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    Two Clever New Lunch Ideas

    By | Shine Food – Wed, Dec 7, 2011 12:25 PM EST

    Photo courtesy of Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny BodyPhoto courtesy of Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny BodyBy Joanne Camas, Epicurious.com

    Buying lunch in Manhattan is enough to give you indigestion: It's an expensive business, and often you wish you'd just got your act together and brought food from home. Well, this week I stumbled on two clever ideas for transporting lunch to work and keeping it edible, thanks to Lifehacker.

    See also: Our Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes

    First, Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body explains how she layers salad in a jar so it stays fresh and crisp. (Yes, that means you can make it ahead and have a couple stashed in the fridge ready to be grabbed as you run out the door in the morning.) She layers her ingredients this way, as pictured: dressing, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, quinoa, and then spinach. Just shake and eat!

    The second discovery: Making a hot-rice "lid" adds edible insulation and keeps stews warm longer when you take them to work or school. Genius! Lifehacker points to Biggie's Lunch in a Box website for full details on this trick.

    So, no more overpriced city lunches or boring PB&Js for me.

    What's your favorite lunch to take to work? Any tips for carrying lunch safely/keeping it tasty?

    p.s. Still need ideas to shake up your lunch options? We've healthy sandwich, soup and stew recipes.

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