We had another lunch training session at work yesterday and after The Foolish Cookie Incident, I actually started being a little concerned about the boxed lunches a whole 24 hours prior. I was worried about losing another dual to a baked good.

Boxed lunches arrived and I had a great sliced turkey sandwich.  I ditched the top piece of bread and enjoyed it open-faced.  The chip bags were the big single servings (you know – the ones that aren’t really single servings); so, I ate a quarter of those.  The fruit cup was great.  The pasta salad looked good, but I chose not to eat bread and pasta at the same meal.  So far, so good.  Enter the brownie.

The Brownie.  Four square inches of moist, chocolaty wonder, liberally dusted with white chocolate shavings.  If you’re quiet, you can hear the angels sing.

During my Monday Menu Musings, I had explained my problem with the cookie to a coworker.  I just didn’t know if I could face another one down.  At high noon in the bakery, I’m pretty sure that chocolate walnut disc was going to be the faster draw.  That’s when this Great American Woman stepped in and offered to take the bullet for me.

Appearing to be very athletic and fit, she offered, nay, she demanded that I give the cookie to her.  That kind of sacrifice just brings a tear to your eye, doesn’t it?  Such a sweet woman!  Of course, I must hate her on principle because she’s beautiful and can still fit into her clothes after eating 440 calorie cookies, but she’s still sweet.

Temptation is everywhere, all day, all the time, smiling at us from the snack shelf wearing a Nannette Fabray grin and a cowgirl hat.  We can’t get rid of it; so, we have to find effective ways of dealing with it.  After opening the lunch box, I put the brownie behind the lid so that I couldn’t see it.  I left it out of sight until I could run out of there to give it to Rene. At an event last night, I stood with my back to the M&Ms on an exhibitor’s table.  Although out of sight doesn’t mean out of mind, it does make it easier. Having healthful alternatives close to hand is also good.

I’m not trying to tell you that some hummus and baby carrots are better than an oatmeal creme pie because that would just be crazy talk; however, I am telling you that we don’t have to let Swiss cake rolls determine our fates.  Although I ate an oatmeal raisin cookie at that event, it was my only gastronomic sin of the day. At worst, the net effect of that cookie was break even.

And, sometimes, that’s good enough.