Lunchtime: 10 Great Ways To Eat Well... Every Day!

Dr. Sears says it's a simple plan that can be followed at home, at work or on the road.

�It's only tricky because people don't spend time having lunch," he explains. "Say you have an hour for lunch. By the time you walk out of the office and find a street vendor, you end up eating while standing up. Making yourself have a decent, civilized meal is the hard part.�

If you do overeat, Dr. Sears says you can look at your last meal as the culprit. When your meal is not hormonally balanced, you're often hungry a couple of hours after your meal. You don't have good mental acuity and you're lacking energy.

To avoid suffering these uncomfortable consequences, try one of these 10 great Zone lunches served up by Dr. Sears.

1. There's always room for Tupperware meals. Fill one of these handy dandy containers with veggies and fruit. Add a serving of lean protein like chicken, fish or tofu.

2. Enjoy a small, portable lunch. Here's just one example of keeping it simple: three ounces of sliced turkey, a small apple and a cup of vegetables.

3. Save time, money and energy by preparing extra portions the night before. Fill a container with leftover vegetables like broccoli, green beans or tomatoes. Toss in some protein such as sliced turkey, sliced chicken or string cheese, along with a piece of fruit.

4. You can still enjoy a sandwich. When you order a sandwich, ask for a paper plate. Remove the top piece of bread and enjoy the sandwich fillings along with the remaining slice of bread. Make the statement that you can have your sandwich and eat it too... so long as you know your limits.

5. Have breakfast for lunch. There's no reason you can't eat breakfast in the afternoon. Experiment with a bowl of oatmeal and an egg white omelet. Or try an egg white omelet with some fresh fruit .

6. Pick up a frozen meal. Use the �1, 2, 3 method� to make sure you're getting the proper balance. For every gram of fat, there should be two grams of protein and three grams of carbohydrates. If you come up short in the protein department, add a side of lean turkey.

7. Keep a can of chili on hand. If you've got a can opener and a microwave, you're set.

8. Opt for a chicken Caesar salad. Ask for extra vegetables. Also, order a side of fruit for better balance.

9. Check out a supermarket with a food bar. Get a to-go container. Fill it with fruits and veggies. Then walk over to the deli and get a quarter-pound of sliced chicken or turkey. You've got lunch.

10. For lunch on the go, stop by a nearby burger joint. Get a grilled chicken sandwich and a salad. Put the chicken breast on the salad and eat 1/4 of the bun (think of it as a giant crouton). Or you can opt for a hamburger patty and a salad.