By Miss Britt from Miss-Britt.com

The success of any healthy eating plan begins with proper planning.  Plan, purchase and prepare smart food choices on hand before you get the urge to eat.  This is just as important at work as it is in your own kitchen, especially if you spend the bulk of your time at the office.

Some of my favorite low-carb lunches to bring to work are:

Chef Salads - this is my go-to packable lunch.  I put lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and shredded cheese in Tupperware and bring lunch meat and dressing to add later.  The cheese and lunch meat provide the protein needed to feel full and make it through the work day without whining about being staarrrrvvviiinnng.

Wraps - sandwiches are one of the first things to go when you go Low Carb.  A great alternative is a low carb wrap, which are now easy to find in any grocery store (usually by the cream cheese!)  I don’t make up the wraps at home because they don’t stay wrapped and can get soggy.  Instead I pack a cooler lunchbox with lunch meat, cheese, lettuce, mayo and some kind of vegetable (tomato, cucumber, pickle or lettuce) to wrap up at lunch time.

Don’t forget leftovers!  I never have enough leftovers to feed my entire family of four again.  Which is great because salads and wraps every day get old.  Anything every day gets old.  Adding the occasional reheated steak or chicken breast to the daily menu is just enough variety to keep me away from the sandwich cart.

Of course, for some of us (ME!) lunch is not enough to get us through an eight-hour day.  I need to eat more often than that and if I get hungry enough I’ll eat anything that doesn’t eat me first, no matter how many carbs it has.  It is crucial that I have healthy snacks on hand.

I keep a supply of veggies and dip at the office.  This includes carrots and celery, french onion dip and cream cheese.  I also like to bring blocks of fancy cheese and summer sausage.

And finally, I rely on sugar-free gum to get me through in a crunch. Nutritionists everywhere are threatening to start a letter writing campaign, but the truth is that sometimes my appetite and need for Anything In My Mouth exceeds my body’s need for nutrition.  Sugar-free gum is a great way to trick my body and my mind long enough for me to continue working until my next meal.

A low carb diet is a popular choice among those of us who battle with portion control and runaway appetites.  Keep those “weaknesses” in mind when you’re headed to work and pack a lunch!  (And gum.)