Your morning bagel is but a distant memory. The 10 a.m. granola bar has been reduced to a few crumbs stuck to your desktop.

Time to bring on the midday meal — and the daily dilemma of what to eat.

Lunchtime is no longer the leisurely three-martini repast of yesteryear. As likely as not, you now have just enough time to race out, grab some expensive and calorie-laden fast food or deli offering, then dash back to your desk.

From an economic and health standpoint, this lunch-on-the-fly approach can set a body back upward of $60 a week and perhaps as many as 50 grams of fat and 700 calories a meal, depending on whether you're adding chips and sodas to the mix.

It's just these numerical concerns that seem to be turning the tide in lunchtime behavior.

According to NPD, a Port Washington, N.Y.-based research group, adults toted an estimated 8.5 billion lunches to work last year. That's a 15 percent hike from 2003.

The researchers reported that a whopping 93 percent of those who brought their lunches cited budgetary reasons. NPD says the average fast-food lunch costs almost $6, three times as much as it costs to make lunch and bring it from home.

A recent Brandweek article reported that brown-bagging is at its highest level since 2001 because of the current economic woes and concerns over the increase in obesity rates. An allrecipes.com survey conducted last month revealed that 85 percent of respondents said they would be taking brown-bag lunches to work this fall.

But none of these reports delved into the really grisly details. Just what do you put in those little brown sacks, and how do you stay virtuous and organized enough to bring your lunch to work day after day without resorting to PB&J out of desperation?

"You stay committed by having all the ingredients at home already," said Janet Little, certified nutritionist for Henry's Farmers Markets. "Have a plan. Go to the grocery store on Saturday or Sunday and buy what you need for the week, not just a couple of days.

"You know how crazy your schedule is. If you get to Wednesday and have nothing to make for lunch, you'll give up."

To manage your time best, abandon the conventional practice of making your lunch in the morning when you are strapped for time, said Little. Do it the night before, no matter how tired you might be.

"I swear, 10 times out of 20, you are rushing in the morning, and if you didn't make lunch the night before, you're going to say, 'Aw, forget it.' "

Little also suggests cooking extra dinner the night before with the intent of using the leftovers for lunch the next day. Or do some batch cooking on the weekend and roast a turkey or chicken breast or beef to make your own lunch meat rather than buy pricey packaged meats that can be high in sodium and nitrites.

To fill out your noon repast, throw in a cut-up apple or an orange, said Little. "If you cut it up, you will eat it. Unpeeled oranges don't get eaten."

The same wisdom goes for veggies, she said. Yes, all praise the baby carrot, but consider cutting up a red bell pepper or slicing up a cucumber and pairing it with low-fat ranch dip or hummus, which comes in a rainbow of flavors, including artichoke and garlic.

By bringing your lunch to work, there is another savings just as valuable as those in calories and money.

"You're giving yourself time," said Little. "You should take the time to eat so you aren't stressed while you are eating.

"It's so much better than being rushed, having to get in the car, go stand in line somewhere, wait, wait, wait, chow down, then get back to your desk."

SPICY ALMOND SOBA NOODLES WITH EDAMAME

2 ounces dried soba noodles, preferably Eden brand

1/2 cup shelled edamame (may use frozen)

1 tablespoon almond butter (may substitute peanut butter or other nut butter)

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 medium clove garlic, crushed, then minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste

2 to 4 teaspoons hot water

Sea salt

1 scallion, white and light-green parts, cut into thin slices

1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into thin slices

1 tablespoon almonds, toasted, then coarsely chopped (see note)

Yields 1 serving.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the soba noodles and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or according to package directions, until barely tender. Use tongs to transfer the cooked noodles to a serving bowl, reserving the cooking water in the pot; return the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the edamame and cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain and add to the noodles.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: Combine the almond butter, rice vinegar, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Add the hot water as needed to reach the desired consistency, stirring to mix well. Add salt to taste; adjust seasoning as necessary. Add dressing to noodles and edamame, along with the scallion, bell pepper and chopped almonds; toss to combine. Serve at room temperature.

Note: To toast nuts, spread them on a baking sheet and place in oven set at 350 F, shaking occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully; nuts burn quickly.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 461 calories, 19 g protein, 59 g carbohydrates, 19 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 273 mg sodium, 8 g dietary fiber.

(From 101cookbooks.com)

Bursting Barley Salad

4 servings

1 cup pearl barley

2 1/2 cups water

5 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice

5 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup black olives, sliced into rings

2 cups seeded and chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup green onion, sliced diagonally

1/2 cup red onion, diced small

3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (if using dried, reduce to 1 teaspoon)

Place barley and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer, then cook for 40 minutes. Cool barley thoroughly in the refrigerator.

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice and red wine vinegar with the oregano, sea salt and black pepper. Add the olives, tomatoes, green onions, red onion and dill. When the barley is cool, combine with the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Per serving: 398 calories, 22 g fat, 6 g protein, 48 g carbohydrates, 0 mg cholesterol, 593 mg sodium, 10 g dietary fiber.

— Ocean Beach People's Organic Food Market.

TARRAGON CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3) (see note)

1 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon pepper

12 slices seeded rye or whole-wheat bread

6 romaine lettuce leaves

2 tomatoes, sliced

Yields 6 servings.

Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add chicken, cover and return to a boil. Boil chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn off heat and let chicken steep, covered, until no longer pink in thickest part of breast, 8 to 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to plate and let cool for approximately 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine celery, mayonnaise, mustard, onion, almonds, tarragon, lemon juice and pepper and stir to blend. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch cubes, then fold into mayonnaise mixture. Arrange 6 slices of bread on a work surface. Divide chicken salad among bread slices. Top each with lettuce leaf, slice of tomato and second slice of bread. Cut sandwiches in 1/2.

Note: Avoid the stove, if you like, and use a 2-pound rotisserie chicken, removing skin and bones. It should yield about 4 cups of meat.

Nutritional analysis per sandwich: 540 calories, 24 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 7 g dietary fiber, 32 g protein, 52 g carbohydrate, 60 mg cholesterol, 560 mg sodium.

— Whole Foods Market.

PORK CURRY WITH CAULIFLOWER

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons mild curry powder

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 1/2 pounds pork loin, cut in 1-inch cubes

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 head cauliflower

Yields 6 servings.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add curry powder and garlic and stir until garlic is golden. Add pork, and stir to coat completely with garlic-curry mix. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until pork is caramelized. Add bell pepper and vinegar, and cook and stir 3 minutes, or until bell pepper is soft. Sprinkle with salt.

Add 2 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, or until pork is tender. Cut cauliflower into bite-size pieces, and add to pork. Cook, stirring, until cauliflower is tender.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 256 calories, 12 g fat, 27 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 74 mg cholesterol, 294 mg sodium, 4 g dietary fiber.

256 calories, 12 g fat.

— Chef Deborah Scott.

WHOLE-WHEAT GINGER SNAPS

1 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup molasses

4 cups whole-wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 cup granulated sugar, for decoration

Yields about 5 dozen cookies.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease cookie sheets. In large bowl, cream together butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar until smooth. Mix in eggs, and then molasses. In medium bowl, combine whole-wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice, heaping the measures if you like a lot of spice. Stir dry ingredients into molasses mixture just until blended.

Roll dough into small balls, and dip top of each ball into remaining white sugar. Place cookies about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until tops are cracked. Bake longer for crispy cookies, less time for chewy cookies. Cool on wire racks.

Nutritional analysis per cookie: 105 calories, 3.4 g fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 103 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 1.4 g protein.

Caroline Dipping writes about food for The San Diego Union-Tribune. Contact her a caroline.dipping@uniontrib.com.

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