The healthy eating campaign is promoting the ‘Crunchbox’ to demonstrate to the nation’s British workers that making your own quick and tasty packed lunch saves a fortune and sets you well on your way to your recommended five daily portions of fruit and veg into the bargain.

The typical chicken sandwich, crisps, drink, chocolate bar and apple bought from a supermarket at lunchtime will set you back an average of £4.21 a day or £21.05 a week. That’s just under a thousand pounds (£968) a year3. And eating out at pubs or restaurants is even more costly.

Eat in Colour has devised two weekly Crunchbox plans. With Eat in Colour’s Fill up for Less Plan switching your regular shop bought sandwich for a tasty and healthy Crunchbox will leave you with plenty of lolly to cover the extra £250 you’ll need for petrol this year1.

Adopting the Eating for Heating Plan and making your own well-balanced lunch will save you over £10 a week or £450 per person per year, easily covering the rise in energy costs estimated to be around £400 per household2. Get two adults in your household to adopt a plan each and you’ll be crunching your way through the credit crisis and feeling a whole lot healthier too.

Eat in Colour Fill up for Less Plan

Monday

Greek salad made with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, red pepper, feta cheese, black olives and a splash of olive oil - £1.85
1 flapjack – 75p
1 banana – 24p
1 small bottle of fruit juice – 98p
Monday total: £3.07

Tuesday

Chicken and salad sandwich on granary bread made with chicken breast, tomato, lettuce, cucumber and mayo - £2.06
Half a small punnet of strawberries – £1
Water to drink – free!
Tuesday total: £3.06

Wednesday

Healthy rice salad made with brown rice, cooked aubergine, turkey breast, green pepper, spring onion - £1.81
Fruit yogurt – 54p
Apple – 22p
High-juice squash (one serving) – 30p
Wednesday total: £2.87

Thursday

Tuna pitta pockets made with tuna, mayo, red pepper, red onion, tomato, lettuce and cucumber - £1.99
1 x choc chip muffin – 89p
1 x banana – 24p
Water to drink – free!
Thursday total: £3.12

Friday

Posh pasta salad made with cooked pasta, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil - £1.35
Yogurt and ½ punnet of blueberries - £1.54
High-juice squash (one serving) – 30p
Friday total: £3.19
TOTAL: £15.31
Saving: £5.74 per week, equivalent to £264.04 per year

The Eat in Colour ‘Eating for Heating’ Plan

Monday

Homemade wrap with chicken, lettuce, coleslaw – 84p
1 carrot, chopped into sticks – 8p
Serving of fresh tomato salsa – 44p
1 apple – 22p
High-juice squash (one serving) – 30p
Monday total: £1.88

Tuesday

Homemade tuna, cucumber and sweetcorn sandwich on granary bread – 1.10p
1 banana – 24p
2 sticks celery and 1 tbsp peanut butter – 38p
Water to drink – free!
Tuesday total: £1.72

Wednesday

Homemade wrap stuffed with grated cheddar, coleslaw and lettuce – 90p
2 small satsumas – 28p
Chocolate biscuit bar as a treat – 25p
High-juice squash (one serving) – 30p
Wednesday total: £1.73

Thursday

Large pasta salad made with cooked pasta, chopped fresh tomatoes, tuna and spring onions with a teaspoonful of mayo - £1.10
Half a small punnet of strawberries – £1
Water to drink – free!
Thursday total: £2.10

Friday

Jacket potato with half a tin of baked beans and small handful grated cheese (for those with access to a microwave) – 75p
1 low fat vanilla yoghurt with chopped banana added - 60p
1 red pepper, chopped into sticks – 68p
1 serving hummus to use as dip – 50p
Small bottle fresh fruit juice – 98p
Friday total: £3.51
TOTAL: £10.94
Saving: £10.11 per week, equivalent to £465.06 per year