Put that frozen entree down and don’t even think about going through the drive thru.

Those frozen meals are processed and full of bad stuff… I don’t care how healthy they try to appear. And the drive-thru… well – I don’t have to tell you how bad that can be!

Here are 5 lunches that will pull you right out of that lunch rut, keep your energy up, and keep you healthy:

1. Vegetable soup with shrimp. I love homemade vegetable soup. You can find recipes for super easy soups here. And if you really don’t have time to cook, in the grocery store, you can find organic varieties that don’t contain as much salt and no preservatives. Add some frozen, pre-cooked shrimp and you get a little extra protein. Yum.

2. Tuna on butter lettuce salad. Butter lettuce is my favorite lettuce right now (a.k.a. bib lettuce). No real reason it’s my current fave – just a nice twist on an old salad staple. I’m not going to tell you how to make your salad, just grab a bunch of your favorite veggies, throw ‘em together with some vinaigrette dressing, throw some unadulterated tuna on top – Voila! Healthy, filling lunch.

3. Veggies and hummus. Cut up some carrots, red bell peppers, cucumbers – whatever you like, and use about 2 tablespoons of hummus as you dip. You can make your own hummus, or check out the grocery store, there are tons of varieties.

4. Almond butter sandwich. A little like a peanut butter sandwich only a different nut. Use whole grain bread, spread 1 tablespoon of almond butter on each piece, and add bananas or apples. Healthy, filling, energizing.

5. Oatmeal with fruit and nuts. Oatmeal for lunch? Why not? It’s healthy, warm, and filling. If possible, use whole oats – not the quick cooking kind which can be loaded with sugar. Whole oats take about 2 to 3 minutes to cook in the microwave, so really, there’s no reason to use the quick cooking oats. Toss in a few almonds, some berries or raisins or cranberries – delish!

Lunch at the office doesn’t have to be boring, and it certainly doesn’t have to be unhealthy. If you’ve got lunch favorites, we’d love to hear about ‘em!