Lunch hour has become recess, a chance to unwind and play a little bit. But it doesn't have to be. Those 45 minutes every day can be the reason you go to work and just the time you need to make some major changes in your life. Get ready to give a whole new meaning to the term lunch money.

Make money on your time

You have 45 minutes of scheduled free time every day. You can watch videos online, get trapped behind your desk, or you can do something useful- like launch your own business. By having time set aside every day, you no longer have an excuse not to launch your dream career. So, tap into your entrepreneurial side and start selling wine on your lunchbreak.

So, you're not the Coppola winery, what do you want to do? Get started on your business plan, website, or corporate logo. Even with just a few minutes a day, you'd be suprised how much you can accomplish in a week.

Back to school

As long as you're thinking about school recess, you might as well head back to the classroom. With online courses offering everything from certificate to master's degrees, your lunch time might be the right time to pursue an advanced degree. According to the U.S. Commerce Department's Census Bureau, an average working person can expect to earn $2.1 million over the course of their lifetime if they have a bachelor's degree. That number bumps up to $2.5 million if the have a master's degree. Think your lunch hour is worth $400,000? It is now.

For those of you with MBAs in the crowd, take this step to the next level. Approach your local adult education cetner about teaching a series of business seminars or classes over lunch. Take your industry expertise or just best general business practices and structure a curriculum. Your rationale for offering the course can be that not everybody has time for classes, but everyone has time to eat. Say hello to a new profit center.

At work-out

Not a gym rat? Not a problem. With the new Nintendo Wii Fit being launched soon, you'll be ready to get in shape with a video game. A wireless board serves as a base for the series of low-impact, core-centric workout programs. In many ways, this is the evolution of the Dance, Dance Revolution Workout - where video games are masquerading as exercise routines.

The challenge will be convincing your human resources department to purchase the game for corporate use as opposed to a stody corporate gym membership. That should be somewhat easier thanks to Michael Moore's documentary, Sicko.

But perhaps the best way to approach HR is to pitch the idea as part of an employee fitness challenge that you would run. The goal would be to encourage your entire company to get in shape together. The beauty of this plan is that you'd be playing video games at work, improving your physical health, and getting noticed by management. Who is the creative genius in accounting with this great idea? That's you. Don't forget your fast track pants.

Now that's a lunch hour that's truly satisfying.