If lunch is the bright spot of your day, career counselors say it's time to look for a new job. You should be excited about the new marketing campaign, not the heaping pastrami on rye.

What do they know?

You can love the panini at your favorite Italian eatery as much as your job and still be successful.

Workers increasingly are packing their lunches. Saving money, time, calories and avoiding outdoor traffic and weather issues are among reasons cited by the nearly 70 percent of Americans who eat at their desks two to three times a week, according to the American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods Foundation.

Time-pressed workers, though, too often toss whatever's easy into a bag. But with a little ingenuity and prep time, brown-bag lunches can rival those served in restaurants.

"We are all working harder, and one way to help cope is with a great lunch," says John Stewart, founder of Sunfare, an Arizona company providing home-delivered healthful and gourmet meals. "Going out is fun, but so is packing a lunch that says, 'Wow!' It's not as hard as people might think."

Although OK on occasion, leftovers quickly become boring. Aim for more sophisticated food, such as seared 'ahi tuna or a smoked turkey and cranberry sauce wrap. Perk up ordinary sandwiches with a smear of sophisticated condiments like sun-dried tomato pesto, cranberry cream cheese or buttermilk dressing.

Even when splurging on ingredients, brown-bagging can shave $50 a week off your lunch tab. The same chicken Caesar salad that costs $9 in a restaurant can be made at home for less than $3. Multiply the savings by four days a week, and you save about $24 a week, or nearly $96 a month. Bank the savings for a year, and you've pocketed more than $1,000.

Packing lunch also shaves unwanted calories and salt. Fat and salt enhance taste, and unless advertised as reduced fat and sodium, restaurant food is loaded with both. Many entrees, especially fast food, also are oversized and short on nutrients.

A healthful lunch does more than just protect your waistline. It can help you nail an account, meet a deadline or make a sale.

"Your lunch can impact your job performance," Stewart says. "Eat healthy, and you fuel your brain for the afternoon. Eat high sugar, refined carbs and, by mid-afternoon, you will slide into a slump."

Nutritionists recommend lunches made with fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. Dietitian Melinda Johnson, also a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, says to include at least three food groups in the lunchbox.

"Lunch is one-third of your nutritional profile for the day," she says. "Think of it as an opportunity, a great chance to get the food you need to think and feel your best."