After years of freelancing at home on the "mommy track," I returned this fall to full-time, drag-your-butt-into-the-city-every-day work. And the biggest shock to my system? Not the busy pace, not the grueling subway commute, and not the inconvenience of changing out of my pajamas every day. No, the biggest shock was how much money I started shelling out on lunch.

Did you know that two-thirds of American workers spend $1,924 a year on lunch? CHOMP! I think I just lost my appetite. And the worst part of it is -- just going by taste, it's hardly worth the money.

I got all excited when I first saw the new Kraft Make Something Amazing commercial. Yay, someone is actually encouraging us to cook real food from scratch! How exciting! And then I watched the commercial more closely. Despite the twee song by Canadian indie band Mother Mother and the sun-drenched shots of families and hipsters frolicking around their kitchen playing with food, what did I spy? Lots of American cheese slices.

Harrmumph, a commercial for processed cheese foods disguised as a commercial for cooking? Okay -- fine, I think I caught a few shots of bags with grated REAL cheese in them. I guess we could consider this an improvement over America's history with cheese. But let's take a walk down memory lane to recall some of America's most infamous cheez-like food products.

"You know what would be great?" said my husband last summer. "One of those heavy grill press things that keeps meat and bacon from curling up when you're cooking it." You know what he's getting for Christmas? A heavy grill press thing that keeps bacon from curling up when you cook it. He never bothered to put it on his wish list, I just made a mental note and bought one, and I plan to pat myself on the back every time he uses it.

This, I like to think, exemplifies a crucial aspect of skillful gift-giving: listening. Another crucial aspect: remembering. Also crucial: time, money, and feeling some affection for the person you're buying for.

But what if it's December 22 and none of those aspects are in place, and suddenly you need to pick up a little something for the person in your office who invited you to cocktails Friday night? Or your husband's step-sister who suddenly decided to fly in from Norway? Or the sitter who's coming. over. right. now?

We've all seen the pictures: the McDonald's Happy Meal that a family kept for months on end to prove that some foods have so many preservatives they'll never decompose. It's enough to put you off food forever. And yet, the news that there's a sandwich that can survive as much as three years and still be super fresh has me yelling "let me at it" this week.

Because this is no ordinary sandwich, folks! It's the U.S. Army's answer to soldiers complaining that their veggie omelets in those MRE containers (that's Meals Ready to Eat for civvies) taste like mushy cardboard. This isn't just food, y'all!

The following is a post from our sponsor, Glad.

Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks to stay smart, healthy, and budget savvy, and enjoy delicious foods on-the-go.

Take charge of shopping: I always shop smart with a list, I purchase sale items in bulk, and I read my local ads to see what’s on sale. I never shop when I’m hungry or what I call super “emo”-- emotional or moody. When shopping, I plan meals that will result with leftovers for easy next day lunches, and I buy ingredients that can serve dual purposes. For example, bake an extra chicken breast at dinner and bring a delicious yet easy chicken quesadilla to work the next day. Another example is Greek yogurt, which is not only a great snack, but can also be a dip for fruit/veggies or be a substitute for sour cream on your quesadilla.

School's been in session for awhile now, and for lots of us, we are plumb out of ideas when it comes to making school lunch.

There are only so many turkey sandwiches a person can eat, right? Not to mention the after-school snack (aka bane of the existence of many parents). Kids are hungry after a long day of learning and need to eat, but it's hard to find something that's healthy and satisfying, but not so filling they will spoil their dinner.

Parents of America, we're here to help. Check out this A-to-Z list of delicious lunch and snack ideas that are healthy, too.

Having your child bring lunch to school -- or brown-bagging it yourself at work -- benefits both your budget and your health. But when you look at all those plastic bags and juice boxes, it becomes clear that it's probably not so good for the planet. Add in concerns about BPA and phthalates in plastic containers and lead in lunchboxes, and going green starts to look very appealing.

Luckily, it's easier than ever to pack your lunch in reusable, safe, eco-friendly containers. And these options are considerably more stylish than a brown paper bag!

Here are some tips on how to pack a "green" lunch for your child to take to school:

Jamie Oliver has proved that he'll do just about anything to provide public school children with healthy school lunches and further his healthy food crusade around the world. He dressed up as a giant pea pod to sell his healthy lunch program to school children. He overloaded a dump truck with processed fat to show parents the crap their kids eat at school. He even filled a school bus with 57 tons of sand to show them how much sugar their kids were consuming.

Time and time again, Oliver has demonstrated that he's not above doing big, attention-getting stunts for his cause. And his latest one, which involves an unlikely ally, the United Nations, raises the bar even higher.