It’s almost noon and the only thing that’s on your mind is where you are going to go for lunch.  Seriously, ANYTHING to get out of the office for an hour! But rather than emptying your wallet and filling yourself up with unnecessary calories, pack yourself a lunch and pick a pretty spot in the park to eat.  This way you’re saving money, eating well, and enjoying beautiful scenery while doing so.

When I first started working, the idea of packing myself a lunch seemed like the ultimate loser move.  After eating out for every lunch everyday for a while, however, I realized that going out to eat isn’t always the best idea.  Not only do I find myself overeating and ready for a nap at 1pm, but the cost really adds up.  I’d much rather spend that cash grabbing dinner and drinks with my girls after work. So what do you say? Give the old brown bag another try and see if you can pack something delicious, healthy, and energizing!

The problem is, the classic peanut butter and jelly can really get old after a while.  And you can only rotate between strawberry jelly and grape jelly for so long.  Solution? Switch it up with some turkey! Throw in your favorite veggies and use your favorite bread.  Make your homemade sandwich deli status by spending the money to buy good ingredients on Sunday and having them last for the whole week.

Something else I’ve noticed that keeps me going during the work day is having something to snack on.  After going through chips, chocolate, and cupcakes, I’ve settled on something that is delicious, healthy, and keeps me going.  Veggies with any type of dip is always delicious.  I personally love hummus, but I see plenty of people smiling as they crunch away on carrots and ranch.  So try it out: pick a dip that suits you and the possibilities are endless. Not a veggie person? Go with the fruit.  There’s nothing more refreshing than biting into fresh fruit just when you thought you were going to pass out at your desk. Add some yogurt to the mix and you have yourself a homemade parfait.

What are some of your favorites to pack for lunch? What are some healthy and cheap options for when you decide to go out for lunch?

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An unlikely couple may be in the making.

Janet Jackson was spotted warming up to actor and ladies’ man Colin Farrell. According to eonline.com, the two were seen last week sitting side by side in a booth at the renowned Polo Lounge located in the Beverly Hills Hotel.

VIDEO: Janet’s “Make Me”

Jackson performed a medley of her hits on Sunday night’s “2009 American Music Awards.” Meanwhile, Farrell has several movies in the works.

Check out Janet’s performance last night:

Take a look at Janet below:

After being spotted leaving Rashard Lewis’ apartment yesterday, Rihanna quickly cleaned up and hit the streets again. She was spotted headed to a lunch where Santigold was also dining. Then she was spotted on the town last night. She has certainly been around a lot lately…

Rihanna spotted leaving Rashard Lewis’ apartment!

Rihanna with Pharrell!

Rihanna and Drake, just friends?

Want to save money during this recession? Take your lunch and snacks to work. You’ll save $2-3 every day on lunch and a dollar or so on snacks. That adds up to $500 to $1,000 each year!

Here are five brown bag lunch ideas:

1. Lunch on leftovers
When cooking dinner, make a little extra and take the leftovers for your lunch. This is always more economical than going out to lunch. Looking for leftover ideas? Try these:

2. Eat in season
Particularly helpful in saving money, take advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Make them part of a meal or take them as a healthy, budget-friendly snack.

Find out the 10 yummy fat burning foods

3. Make pita sandwiches
Pitas are easy to pack and quite neat to eat. Dr Canfield suggests Mexican pita sandwiches: Stuff a whole wheat pita with a variety of healthy Mexican-style choices like pinto beans, black beans, cubed chicken breast, salsa, brown rice, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced avocado and diced onion. As a side, pack a fruit of your choice (for example, an apple, banana, grapes or sliced papaya) and a sparkling water. Here are two more pita recipes for lunch:

4. Toss a “tupperware” salad
Fill a tupperware or other container with lettuce greens and top with sliced tomato, cucumber, onion, shredded carrot, garbanzo beans or any raw veggies or bean you like. Use a nice aged balsamic vinegar for your salad dressing – balsamic is a fat-free and healthy alternative to high-fat commercial salad dressings.

For more tips, go here.

Click here for recipes for spring.