As I work in the metropolis of Manchester in the UK, there are plenty of good restaurants for getting a lunch deal, but most are catering to the high carb palette. Burittos, pizza, burgers and sandwiches are a convenient staple for many, but doesn’t offer up a lot of low carb options without breaking the bank. Obviously, bringing in a low carb lunch from home is one option, but not always possible. While some of these meal ideas can be enhanced with items from home it is more convenient than bringing a fully prepared meal from home.

Most workplaces have some kind of kitchen with a microwave and fridge for storing food. I keep mine stocked with tuna, mayo, a salad dressing and often some blue cheese. I keep the Pizza Express dressing on hand when it’s not my wife’s balsamic vinaigrette and at times I may also add eggs to the list. These basic items help make many of these meals work so it pays to be prepared. With a little forethought, you can bring in additional ingredients to make things really work. If possible, adding some cream and/or butter to your supplies can help with a few recipes and enjoyed in coffee.

For keto, there are easy options such as a salad with a packet of ham, chicken and some dressing, however, one thing about me is that I don’t like cold meat. I will eat cold ham, but it has to be really lean and not have any weird fat or pink spots and I usually only eat it in a sandwich. This is really restricting for me in getting lunches at work without breaking the bank.

With that in mind, here are 6 lunches you can put together cheaply (under £3) with a little diy :

1) Tuna & Avocado

Tin of tuna mixed with mayo, and a sliced avocado covered in salad dressing. Make sure you put salt and pepper on both. This gives you 30+g of protein, good fats from the avocado and mayo for about £2.50.

2) Scrambled Egg

With a box of eggs for less than £1, scramble two with a drop of milk (or cream if you have it for keto fats), salt and pepper in the microwave for about 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Some nice additions are :

• 2 Fast food Bunless Cheeseburgers
• Some ham
• Precooked Bacon and Sausage from home.

If you are lucky, you might have a place nearby that will sell you just some bacon.

3) Prawn Cocktail

Grab a pack of protein filled prawns, the last ones I got were about £2 for a good sized pack. Add some mayo and ketchup to make a prawn cocktail. With a bag of salad you can split it over 2 days for less than £2 a day.

4) Egg Salad Protein Pack

Either bring your own hard boiled eggs or get one of the M&S egg protein packs and mix them with some mayo for egg salad. Have some salad dressing with the spinach or add a bag of salad and/or avocado. Eggs are a good source of fat and protein, as are the avocados.

5) Cheeseburger Salad

McDonalds offers a side salad and a bunless double cheeseburger for less than £3. Mix some mayo with the balsamic vinaigrette to make a higher fat creamy dressing to pour over the salad and dip the bunless burgers into.

6) Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad.

I love blue cheese, and I love bacon so putting them together with a nice vinegar based dressing is awesome. A bag of salad and 40g of blue cheese and you can have a good keto lunch for a few pounds.

6b) Dessert Bonus

The two minute mug cake is awesome. You probably need to bring all ingredients pre-mixed and just add an egg and the mayo, but its worth it for an afternoon snack when everyone else has biscuits to eat. Having the cream on handle helps and also gives a fat boost.