, this is a very nutricious lunch -- all of the food groups are represented. Did your mom marry Mr. Rogers?")

So, what do I eat every day? A plain bagel with two slices of turkey breast and a slice of some kind of white cheese (swiss, currently), a small baggie full of "baby" carrots, a banana, a Quaker "Chewy" granola bar, and a quart of Gatorade. Occasionally, I'll get a Gala apple instead of the banana and/or a blueberry bagel (with strawberry cream cheese) in lieu of the granola bar, but that's it. I know many people who wouldn't think of spending less than $8.00-$10.00 every day on lunch (and who take an hour-and-a-half to eat it). On the other hand, my lunch, depending on the fluctuating price of Gatorade, probably costs between $2.00 and $2.50 per day, and I can easily down it in fifteen minutes at my desk (although this summer I've been eating lunch most days with Devery at a picnic table outside the building both of us work in). Never let it be said that I don't do my part not to break the family budget!