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I take my lunch to work most of the time.  It is much cheaper and easier to stay on target if you are dieting.  If I go to a fast-food place and I'm hungry - watch out!

Around my work, lunch is upwards of $10 for a salad... talk about overpriced!  I try to bring whenever possible.  My wallet just can't handle it!

I always bring my lunch to work.  And actually, I work as an office manager at the moment for a nutrition practice so I've learned a lot about bringing healthy choices in vs. eating out all the time (although there are healthy choices with eating out... bringing my lunch has proven to be a lot cheaper).  Here are some examples of things I keep in the office.  Protein shake powder (I like Muscle Milk or Whey Protein powder from Vitamin Shoppe.  You can mix them with water or even low fat milk.  I prefer to do milk simply because it's a little thicker.  If you work in a bigger office where you can't actually keep a container of milk on site, fill up a sport bottle everyday and bring it in, or just drink one on your way to work).

Other healthy choices of things that I bring with me for snacks are:  Cottage cheese, string cheese, applesauce (no sugar added), fruits, veggies, yogurt (I love Activa).  If you're looking for a good protein bar and have never tried "Kind Bars" before you should check them out!  I am a very picky eater so I get the plain Nut Delight but everyone in our office is raving about Almond Coconut flavor at the moment.  If you work near a whole foods, balduccis you can find them there.  Otherwise just search for them online.  They are AMAZING and healthy which is great!

Lunch itself is where I have issues sometimes.  Lately I've been doing the chicken noodle soup thing from campbells but I'm trying to steer clear from that because of how much sodium is actually in it.  Other good things I've bought lately are salads with cottage cheese, chicken sausages with spelt tortillas (hard to find but SO good and good for you!), or any leftovers I have from dinners.

I bring my lunch most of the time, even if it is as simple as a sandwich. Living in Louisiana, we are most definitely a society of eaters so the majority of the time it is leftovers from the night before. Lucky me I have a man who loves to cook(as most here do) and is truly good at it. I work in a more laid back office so we eat as our desks while working. Although sometimes this stretches it out past the hour allotted, but as long as we are working there isn't a problem. I actually find that by doing this I eat less.

Do you work in an expensve metropolitan area?  Are you under paid or simply don't make enough?  Are you watching your weight?  Are you just sa ving money for retirement; that new car you have had your eye on; planning parenthood; or simply looking to purchase a new home or just just love saving money?

If you answer yes to any of these then bringing lunch to work or "brown bagging" is deffinately the way to go.  I'm all for it.  Sure it gets tiring after a while but you need to treat yourself once in a while and go out to lunch.

But note to everyone - be considerate and don't bring food that you have to microwave and omits allot of oder when you eat at your lunch.  No one wts to smell food in the office.

But brown bagging a A+ in my book.

I buy five Michaelina entrees a week and three bags of frozen veggies which I separate into five zip and steam bags with a bit o' butter and put these in the freezer.  Every morning I grab one of each and put in my lunch bag with my snacks and I'm good to go.

Yes, almost everyday! It is healthier and cheaper and having lunch at the office saves you some time too

I used to go home for lunch every day when I lived about a mile from where I worked.  I now work at a refinery about 10 miles from the nearest restaurant and 20 miles from home, so if I don't take my lunch, I don't eat *laughs*.

Yes, taking your lunch or eating at home is much cheaper and more healthy.  Even if your lunch choices aren't the healthiest, you're still probably getting less fat and salt and smaller portions than you'll get  at a restaurant.