How to Pack Treasures for Lunch

Are you tired of paying $5.00 or more for the fast track to poor health? You can save money and delight your tastebuds every time you open a brown bag. That is, if you pack it with your favorite treats. Are you a cheese-aholic? How about fruit-to-go? Just these two items will provide a nutritional base for a splendid meal with protein and vitamins galore.

Cheese pillows pack neatly in a plastic zippered pillowcase. They come in so many exotic varieties-including diet fare--that this practical optiion will never bore you, either. They're so small that you can dismiss the need to bring dishes and silverware. They're finger-ready! Bring extras; that way, you'll never go hungry. They tuck in a pocket for 3 pm emergencies. They sneak into briefcases and purses, too.

String cheese is just as compact, except here we go horizontal-perfect for pockets in coat linings. Tiny cheese-cakes, wrapped individually, offer a third alternative to accommodate your wardrobe and carryalls. Every one of these items comes in as many sizes as jewelry: big as brooches, small as pearls. You won't be running around, checking on refrigeration, either. And they won't last long enough to spoil.

Rubies, Amethysts, and Citrines

For the second course, have you tried the gems now spilling over showcases at your supermarket? Once again, you can pick the size that makes just the right mouthful. Grapes come so big that they might be somebody's cocktail ring, if we didn't know better. Smaller varieties contain no less splash or flavor-maybe even more. You don't have to carve, peel, or chunk anything. They practically dive into a mouth.

Marvelous beyond flavor for the fast track traveler-they need no preparation beyond rinsing. They don't require bread or mayonnaise for company. They don't demand condiments to kill the aroma and savor of grease. And stale grease? You can forget about the dangers of that contaminator forever. Buy fruit fresh weekly, and you may never use dressings, salt, or sugar again.

The colors available satisfy the craving that begins the moment you press down on the gas. After miles of gray asphalt, gray clouds, and the grim mood of commuting, you may not even remember what refreshment means. But the need for it travels with us, no matter how fast we go. The color that carries nature into our mouths is green. Or, you can swallow a sunset with grapes masquerading as miniature red and black plums.

Angel Hair and Olive Fantasies

If you simply must have the major meal of your day at noon, don't despair. Pasta cooked al dente will weather any day trip in solid plastic cases. Light sauces will grace it; heavy sauces will drown it. That rule will keep your preparations succulent and aromatic until you're ready for them. Go easy on garlic, unless you want co-workers to believe you're starting your own restaurant-and, who knows, you might be!

Basil, crushed red pepper, and a touch of salt will enhance tomatoes, if they're fresh. Olive oil adds the necessary gloss and glaze for Mediterranean fare. Tuck olives into a light sauce, or substitute them for grapes, if you're an olive-oholic, too. You can prepare your favorite sauce on the weekend, when you will have plenty of time to smell it arriving at the correct stage of doneness. Then, store it in clear glass jars.

Bingo! On Monday morning, you will need four minutes to get that water boiling. Add four minutes to give Angel Hair the texture of savoir-faire. Drain it. Dress it. Pack it. That Angel will go with you anywhere! Indulge your preferences for piquant versus sweet, light or sturdy, as you make lunch your favorite meal from now on. And always remember to praise the chef-because that's YOU!