I recently returned to school full-time, which means that instead of keeping my lunch cool in the workplace refrigerator, I'm now toting it around with me until midday. I've turned to my freezer to help provide healthy, filling vegetarian lunches every day with frozen meals that thaw out in my bag over the course of the morning and are ready to heat and eat by the time lunch arrives.

Whether you're running all over campus or working in an office without access to a fridge, here are eight ideas for straight-from-the-freezer vegetarian meals to make lunchtime easier. More

A tuna fish sandwich is a classic lunch choice, but for a variety of reasons some people are staying away from tuna these days. Here's a vegetarian (and vegan) alternative version for those who miss that tangy, creamy lunchtime treat. Ask any mermaid you happen to see, this version is a winner! More

Ahh, one of our favorite dishes in the summer; fresh tomatoes, buffala mozzarella, and fresh basil layered together, and then drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. More

This is one of those versatile recipes that can serve more than one purpose — dip, sandwich filling, pasta sauce — and it makes use of all those beautiful eggplants that are in season... More

Even though I work from home about ten steps away from the kitchen, I have a terrible habit of not breaking for food. Fortunately I've gotten a bit better since setting pop-up alerts on my computer ("eat breakfast!" "lunch time!") and planning for meals like these vegetarian chickpea pitas. They're refreshing, filling, best made ahead of time, and easy to eat. No excuses! More

Whether we're talking falafel or deli ham, pockets of pita bread are one of my top choices for sandwiches. So portable! So neatly contained! So easy to eat! The pitas you make at home are worlds apart from the stuff you buy in stores, and watching them puff to glorious heights in your oven or on your stovetop is culinary magic at its best. Here's how we do it. More

When I spoke with Maria Speck this week about the diversity of whole grains, she offered me this recipe for Wheat Berry Fool with Grand Marnier Figs — a rather "lofty dessert" — made with thick Greek yogurt, chewy grain berries and drunken figs. I had to share it with you. More

A bowlful of brown rice, tempeh, kale, and other veggies has "health food" written all over it, but in our house we hardly think of this recipe as macrobiotic or vegan or anything else but satisfying. Brimming with the perfect balance of flavors and textures, it satiates the senses and even has my barbecue- and burger-loving guy requesting it for dinner. More

Do you eat steel-cut oats for breakfast? This time of year I turn to them gladly: nothing like a bowl of hot, tender, pearly oats, all creamy and delicious. Steel-cut oats take a little longer to cook than rolled oats, but that's not a problem. Set them up the night before and you'll have hot oatmeal in the morning almost instantly. It takes only two or three minutes to heat them up. Here's how I prep my oatmeal the night before. More

Q: Help! I'm having my friend and his girlfriend over for dinner, and he is allergic to all fruits and vegetables (seriously, I know it's weird) while she's vegetarian! What do I make?

Sent by Sarah More