I believe that taking responsibility for the food we eat is a fundamental step in health and personal empowerment. For me, preparing food is a keystone and a signal for the state of several areas of my life: how I take care of myself, how I show love to those I care about, how I welcome guests into my home, and how I claim control when things feel overwhelming. I know that when I stop preparing food, something is wrong.

I can't suppose that all of you feel the same way, but take a moment to consider: we humans have just a few basic needs: safety and security, nourishment, shelter and clothing, and companionship - maybe a few others. Food falls under the category of nourishment... yet so often, we eat food that does not nourish us, either because it is prepared without love or because it is not actually made out of food. (I will pontificate about this later.)

So in 2008, Burghilicious will offer a series of monthly challenges designed to help you feel nourished by the food you eat and empowered to claim responsibility for your health and well-being at their most basic levels. Steve Pavlina, one of my favorite personal development bloggers, suggests that it takes a month to form a habit. So we'll have a month to practice each challenge before adding a new one.

January's challenge is to plan what you're eating for lunch. This challenge stems from one of my greatest challenges in eating nourishing food: If I eat the food at work, I am guaranteed to consume fried, processed, mass-produced and/or otherwise under-nourishing food. But if I plan my lunch, I can guarantee a meal that makes me feel energized, satisfied and healthy.

For the month of January, I challenge you to plan your lunch before you go to work each day. You know your preferences and stumbling blocks better than anyone else. For instance, I know that I have to have a hot lunch. In grade school, this meant I braved the what-is-in-this-sauce pizza instead of packing a sandwich; now it means that if I don't plan ahead, I'll pass up a wilted salad for hot fried chicken fingers made from who-knows-what.

So how do you do it?

Identify the qualities of a perfect lunch.

1. My lunch is hot - yes, even in summer (freakish, I know).
2. My lunch contains vegetables and finishes with something sweet, like fruit or a homemade cookie.
3. My lunch does not feature meat as its main ingredient, but might have a little in an accompanying role.
4. My lunch will keep me satisfied all afternoon.
5. My lunch looks tastier than everything available in the cafe at work.

Once you have your list, brainstorm several foods, meals or other tools that you can use to meet your new lunch requirements.

1. I make a big pot of vegetable-based soup and eat it all week.

2. I buy plenty of fresh, seasonal fruit at the store or farmer's market.

3. I plan dinners that will yield plenty of leftovers and reheat well in a microwave, like pastas and curries.

4. In a big pinch, I'll pick up a prepared frozen meal that I enjoy at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.

5. I pack my lunch the night before so my lunch cannot be ruined by my snooze button habit.

6. If I have a lunch meeting or a restaurant meal planned, I order something that meets my requirements if I can.

And that's it! I'll be practicing this habit with renewed vigor all January (and hopefully all year). I hope that you'll participate by leaving your commitments, thoughts, foibles and accomplishments in the comments.