One of the best things I've ever done was to see a Registered Dietitian (found in the yellow pages, or through a diabetes treatment center) and get an eating plan designed just for me. In my case, I am prone to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) if I don't eat often enough, or if I eat too many high-glycemic carbs. I also have diabetes in both sides of my family. At the time I saw her (5-6 years ago), I was about 30 lbs. overweight as well, not sleeping well, sluggish, and at high risk of diabetes in the future. She gave me a 1600 cal/day eating plan consisting of 3 meals + 3 snacks. It incorporates the diabetic exchange eating plan and exchange lists but tailored for hypoglycemia. Following this way of eating (I don't like to call it a "diet", since "diets" are typically a temporary way of eating with the single goal of losing weight) teaches proper portion sizes, meal planning, and a good balance of all the nutrients. What's more, anyone can do it; it's not just for diabetics or those like me prone to hypoglycemia, but for anyone who wants to learn to eat healthier to control their weight, whether to lose, gain, or maintain. Therefore, it can be followed for the rest of one's life. It incorporates wholesome, healthy foods including nuts, potatoes, grains, rice, and other foods that people think they need to avoid like the plague just to lose weight. But again, it's not a silly, crazy, fad diet. It's just the way we should eat. Eventually, it becomes second-nature, and it is now "just what I do" without giving it too much thought. It is also important to eat often enough that the body doesn't get too hungry, at least 3 hours apart, and to make healthy food choices, nutrient-dense foods packed with vitamins and minerals. In addition, I've made regular exercise a part of my life. I ALWAYS take stairs (unless I'm with someone who won't), and we ride bikes and walk most days of the week. I've lost 45 lbs., and I feel stronger and better than I have in years. I have more energy than I did 15 years ago, and I'm over 50. My hormones don't bother me anymore. I sleep very well (prior to this I woke up every night and didn't get back to sleep). I'm no longer overweight so I just continue the same way of eating, but adding some foods to maintain my weight, or adjust based on increase/decrease in exercise. Again, it's not a diet... it's a way of life. I do it one day at a time... I make healthy choices today, and pass up temptations (like fries) by saying "maybe next time". Next time, I do it again. I do eat those foods but only on rare occasions. And, I don't view them as "fattening" or evil foods... just not healthy ones, and I make a healthier choice instead. It's all about health and nutrition, not weight or clothing size. The weight will come off and the clothes will fit better over time, but the individual daily choices should be made with the goal of better health. And another good thing about regular exercise, especially vigorous exercise such as cycling, is that it requires high-glycemic carbs for energy. That's when I eat those goodies, just before, during, and after a ride. Otherwise I limit them to just occasionally, and just one. Like gibby3000, after years of eating this way this is now my preferred way of eating. I automatically reach for healthy choices, not junk. I eat what I should, then stop. It's not a diet -- it's just the way I eat now.

When I still worked I used to take bentos all the time since there were no readily available food sources near my office. Leaking was not a problem with the ones I had. Www.justbento.com has lots of good ideas, not all of which are Japanese. Maki at Just Bentos also talks about storing a "stash" of bento fillers in the freezer. Other than that, dinner leftovers were my staple. I would also pack bread, filling, and lettuce separately to combine on the spot into a nice, non-soggy sandwich. Also, if you look around a little you can find small packages of real cheese (processed cheese is just industrial (i.e. "cheap") cheese melted with salt -- nothing yucky or chemical added to it despite the name) from France where cheese is more highly respected. A handful of crackers and some fruit will round out a meal. Pink Lady apples resist browning when cut and will be perfect in appearance at lunch time if tossed into a solution of a pinch of Fruit Fresh (vitamin C) and water as you cut them. If nuts were not an issue, then almond or peanut butter would be great accompaniments instead of cheese.

Shaun, there are several things on that list that The Picky One would eat and The Little Gourmet would go nuts for - thanks for the ideas! Terri - I will also be making your Pizza Rolls they look fantastic and I am going to make it even easier on myself and pick up a ready made pizza dough at our local pizza shop. Here is another list from a few years ago where I have found inspiration. It is similar to Grainlady's link, but there are a few differences. 14 Fresh Brown Bag Lunch Ideas Pasta Lover's Lunch Salad. Pack a cold pasta salad and a plastic fork, and your pasta lover will love you, too! Make your salad with lean meat or low-fat cheese (so it has some protein), lots of vegetables to boost fiber and nutrition, and use a whole-grain blend pasta, like Barilla Plus. Then just drizzle some light vinaigrette over the top and toss. Pita Pocket Sandwich. Pack your whole-grain pita pocket with chicken Caesar salad, or any other lean meat or cheese filler mixed with vegetables and dark green lettuce. The Fruit and Cheese Plate Special. Make crispy cracker sandwiches with whole-wheat crackers, slices of assorted cheese, and lean meats. Don't forget the fruit, which goes nicely with the cheese and adds fiber and nutrition. Peanut Butter Fun Pack. Pack 1/8 cup of natural-style peanut butter, along with a plastic knife or spoon, wheat crackers, and celery sticks, and you have a peanut butter fun pack! Bagel With Cream Cheese, Please. Bagels are a wonderful foundation for hardy sandwiches that stand up to being in a backpack or locker all morning. You can toast a bagel in the morning and simply spread some light cream cheese in the middle. Or make a bagel sandwich with, say, a little light cream cheese, some turkey, and cranberry sauce, then top it off with alfalfa sprouts or Romaine lettuce. Carry a Cobb Salad. Plastic containers can hold the makings of a delicious salad lunch. Fill it with chopped green lettuce, chopped hard-boiled egg, light cheese, and/or lean ham. You can buy packets of light dressing, or just use extra packets of light salad dressing left over from your last trip to the fast-food chain. It's a Wrap! Wraps are a nice change of pace from the usual sandwich. Use one of the new higher-fiber tortillas, like the multigrain flour tortillas available in most supermarkets. Then fill 'er up with chicken Caesar salad or assorted lean meats, cheese, tomato, sliced onion, shredded Romaine lettuce, and light dressing. Just roll it up and wrap in foil. Noodle Soup Cups. Many schools offer a hot water dispenser so kids can add hot water to packaged noodle soup cups. Some brands are higher in sodium and fat, and lower in fiber than others. Check out the options in stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. Veggie Sushi. Not all kids will go for this one, but there are some out there who really like seaweed-wrapped sushi rolls. You can now buy pre-made sushi at many supermarkets, too. Choosing the veggie-filled sushi means there's no chance the sushi will get a little "fishy" while it's in your kid's backpack. Toss Some Taco Salad. If taco salad is a favorite, you can pack the meat mixture tossed with the shredded cheese, tomatoes, and chopped Romaine lettuce in a plastic container. At lunchtime, your child can add crunchy, reduced-fat tortilla chips and a little light dressing. Fried Rice Can Be Fun. When made with eggs or chopped lean ham and lots of veggies, cold fried rice can be a satisfying noontime treat. Make your own, or plan on leftovers the night before if you're ordering from a restaurant. Talk About Taquitos. I started doing this last year, and it seems to have stuck with my girls. I pop some Bean and Cheese frozen Taquitos from Whole Foods into my toaster oven in the morning, then let them cool. Then, I wrap them in foil and make sure they stay cool by packing a frozen juice box or small water bottle. By noon, they are cold, fun finger food. BBQ Chicken Sandwich. Your child can assemble a yummy BBQ grilled chicken sandwich fresh at lunchtime. Just pack a grilled, boneless, skinless chicken breast (you can make it in your indoor grill the night before) with some lettuce and sliced tomato in one baggie, and a whole-wheat bun in another. Add a packet of BBQ sauce to the lunch bag, and it's good to go. Meal Muffins. Certain types of muffins work as a lunch entr. If you bake them over the weekend and keep them in the freezer, you just have to pull one or two out in the morning. By lunch, they are nicely chilled and ready to eat. Try ham and cheese muffins, Mexican Cornbread muffins, or quiche muffins (quiche filling, baked with or without crust in a muffin pan).

We created a stack of drawers we call the kid stack. We're a family of 6, 2 adults, 4 school age kids). It's at the end of the cabinet run so they can pack their own lunches a little bit away from the busy zone. Luckily it's next to ice maker so kids can fill bottles easily. If I had room for a prep sink I would have wanted to plan the kids stack to be near it as well but we didn't have room. Top drawer is 6" (sandwich bags, paper lunch sack - 1 kids prefers over a lunchbox, plastic spoons and forks, reusable sandwich wrappers). Next drawer is 6" (sports bottles laying sideways). Next drawer is deeper, I think 9" or so (lunch bags, insulated soup bowls). Next drawer is a little deeper (two more lunch bags, common lunch items such as granola bars, fruit cups, crackers, in a plastic container to keep neat). This kid stack has been great, helping them make their lunches mostly independently, helping with the morning rush. Hubby has a collection of sports bottles that I put in the pantry bc they are not used daily. Bigger water jugs and sports coolers go in pantry also. BTW we also made a breakfast stack which is under the coffee maker next to sink. In their we have all coffee-related items (coffees, filters, measuring spoon, milk whipper, oatmeal, cinnamon-sugar, insulated coffee to-go cups, etc.) That's only 2 the top 2 drawers, then there are other things below not related to breakfast. I totally forgot to plan a place for dog food though. It's in the pantry pretty far from where they eat.