Master Your Midday Meal

1. Know Your Deli Meats
Sandwiches are the architecture of the common lunch-eater, but you need to start with a solid foundation. The hierarchy of health, in descending order:
- Turkey and chicken
- Roast beef
- Ham
- Weird processed things like salami and olive loaf

2. Turn Your Sandwiches Green
Replace mayo with a spread of ripe avocado to moisten a dry sandwich. Avocados are packed with monounsaturated (good) fat to help lower your cholesterol. Plus, researchers at Ohio State University found that phytochemicals in avocados may help prevent mouth cancer.

3. Be Slick with Your Oil
"Avoid splashing 'light' olive oils over your salads," says Elena Paravantes, registered dietitian for the Hellenic Dietetic Association in Greece—light varieties have fewer cancer-fighting antioxidants than the extra-virgin kind, plus they have a less intense flavor. Not sure if your oil's up to snuff? "Good-quality extra-virgin olive oil should have a fruity, peppery, slightly bitter taste and leave a faint burning sensation on the throat," she says.