Sometimes at lunchtime you feel like a farmhand coming in from a morning of hard physical work with ornery livestock and heavy machinery. You have oil smeared on your face and a farmer's tan. You are seriously hungry, and a salad will not do. Nor will soup or delicate nibbles of this and that. You need courses. A full-blown, sit-down, multi-plated affair of a lunch.

On the same token, you can't climb under your desk for a siesta, so this meal can't weigh you down like an atomic brick in your stomach. And since you were 7 years old, you've never liked the various foods on your plate to touch. Man, are you demanding. But don't worry, I can fit all your criteria.

First, you need one of these candy-bright vessels that's a twist on the classic, metal Chinese school kid lunchbox. It keeps all the components of your lunch separate, which is good if you're particular about stuff like that. You could also use one tray for your lunch, and the others for breakfast and a snack. And gosh, isn't it the happiest?

And then you can sit down with melon and prosciutto, your broiled mustard-herb fish fillets, and a big spinach salad. Totally what a super sophisticated farmhand with a girlish figure would eat. --Sarah McColl

Mustard-Herb Fish Fillets
Serves 4

1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons chopped herbs (chives, basil, parsley, tarragon--whatever you have on hand)

1 teaspoon olive oil
4 white fish fillets (like cod or sole)

Preheat your broiler with the rack as close to the flame as possible. Brush your broiler pan with the olive oil and place fish fillets on top. Stir together the remaining ingredients and coat fillets with the mixture.  Broil fish for 2-4 minutes or until opaque. Serve with slices of prosciutto and cantaloupe and a big fresh spinach salad.