Salad, Remixed

As a defiant response to Sad Desk Lunches, the Food52 team works to keep our midday meals both interesting and pretty. Each week, we'll be sharing our happiest desk lunches -- and we want to see yours, too.

Today: What's the secret to spicing up workday salads? More salads.

Desk lunch salads can sometimes be tough to look forward to. When the person next to you is munching a burrito and the burrito smell wafts over to you, it can be difficult to think "Who cares about you, burrito? I have a nice salad waiting for me! And it is healthy and homemade and budget-friendly!" Nothing against burritos, but we are here to prove that salads for lunch can be worth looking forward to -- and the secret ingredient is...leftover salads.

That's right, folks: Leftover salads are here to save your current-day salads! It's like Back to the Future but with crispy, pickled chopped vegetables instead of Michael J. Fox.

More: Here's how to keep your lunch sitting pretty 'til you eat it.

Much like Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future, you might be a bit skeptical at first. But have a little faith, and then start capitalizing on your leftover salads. All it takes is a bit of a sturdy, flavor-packed salad (we like this, this, and this.) Add a bunch of shredded cabbage or other leafy greens, and you have a nifty, thrifty lunch. Afterwards, you will have learned a valuable lesson; you will also be full of salad.