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Preparation time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

2 tablespoons lowfat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lowfat plain yogurt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

One 12-ounce can light tuna packed in olive oil, drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup chopped and drained bottled roasted red peppers, or 1/2 cup chopped fresh red pepper

10 black olives, sliced

1 large celery rib, chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 Whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, and lemon juice n a large bowl.

2 Add the next six ingredients and stir together gently. Season with the salt and pepper.

Per serving: Calories 185 (From Fat 67); Glycemic Load 0 (Low); Fat 7g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 13mg; Sodium 496mg; Carbohydrate 8g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 21g.

Tasty timesaving casseroles

Casseroles are another timesaving make-ahead lunch option, especially if you prefer a hot lunch to cold salads or sandwiches. Casseroles often take a little more time to prepare, but they're usually still quick and easy enough to put together on a Sunday as a way for your family to liven up its lunch menu. The best part is you get a whole lot of food for the week, as you can see from the following recipes.

Storing your leftovers safely

When cooking meals to have on hand for the week, safe storage becomes a priority. Leaving foods, especially homemade chicken or tuna salads and casseroles, well past their due dates is all too easy. Case in point: My husband and I were spending time at the home of a relative who had to leave for a bit. She told us to make ourselves a sandwich, so we took out some turkey and cheese and ate. When she got home she had a blank stare and said, "Oh . . . you used that turkey." Oops! Luckily we didn't get sick, but we easily could have.

Protecting yourself and your family against food-borne illnesses is essential to a healthy kitchen. That's why I'm sharing the following tips for safely storing food. (This way you don't have to worry about someone grabbing a science experiment from your refrigerator and thinking that the recipe naturally comes in that mossy green color.)

Keep your refrigerator in the "safe zone." Cooling temperatures should be between 34 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Within this temperature range, bacteria grow more slowly, so you can keep your perishable foods for a longer period of time. If your refrigerator doesn't have a thermometer reading, you can easily buy a thermometer and periodically check that your temperature is in the right place.

Store your leftovers in covered containers. Although plastic wrap can do an okay job, sealed storage containers work better to prevent moisture loss in your food. They also keep the food from absorbing other odors so your leftovers stay tasty the second and third time around.

Avoid storing foods in decorative ceramic dishes or leaded crystal. Lead can leach out when acidic foods come into contact with the glaze or lead. Look on the bottom of the bowl to see whether it's strictly for decorative rather thanrving or storing purposes.

Store cooked foods quickly. I often cringe at potlucks when I see the potato salad sitting in the sun for four hours. This is far too long a time for something like mayonnaise to sit out without being cooled somehow. Don't leave your perishable foods at room temperature for longer than two hours.

Use your leftovers within three to four days. If you have a hard time remembering when you first made a dish, label your container with the date that you cooked the meal. If you're single or if there are just two of you in the household, you may want to freeze half of your leftovers if you can't eat them all within three to four days.

Use the appropriate compartments in your refrigerator. Those different drawers really do have a special purpose. The meat bin is a little colder to keep your meats fresh for a longer period of time,