Another good idea: a big pot of vegetable soup that can be divided into portions and kept in the refrigerator for a number of lunches. Vegetable soup combines the bouillon, vegetable, and starch (crackers) portions of lunch. Here is a recipe for a pot of delicious low protein vegetable soup, contributed by Professor Judith Green of William Paterson College in New Jersey:

Margaret Green’s Vegetable Soup

(makes about 8 cups) 4 cups bouillon (chicken or beef) 2 cups water 1 stalk of celery, sliced 1 small parsnip, peeled and sliced 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 2 cups coarsely shredded cabbage 1 small onion, diced 2 large cloves of garlic, minced (about 3 tablespoons) 1?8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 cup sliced green beans 2 cups drained canned corn 1 tablespoon salad oil 1?2 teaspoon dried oregano 1?4 teaspoon dried marjoram 1?4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1?2 teaspoon salt, or salt to taste (if desired) 1 or 2 tablespoons cornstarch (if desired) 1?2 teaspoon lemon juice In a large pot, combine the bouillon, water, celery, parsnip, carrots, cabbage, onion, garlic, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for half an hour. Next, add the green beans, canned corn, oil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, and salt. Bring to a boil again and simmer for another half hour. (The soup can be thick ened by mixing a few tablespoons of cornstarch with a little cold water and stirring the mixture into the soup.) Just before turning off the heat, add the lemon juice and stir well. When dividing portions, mix the soup from the bottom of the pot to distribute the vegetables evenly. The entire pot of soup will contain about 14 grams of protein. If the pot is divided into seven equal portions, each portion will contain about 2 grams of protein.