Whether at school, college or work, most of us take some sort of lunch break. It's a good time to have a rest, catch up with friends and eat some food – but here lies the dilemma – what to eat? There are a feast of options but because of limited time or money, many of us stick to what we know – usually the humble sandwich.

Some of us make our own sandwiches in the morning before heading out, whilst those in a rush tend to grab-and-go at a snack bar or a cafe or buy a meal deal at a supermarket. A packet of crisps may be an additional staple to our predictable lunch. What we eat is usually the same everyday. Sheila Dillon from the BBC Food Programme says more than a third of office workers have eaten the same midday meal for the last nine months.

In the UK, bread has become the mainstay of our lunchtime snack, sometimes eaten at your desk – a style known as 'al-desko'. Bread is cheap and fills you up and with average lunch hours now reduced to 25 minutes, 24 seconds, it's quick and convenient to eat. But it's also boring! Some people have broken the mould by bringing in leftovers from their previous night's dinner, which they then heat up in a microwave but even that isn't very exciting.

We are creatures of habit but philosopher Julian Baggini says "we’re never going to break out of our midday malaise unless we think outside the box." There are alternatives that will fill you up. With just a microwave and a kettle, there a number of hot satisfying meals than can be made such as soups and jacket potatoes served with a dollop of baked beans or cheese. And then there are the ubiquitous instant noodles in a pot – although you may question how nutritious they are.

If you've got time for more exotic munchies, then look out for trendy 'Ottolenghi' style food such as fava bean salad wrap. There is also the healthy Japanese style 'bento box' or lunchbox that normally contains a mix of carbohydrate, protein and vegetable. And of course another healthy Japanese treat is sushi.

But if I've got time for a proper lunch, I head to my local greasy spoon and tuck into a fry-up. Not very healthy but delicious and it sets me up for an afternoon of hard work. Then it's time for the next dilemma – what to have for dinner?! What do you usually eat for lunch?

词汇表

a feast of 丰盛的，一应俱全的
humble 简单而普通的
grab-and-go 带走即食
meal deal 优惠套餐
staple 主食
mainstay 必备品，事物的主要依靠
al-desko 在桌边吃饭
break the mould 打破常规
leftover 剩饭剩菜
malaise 昏昏沉沉，低迷不适
think outside the box 跳出思维定式，跳出固有模式思考
satisfying 令人满足的
dollop （食物的）一小份，一小勺
ubiquitous 随处可见的
nutritious 营养价值高的
munchies 小吃，零食
carbohydrate 碳水化合物
protein 蛋白质
sushi 寿司
greasy spoon （供应油腻食物的）便利廉价的小饭馆
fry-up （肉、菜、蛋等的）油煎菜拼盘