5 cost-saving lunches

Chicken Pitas with Tahini Sauce
Two pieces of fried chicken take up more than 40 g of an adult woman's limit of 63 g of fat per day. Sodium goes through the roof at more than 2,000 mg (the recommended daily limit is 3,500 to 4,500 mg). To our healthy alternative, we've added parsley, which is more than a pretty garnish; it's high in folate and vitamins A and C. We suggest broiling enough chicken to have for supper and to pack leftovers for lunch. See Broiled Cajun Chicken Breasts, page 124.

Fried Chicken (2 pieces):
Trip to food court: 15 minutes
Cost: $2.99
Fat: 44 g
Calories: 730
Sodium: 2,205 mg

VS

Chicken Pitas with Tahini Sauce:
Time to make: 10 minutes
Cost: $2.31
Fat: 13 g
Calories: 381
Sodium: 457 mg
Bonuses: Fibre from whole wheat pita; 1 Canada's Food Guide serving of vegetables; vitamins A and C and folate from parsley; vitamin A and lycopene from tomatoes.

Black Bean and Lime Chili Salad
When you add up the grams of fat in a taco salad of chili, fried tortilla bowl, full-fat cheese and sour cream, it comes to about 50 g. Our version features light Monterey Jack cheese, which is flavourful with 43 per cent less fat than the regular. And this salad is so delicious that you won't even miss the sour cream.

Taco Salad:
Trip to food court: 15 minutes
Cost: $5.99
Fat: 51 g
Calories: 830
Sodium: 1,760 mg

VS

Black Bean and Lime Chili Salad:
Time to make: 10 minutes
Cost: $2.50
Fat: 14 g
Calories: 400
Sodium: 1,110 mg
Bonuses: One-half of day's fibre intake; almost 2 Canada's Food Guide servings of vegetables.

Vegetable Pizza
Delicious and colourful, this is what pizza should taste and look like. Using small amounts of two cheeses - feta for flavour and mozzarella for stretchiness - gives satisfaction without excessive fat.

Cheese and Pepperoni Pizza:
Trip to food court: 15 minutes
Cost: $2.99 per slice
Fat: 14 g per slice
Calories: 280 per slice
Sodium: 600 mg per slice

VS

Vegetable Pizza:
Time to make: 20 minutes
Cost: $1.11 per slice
Fat: 5 g per slice
Calories: 158 per slice
Sodium: 400 mg per slice
Bonus: 2 slices (one-quarter of the pizza) provide 1 Canada's Food Guide serving of vegetables.