Learn the essentials of creating a power-packed lunch. We've made it easy, with a week's worth of nutritious, satisfying meals that won't fall down on the job.

Long gone are the days of school lunch, that designated time to put down your pencil and head over to the cafeteria for a meal with friends.

We've grown up, gotten busier, and, unfortunately, sacrificed sit-down eating for the lunchtime grab-and-go.

Somewhere in the course of multitasking through piles of work, we've forgotten (or, more likely, chosen to ignore) the basic nutritional building blocks our teachers and parents tried so hard to instill.

With our desks as the new lunchroom table, it's often hard to eat right. Even if we can't get away, though, we do have the power to rethink two of the most important lunchtime fundamentals: how we eat and what.

When it comes to the how, slowing down is paramount. "Noshing quickly on leftovers while glancing at your computer makes it tough to be mindful," says Kathy McManus, M.S., R.D., director of the nutrition department at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

This can lead to overeating (and possible weight gain), since the brain doesn't have enough time to register that the stomach's full. If you find you fall into that trap, McManus offers this advice: In between each bite, put down your utensils or sandwich, take a sip of water, and savor every morsel.