Have you ever looked to see just how much you spend on food each month? How much of those expenses come from restaurant purchases?

We need to buy food. It is necessary for our survival. We can also make wise consumer decisions in doing so to help stretch our food dollars a bit further.

Bringing your own lunch to work is a great way to decrease food waste at home if you use leftovers from the night before. Prepare a little extra each night to make packing lunch even easier. Invest in a few good containers so you easily can reheat your lunch at work.

Follow these five tips for a healthful packed lunch:

This healthy recipe for Asian Style Cobb Salad from NDSU Extension is perfect for a quick, easy and nutritious lunch. Asian Style Cobb Salad

Ingredients 5 c. chopped romaine lettuce (or spinach)

1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges in light syrup or juice, drained

1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced

1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

Makes four servings. Each serving has 250 calories, 14 grams (g) fat, 8 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber and 160 milligrams sodium. For more information on this topic, contact Christina Rittenbach, NDSU Extension agent in Stutsman County, at (701) 252-9030 or christina.rittenbach@ndsu.edu