Here are some ideas:

Tuna Macaroni Salad - 2 servings

Tuna Macaroni Salad Recipe 2 servings, 7 WW points each serving
3/4c uncooked elbow pasta  cook in boiling water until done
6 oz can tuna, water packed, drained
2 TB low fat mayonnaise or 1 TB regular mayonnaise
chopped bell pepper, onion, celery, grated carrot
tiny bit of sweet pickle relish or chopped dill pickles
sprinkle of dill weed if using dill pickles
~ mix it all together, chill

Lunch Menus:

chicken salad, crackers, vegetable sticks, fruit

cheese, bread, mustard or chutney, apple, pickles

baguette, salami, provolone, olives, fruit

meatballs, potato salad, veggies, fruit

pita and hummus, Claremont salad, cheese cubes, fruit

pimento cheese sandwich, Claremont salad, cucumber slices, dip, fruit

cold chicken, artichoke rice salad, pickles, grape tomatoes, cookie

Claremont Salad - keeps over several days in the refrigerator

2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons of salad oil
1 tablespoon of water
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cucumber (sliced)
1 carrot (sliced)
1 green pepper (sliced)
1 bermuda onion (sliced)
3/4 head of cabbage (shredded)

Shake the sugar, vinegar, salad oil, water, and salt together in a large jar and pour the mixture over the vegetables. Leave the vegetables and mix at room temperature for two (2) hours. Toss again very well and put it in the refrigerator overnight.

Sounds like you would be a good candidate for a Bento Lunch! Look up Bento boxes online and fix yourself a variety of tasty, small portions for your lunch:

4 parts rice, 3 parts meat, 2 parts vegetables, 1 part dessert or condiments
may include a snack item for mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack

Rice/noodles:
fried rice
lo mein
regular rice with sauce
sesame noodles
pasta or rice salad

Vegetables:
grape tomatoes
celery, carrot sticks
slaw or Claremont Salad
marinated vegetables
marinated bean salads
steamed, chilled broccoli, sugar snap peas, snow peas

Protein:
hard boiled or deviled eggs
cubes of cheese, ham, salami, turkey, etc.
cooked cold shrimp or chicken
meatballs
meatloaf

Fruit:
apple slices, berries, orange wedges, tangerine sections, sliced bananas, kiwi, pineapple, melon
applesauce

Other:
hummus, bean dip, or roasted red pepper dip, and pita chips
crackers and peanut butter
olives, pickles
cookie
small piece of chocolate

I almost always cook enough at night so there are leftovers for lunch. DH & I both take lunches every day.
Today I have leftover mashed potatoes with thinly sliced prime rib heated in the the leftover gravy and broccoli.

Sandwiches are good. I assemble at work because I HATE soggy bread. I keep a small container of fat free mayo and mustard in the fridge at work. Toss in some fresh veggies for 'crunch' factor!

I make up a dozen "Mcmuffins" and wrap individually and freeze for grab-n-go breakfasts (or lunch). High fiber english muffin, low fat cheese, a scrambled or nuked egg, turkey, canadian bacon or ham. Yummy! I add mustard at work.
Do you have your own desk? If so, you can keep canned soups, popcorn, granola bars, crackers etc. on hand for crazy days or cravings!! LOL
I currently have popcorn, a dried split pea soup, Fiber One bars and some Christmas candy!

A big salad is easy too. Add cheese and some leftover meat or tuna or sliced eggs or bacon bits for some protein. I do this alot in the summer.

Just start thinking about lunch the night before.
Can you cook extra?
Take something from the freezer for the next day?
Assemble, prep or package something ahead of time?
Makes mornings easier!

When I put away what's left at dinner time, I automatically put into lunch sized containers and stack in the fridge for the next day or two. If there's too much (chili, soups, lasagne, etc.). I put them in the freezer...well marked!!
This is important so you don't end up with a container of spaghetti sauce when you thought you were having chili!! LOL
Don't ask.

Deanna

I always did this with the veggie soup and cornbread (not sure the cornbread part was so healthy :)) and chili. So easy to make big pots on the weekend and freeze individual servings. I'm trying to get enough 'stocked' up that there is a variety in the freezer.

Another girl at my old office used to throw a bunch of chicken on the grill each weekend and freeze that in individual portions.

The next thing I'm looking at are the stuffed peppers - we'll have to see how that goes.

I have no idea where the original list came from but it's been in my kitchen for at least a year. please excuse any errors - I scanned it and used one of those optical reader programs:

1. Pasta Lover's Lunch Salad. Pack a cold pasta salad and a plastic fork, and your pasta lover will love you, too! Make your salad with lean meat or low-fat cheese (so it has some protein), lots of vegetables to boost fiber and nutrition, and use a whole-grain blend pasta, like Barilla Plus. Then just drizzle some light vinaigrette over the top and toss.

2. Pita Pocket Sandwich. Pack your whole-grain pita pocket with chicken Caesar salad, or any other lean meat or cheese filler mixed with vegetables and dark green lettuce.

3. The Fruit and Cheese Plate Special. Make crispy cracker sandwiches with whole-wheat crackers, slices of assorted cheese, and lean meats. Don't forget the fruit, which goes nicely with the cheese and adds fiber and nutrition.

4. Peanut Butter Fun Pack. Pack 1/8 cup of natural-style peanut butter, along with a plastic knife or spoon, wheat crackers, and celery sticks, and you have a peanut butter fun pack!

5. Bagel With Cream Cheese, Please. Bagels are a wonderful foundation for hardy sandwiches that stand up to being in a backpack or locker all morning. You can toast a bagel in the morning and simply spread some light cream cheese in the middle. Or make a bagel sandwich with, say, a little light cream cheese, some turkey, and cranberry sauce, then top it off with alfalfa sprouts or Romaine lettuce.

6. Carry a Cobb Salad. Plastic containers can hold the makings of a delicious salad lunch. Fill it with chopped green lettuce, chopped hard-boiled egg, light cheese, and/or lean ham. You can buy packets of light dressing, or just use extra packets of light salad dressing left over from your last trip to the fast-food chain.

7. It's a Wrap! Wraps are a nice change of pace from the usual sandwich. Use one of the new higher-fiber tortillas, like the multigrain flour tortillas available in most supermarkets. Then fill 'er up with chicken Caesar salad or assorted lean meats, cheese, tomato, sliced onion, shredded Romaine lettuce, and light dressing. Just roll it up and wrap in foil.

8. Noodle Soup Cups. Many schools offer a hot water dispenser so kids can add hot water to packaged noodle soup cups. Some brands are higher in sodium and fat, and lower in fiber than others. Check out the options in stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.

9. Veggie Sushi. Not all kids will go for this one, but there are some out there who really like seaweed-wrapped sushi rolls. You can now buy pre-made sushi at many supermarkets, too. Choosing the veggie-filled sushi means there's no chance the sushi will get a little "fishy" while it's in your kid's backpack.

10. Toss Some Taco Salad. If taco salad is a favorite, you can pack the meat mixture tossed with the shredded cheese, tomatoes, and chopped Romaine lettuce in a plastic container. At lunchtime, your child can add crunchy, reduced-fat tortilla chips and a little light dressing.

11. Fried Rice Can Be Fun. When made with eggs or chopped lean ham and lots of veggies, cold fried rice can be a satisfying noontime treat. Make your own, or plan on leftovers the night before if you're ordering from a restaurant.

12. Talk About Taquitos. I started doing this last year, and it seems to have stuck with my girls. I pop some Bean and Cheese frozen Taquitos from Whole Foods into my toaster oven in the morning, then let them cool. Then, I wrap them in foil and make sure they stay cool by packing a frozen juice box or small water bottle. By noon, they are cold, fun finger food.

13. BBQ Chicken Sandwich. Your child can assemble a yummy BBQ grilled chicken sandwich fresh at lunchtime. Just pack a grilled, boneless, skinless chicken breast (you can make it in your indoor grill the night before) with some lettuce and sliced tomato in one baggie, and a whole-wheat bun in another. Add a packet of BBQ sauce to the lunch bag, and it's good to go.

14. Meal Muffins. Certain types of muffins work as a lunch entrée. If you bake them over the weekend and keep them in the freezer, you just have to pull one or two out in the morning. By lunch, they are nicely chilled and ready to eat. Try ham and cheese muffins, Mexican Cornbread muffins, or quiche muffins (quiche filling, baked with or without crust in a muffin pan).

15. Turkey Jerky. You can round off a lunch packed with fruit, vegetables, and maybe trail mix or crackers by adding some high-protein turkey jerky. I found a turkey at Trader Joe's that is made without nitrites, MSG, or artificial ingredients, and the turkey is raised without added hormones. Can't argue with that. A 2-ounce serving of turkey jerky contains: 120 calories, 22 grams of protein, 12 grams of carbohydrate, 540 milligrams of sodium, and 20 milligrams of cholesterol.

I'm another who brings lunch every day, well almost every day. We usually go out on Fridays. I just pack up leftovers of whatever I cook for dinner into individual serving containers and freeze them, labeling them with the date and contents. Then I don't have to eat the same thing for lunch that I had for dinner the night before, as I'm always rotating in the newest thing and taking the older things out for the next day's lunch.

Pretty much anything I cook freezes well except mashed potatoes. They get watery. Any noodle dish. Leftover fish works. Leftover chicken, I go ahead and take it off the bone and cut it into small pieces and mix with the leftover rice or whatever I made to go with it. Leftover fritatta, rice dishes, etc. I sometimes make an extra hamburger when I'm making burgers, then I just put mayo and mustard on a bun and stick it in a baggie, take pickels in a separate container, heat up the burger in the MW and put the sandwich together at work.

I also save leftovers from lunches out when possible. Restaurants give you too much most of the time so I separate out what I want to save before I even begin eating, then I have a second lunch out of it. Today I had leftovers from a mexican restaurant a few weeks ago. Tomorrow I'm having leftover ramen noodle/gr beef mixture I made a couple of weeks ago.

I also do sandwiches sometimes but not too often. Most people here buy every day but I hate doing that. It's not only expensive but it gets old fast. I like to go out once a week for the social aspect but otherwise, my lunch from home is so much better.

I bring lunch every day, and much of what I bring is leftover from dinner. All kinds of pasta dishes are good, but I particularly like lasagna and cannelloni, both of which I make using fresh pasta. I haven't frozen them, but I do store them in food saver canisters. Tacos and burritos are also easy to reheat, and burritos freeze well. My burritos start with my Texas Bean Dip (I'll post the recipe later), and I also use that for making quesadillas. When reheating burritos or quesadillas, I microwave them for about 10-15 seconds and then finish heating them in a toaster oven. They heat faster this way than by putting them cold into the toaster oven, and the moisture balance is better. They will be soggy if heated only in the microwave.

I have to admit that I do eat quite a few prepackaged Japanese soups - they are much better than what I find in a regular grocery store, and I add wakame to them as well as furikake and toasted sesame seeds. I have to read the labels for sodium content, however.

When tomatoes are in season, I made a Pizza Marguerita using Cibatta bread sliced in half lengthwise. I spread the cut side of the bread with garlic butter and then add Mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil and heat it in the toaster oven. I do the assembly in the kitchen at work.

Lars

I love a nice salad for a "to go" lunch. A container of greens and veggies and a container of toppings. Tuna or egg salad, sliced leftover meats or cold cuts, cheeses and beans. I like leftover spaghetti or other pastas cold on salad greens too. I bring a small container of dressing and some crackers or bread to go with it.

I also freeze any number of meal items in portion sizes, easy to zap if I want a hot lunch. Cooking for just the two of us, I often have enough of any given dish to do that.

Thanks so much for all the ideas. This will definitely give me some variety.

Sorry for taking so long to post and thank everyone.... this new job is taking more of my time than I realized! I haven't had much computer time this past week.

One very very basic simple suggestion is to fill up a portion side container of frozen mixed veggies (you know the ones in the freezer cabinet with lima beans, corn, carrots, green beans.) Top off with a couple pats of butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. This used to be my goto lunch when I barely had a minute to fix something to take to lunch. Easy to get a bag of frozen veggies and bag of frozen parmesan in the freezer for days like this.

Also, glad to have a chance to post this recipe for a Lentil Mediterranean salad. Almost wish I wasn't now retired as I would think fixing a bunch on the weekend would work with leftovers for lunches during the weekday.

I've included a lot of the comments, some of which had ideas for substitutions that I thought I might want to try. I already LOVE lentils (and so does DH). Not sure if those who don't like lentils would find this good but then this might be a good way to find out if you still don't like Lentils even if it is a recipe that comes highly recommended. There were a whole lot more comments that were all positive - only some included here:

from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Mediterranean-Couscous-and-Lentil-Salad-13106

Mediterranean Couscous and Lentil Salad Gourmet : September 1995

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.
Yield: Serves 6
ingredients
1 cup lentilles du Puy* (French green lentils) or brown lentils
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup couscous
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 bunch arugula, stems discarded and leaves washed well, spun dry, and chopped
2 cups vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 pound feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)

*available at specialty foods shops and some supermarkets
preparation

In a small saucepan simmer lentils in water to cover by 2 inches until tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes, and drain well. Transfer hot lentils to a bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Cool lentils completely, stirring occasionally.

In a saucepan bring water to a boil and add couscous and salt. Remove pan from heat and let couscous stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon oil and cool completely, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl whisk together garlic paste, remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir lentils and dressing into couscous. Chill salad, covered, at least 3 hours and up to 24.

Just before serving, stir in remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
reviews

11/29/09
jennaren from Alberta, Canada

I usually use spinach and basil for this recipe, because my husband has a real aversion to mint. It's great with the variation, really clean flavours. However, last time I made it with mint and arugula exactly as written - even my husband loved it. The pungency of the arugula and the earthiness of the mint really bring the salad together. Great dish every time.

09/26/09
peeblesl from Austin, TX

Oh man, how is this so delicious? Even my boyfriend had four helpings, and he hates lentils more than anyone I've ever met! I definitely recommend the French green lentils - they hold their shape so nicely and don't tend to go all mushy on you. Will me making this for lunch this week and maybe next week too.

09/25/09
A Cook from Toronto, ON

This is my go to lunch now -- it's absolutely delicious, but after making this a few times, I recommend the following adjustments: 1. I agree with other reviewers: definitely double the dressing. 2. I use quinoa instead of couscous. Much healthier, and the texture works better in this. 2. Omit the cheese; replace the mint with cilantro (I'm not a huge fan of mint and I don't eat much dairy, but cilantro is lovely here). 3. Omit the arugula and tomatoes. Instead, I throw in chopped green onions, chopped cucumber and chopped red pepper. I think it's nicer than with the greens, and the big batch keeps in the fridge better (one batch will last me most of a week). Delish, delish delish.

08/23/09
momesty from San Francisco Bay Area

Made this for a picnic at a winery. The combination of flavors was excellent and everyone enjoyed this salad. Used small red lentils because that was all there was at home, but would recommend using regular lentils next time.

08/15/09
lucindah

This was excellent, a good combination of flavors. The more mint and arugula the better. And healthy too!

08/10/09
A Cook from Cleveland, Oh

Made this for the first time and was very pleased. It's a wonderful dish for a summer evening. I used brown lentils and they took much less than 15- 20 minutes to cook, I checked them after 12 minutes and they were already too mushy. The texture and appearance of the salad is better if the lentils are not mashed.

07/06/09
A Cook from Washington, DC

I have made this salad many times over the years - it has so many wonderful flavors and textures and is so healthy. I took a previous reviewer's suggestion of using Trader Joe's "Harvest Grains Mix" in place of the lentils and couscous and really liked that variation.

06/14/09
hungrypeanut

Cannot go wrong with this recipe. Used ISRAELI COUSCOUS which made for a much more beautiful presentation with the lentils.

05/19/09
A Cook from Mountain View, CA

I've made this salad several times, usually as a side dish to chicken kebobs and Greek yogurt sauce. One substitute I like to make is replacing the lentils and couscous with the "Harvest Grains Mix" sold by Trader Joe's. This nutty mix contains the larger Israeli couscous, quinoa, red and green orzo, and split-dried garbanzo beans - a great combination!

04/23/09
radariii from UK

made the recipe exactly as stated except double the garlic and it was a big hit. I got a few suggestions to perhaps add a bit of lemon, some olives, and maybe some cucumber for a little more crunch

02/26/09
kgrim from New York

This recipe is just fantastic. Great combination of flavors. I followed the suggestion of several other reviewers and doubled the dressing, which turned out to be just the right amount. This is a wonderful alternative to the traditional side salad and a great choice for a potluck.

02/22/09
avbrown

I thought this was great. I made it exactly as written. The only change I will make next time is to leave out the feta all together. I love feta but it didn't enhance this dish in my opinion and would be better left out. I am not a vegetarian and actually served this with grilled steak (gasp, I know). Loved the arugula and mint. Nice and healthy.

02/11/09
A Cook from Charlotte NC

Great dish! Alot of flavor and really nice combination of ingredients. I fluff the cous cous after it sits with my hands rubbed with olive oil. It seperates it nicely and keeps it seperated. I used about 4 med. cloves of garlic and it could have taken more but was fine with that amount. The arugula MAKES it and is a great vegan dish if you eliminate the feta and add more tomatoes and cucumbers. I might try olives next time as well. I also added slivered scallions and cilantro as I didn't have mint. I couldn't really taste the cilantro (surprisingly). Makes enough for 8-10 generous servings and them some...but the leftovers will rock tomorrow! Cant' wait! YUM!

01/05/09
marcellene from Beaufort, SC

If you need a good vegetarian lunch option, this is an excellent choice. I made it ahead and then followed the other reviewer's advice about adding the tomatoes and arugula right before serving. I also added a little extra olive oil and vinegar before eating.

08/26/08
tttterri from Wauwatosa WI

I really love this salad. I made it exactly as directed except I added seeded cucumber and deleted the cheese. Impressed with how well it keeps over several days. I'm taking it to work for lunch and the only thing I've done to accomodate the salad is to slice and add the cherry tomatoes each morning when I package it. I highly recommend this salad. I'm very glad I found this recipe and all the great reviews.

08/25/08
tree1456 from Alameda, CA

Wonderful salad! I added a bit more olive oil as it seemed a bit dry when I was ready to serve - try to find fresh, peppery arugula - it really makes the dish! MAde this with lamb kebobs and everyone loved it.

07/22/08
A Cook from Long Island

This salad was delicious! People have made some suggestions about adding more dressing or veggies, but I thought the original recipe worked just fine...I could be wrong, but it seems that the dressing was meant to just give flavor to the bland lentils and couscous, and I don't care for food swimming in dressing. Obviously an easy salad to adapt to your liking though. Great for a summer side with anything grilled.

06/17/08
mish_lc

I really enjoyed this recipe but would make a few changes next time. As others said, I doubled the dressing which worked out perfectly. I would add cucumbers or more tomatoes as well as using only 3/4 cup couscous or substituting quinoa. Otherwise it was a delicious blend of flavors, healthy and easy to make.

04/29/08
A Cook from Westport, CT

This salad is beautiful and delicious. I used the food processor to chop the arugula (I used half a bag of prepped arugula salad.) Couldn't find mint, so I used about six stems of basil leaves; also chopped that in the food processor. It resembles taboule; I will try it with mint next time. Loved the suggestion of using precooked lentils from Trader Joes. I also needed to double the dressing.

04/09/08
taniquaa from San Diego, CA

I made this dish on Easter for 24 family members. I added cucumber and increased the tomatoes a bit for more color. This recipe got so many compliments at the table, from the picky kids to my 90-year-old grandmother. Everyone asked to take leftovers home and for the recipe. Healthy, light, and delicious! I absolutely recommend this recipe.

03/19/08
A Cook from San Francisco

I used Israeli couscous, which mixed with the lentils, were tasty and satisfying.

03/14/08
chungclan from Cincinnati OH

Really delicious, but more labor intensive than I expected, with cooking couscous and lentils separately, and a fair amount of chopping to do. Will definitely make again.

10/16/07
A Cook from NY

My family and guests could not stop eating this...really delicious. Used frisee instead of arugula and it was very good.

09/17/07
A Cook from Ventura, CA

This is really tasty - addictive. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of using whole wheat couscous. Also delicious leftover.

07/31/07
erflores

This was really good. I used quinoa instead of cous cous to add more protein and I also added cucumber to give it more of a crunch. It turned out well but I agree with the other reviews that it needed more dressing so I doubled the dressing myself. My husband loved it and more importantly I loved it too since I'm always looking for easy, healthy, filling meals. It's a keeper!

07/01/07
stravis2 from Tampa, FL

My husband loved this so much, he asked me to make it again the next day. I obliged, but made some changes to the recipe based on the outcome as written. I used red, green, and brown lentils (no big difference). I doubled the Israeli couscous and the sauce (it seemed a little dry the first time, but nice and moist the second - big difference). I subbed spinach for arugula as someone else suggested. I used grape tomatoes and a French feta. The French feta I purchased at a Mediterranean market and boy, is it tasty!

03/21/07
hikergirl31 from longwood, FL.

WOW! I spent two years in Israel and gained 15 pounds from the food. This dish brought me back to the delicious land. The fresh mint, and arugula really made it super fresh tasting. This dish says it serves 6 but i brought it to a party and it was enough for 20 with leftovers... Everyone loved it.

02/17/07
andynbron

I've been making this since the recipe appeared in 1995. It is a great recipe, and it is so refreshing! I usually make this exactly as written, except I substitute spinach for the arugula. However, like others have suggested, you can substitute basil for mint (I prefer the mint and spinach combination). You can also substitute fresh mozzarella for the feta cheese--I used to do that because I didn't like feta, but now I love it so I only use feta cheese in the recipe. But the mozzarella adds a nice, very subtle flavor to the salad for those who would not eat feta cheese. This is definitely one of my favorite recipes, and anytime I make it people finish it quickly and always ask for the recipe!

02/04/07
A Cook from New York, NY

This recipe is excellent. Get French lentils if you can; it makes a huge difference. I used a little less feta cheese than the recipe called for. Goes really well with herb roasted pork tenderloin.

01/21/07
A Cook from Los Angeles, CA

This recipe is so delicious and easy to make!! If possible, use the French green lentils as brown lentils tend to fall apart. Green lentils keep their firmness and work better in this dish. I cooked the couscous in vegetable broth to give it more flavor and sometimes add diced and seeded persian cucumbers. This salad is great to take to parties or bring to work for lunch because it keeps for a couple days and the arugula doesn't get soggy.

08/29/06
missperkin from Scottsdale

Superb. Great on a hot summer day since there is little cooking on the stove involved. The mint is a must, in my opinion.

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I made chicken and white bean chili to bring for lunches this week. Also have leftover shepherds pie.

I'm hoping to make soups on the weekends this year for lunches during the week both to save money and to save calories. My favorite is chicken noodle - not fancy, just chicken, celery, onion, stock and noodles. Like others, I love split pea soup (especially with ham), lentil soup spiced with a bit of curry with carrots, onion, celery... leftover potroast into a beef barley soup... that sort of thing.

I'm a bit low on greens at lunchtime, but am hoping to start planning ahead enough to bring salads...

Do you have access to a fridge at work? I'm planning to keep salad dressing here, then I don't need to worry about transporting it.

If you don't mind cold lunches, good deli ham or turkey sandwiches and fruit (I don't like whole apples, but I keep an apple slicer/corer at work), cottage cheese and fruit...

I also will broil a bunch of boneless chicken breasts on a weekend and then pull them out of the freezer for lunches, too. I can eat those hot or cold (if they've defrosted!!)

also I sometimes bring meatless breakfast sausage patties, dijon mustard and tortillas with lettuce as a sandwich. Microwave the sausages at work and put the sandwich together.

just a few more thought-starters for you!