Buying lunch at work every day isn’t cheap, and it can certainly be unhealthy – no good if you’re trying to save money or stick to a diet. But being organised enough to take your own lunch to work isn’t easy. It’s not just having the time to prepare something every day, it’s also about having enough inspiration to always be able to think of something interesting to eat.

So in an effort to stick to my plan to take more lunches to work this year, I racked my brains thinking of interesting and easy meals you could whip up with what you have left from the previous night’s dinner. So here goes…

Coronation turkey

If you’ve still got any of the Christmas turkey left over (or if you ever cook roast chicken on a Sunday) this is a really easy recipe that makes a more interesting sandwich filling.

Mix three tablespoons of mayonnaise with a teaspoon of mild curry powder, season with a sprinkle of cinnamon and some black pepper, and if you want, add a few sultanas and some chopped coriander. Mix in some small strips of cooked turkey or chicken and fill your sandwich!

Of course for a bit of variation, you can also mix your coronation turkey with some green salad instead of using it as a sandwich filling.

Easy quiche

Have a look at my easy home made quiche recipe to see how to make a delicious dish for dinner in no time. Save a slice for your lunch the next day – perfect enjoyed with a little side salad – something you can throw together in two minutes.

Super quick pasta

It’s an obvious one, but when you’re really pushed for time it is dead simple. Cook enough pasta for dinner and the following day’s lunch and mix it with some pesto and maybe a few cherry tomatoes and olives. Stick the leftovers in the fridge and hey presto, tomorrow’s lunch is sorted.

If you’d rather do something a little different though – try cooking some cous cous, and mix some pesto with that. Add some chopped tomatoes, onions and cheese (feta is particularly good, but pretty much anything will work) and you’ve got a delicious and slightly different dish.

Leek and potato soup

If you can heat it up at work, some hearty soup is a great winter lunch. Whip up some of my simple leek and potato soup and you can take a portion to work with a hunk of bread. Best of all, since it freezes really well you can have a few portions in the freezer for those mornings when you just can’t face making anything. Just get it out the night before if you can, and by the following lunch time it’ll be ready to heat.

And finally… this good life blog came about because I somehow found myself as the proud owner of an allotment, so if you fancy growing your own this year, do pop back in the coming weeks when I’ll be telling you about when and what to plant (even if you only have a windowsill to grow it on!)