Last year, I started doing my PhD and all student discounts were not provided anymore. I accepted it as a change for the better, as one should not try to save the money all the time, but rather earn the money and spend it wisely.
Lunch at the university provides the students with big portions of food, that I never managed to eat. I used to take only vegetables and meet, or alternatively vegetarian dishes. This formula vegetables plus meet makes you feel awake after the lunch. Those who mix the carbs in a form of potatoes, rice and pasta, feel asleep often, and try to cope with the coffee. As a result productivity and energy decreases heavily after the lunch. Do you feel the same? I am sure, I see the smiles on your faces.
I came up with the idea of preparing the food on my own! The criteria for good lunch were:
- Cooking it fast: the preparation time, involving me should be less than 30 minutes at most
- Containing vegetables and fresh herbs
- Avoiding red meat
- Tasty, yam!
- Using healthy sauces
- Light in calories, but proving me with good nutrition
At first glance, all those requirements seem to be somehow tight. But believe me, they are all taken into account:) I even do not have to plan what to buy in advance, because there is a list of products with floating components, that provide me good nutrition, are tasty and are easily combined.
Let me list some of ingredient groups, I use.
Vegetables: broccoli, cauli-flower, celery, cucumber, tomatoes (organic)
Herbs: rucola, spinach, napolitana mix
Cheese: goat cheese, mozarella, light salad cheese
Sauce: turkish jogurt, guacamole, pumpkin seed oil, walnut oil, coconut creme
Meet & fish : chicken breasts, salmon, perch, ready made fish patties, tuna, turkey
Meet and fish are mostly made in the oven in aluminium foil, that does not require my time at all except mixing with favourite spices 
Preparing the food gives me freedom with my eating time and place. When I am busy, I can escape going to the cantine with friends and rather do my work. However, “Never Eat Alone”, as time for comminucation is as important as work time.
When choosing what to cook and not following the recipes, you develop your creativity and intuition in cooking. Believe me, making your own recipies with your needs, gives you even more satisfaction. As you are cooking for your own lunch, you can afford to try and fail, but that will not work with guests:)
The most important point, is feeling yourself more energetic! Those who drink coffee know what I mean. Your state and how you feel, is heavily controlled by the food. So control the food, do not let food control you 😉
And finally I will show you some of my lunch examples! (sweet potato soup and wrap)
