Even though I am spoilt by working in a restaurant, sometimes I feel like a change from the menu at Wahaca and venture on to the streets of Covent Garden to seek out my lunch. I think it is human nature to crave change, especially where our tummies are concerned.

The trouble is that when you work away from home, you quickly become a slave to eating out, forced to eat less fresh food than you would normally.

Temptation lies in huge, mayonnaise-laden, carbohydrate-heavy sandwiches that you gobble up in hunger, only to leave you weighed down and dozing off through most of the afternoon.

Moreover, not only is it difficult to eat out healthily every day, but it ends up costing a fortune.

Even the cheapest sandwich bars can set you back £5-£10 once you have factored in a drink, a sandwich and fruit, chocolate or a packet of crisps. When you add this up over a year, you soon realise that a quick sandwich can cost you nearly £2,000. No wonder Sainsbury's has reported a 36 per cent increase in the sale of plastic sandwich boxes.

In a BBC Good Food survey, 74 per cent of those questioned who work said they take packed lunches at least once a week. A third of them are taking their lunch in more regularly now than six months ago, and 71 per cent of these people said the reason for this was the current economic climate.

A sandwich might do in summer, but as the days draw in and the temperature drops, something a little warming is needed.

An easy solution is to make some extra supper and take it to work the next day. Invest in a great thermos for soup; some sexy Tupperware; and some zip-up, reusable bags (see panel left). Not only will you feel better, you will save loot and make your colleagues incredibly envious.

Recipes

Black bean soup with coriander and lime

Smoked chilli chicken

Tuna linguine

Frittata with feat and chilli-roast sweet potato

Explore Food & Drink

• Gordon Ramsay

• Heston Blumenthal

• Recipes

• Wine

• Real Food

• Drinks

• Anjum Anand

• Eating Out

• Video Recipes

Times Recommends

• Jane MacQuitty’s party wine
• Oliver Peyton's Christmas pavlova
• Blood orange cosmopolitan