Open the fridge, now open the pantry. Okay, no, open the fridge again, now try the freezer. Now, STOP. That’s enough with the frantic food dance and the constant back-and-forth; no matter how many times you look into the refrigerator and pantry, you’re not going to find what you think you need to get through the day.

You need to realize that you can’t always buy fast food or overpriced, not-so-nutritious cafeteria food because you can’t figure out what to make for lunch for your grueling day at work or school.

The time is now to do something about the lack of edible food in the fridge. Either you get creative with what you do have, or go to the supermarket and get the necessary food items to keep your positive energy up. What puts us in a good mood more than a hearty meal?

In order to pack the right lunch for work or school (and yes, there is a wrong way to do this), you need to take into consideration your atmosphere, schedule, and the amount of time you are allotted for such food consumption.

To start, let’s take a step back and think about where you are going to be consuming your lunch. If you’re eating in a staff lounge or break room, consider who will be eating with you and base your lunch packing off that. If it is a fairly small lunch room, you don’t want your fragrant garlic pasta leftovers stinking up the place and causing glares from your snooty co-workers.

Also, consider skipping the tuna fish sandwich, because honestly, the only person who enjoys that is you. Once that sandwich bag is open, you’ll soon realize you’re the only one in the room eating your fishy tuna alone with no one to talk to. Food is always better when you’re with other people eating, talking and having fun, so leave the tuna at home.

Another thing to consider is that if you’re eating in the same room as your boss, consider packing “cute food.” Apparently “cute food” is literally food you look cute eating and that doesn’t make you look like a beast.

I don’t think you’ll make a good impression on your boss or any of your coworkers or peers if you’re chomping on an apple or peach with the juices flowing all down your face, or trying to eat any finger foods, ribs, chicken wings, etc, from the night before. They, admittedly, will taste great the next day warmed up, but will also leave you looking like a hot mess with barbecue sauce all over your face and fingers.

“Cute food,” which doesn’t include food with little faces or clothes despite what the Google search engine tells you, is bite-size food or food you can eat with a fork that will make you look delicate and cute as you eat it. Maybe you want your hot co-worker to notice you, and you really won’t make the right impression if you are making a scene with your messy lunch.

Your lunch schedule is another key factor to consider when creating your lunch in the morning. Do you have a lot of little breaks and, therefore, a little lunch, or do you have a long lunch and no breaks? If you have little breaks, consider packing granola bars, fruit, or pudding cups that will keep your blood sugar up and won’t let your stomach distract you from the tasks at hand. It also just puts you in a better mood to have those little snacks to look forward to during your breaks.

If you don’t really get any breaks but instead just an hour or more for lunch, it’s good to pack a well-rounded lunch that will leave you feeling content for the rest of the day. Pack a protein, a carbohydrate, something salty, and something sweet and, of course, water or other drink to wash it all down with.

Now you may be thinking, “What the hell, I think I can adequately pack a lunch for myself and don’t need these dumb tips.” Well actually, maybe you do, but there are a lot of people who rely on fast food or cafeterias to nourish them; that’s how they get fat, lose money, or have crappy days at work.

Bringing your own lunch is cheaper, can be healthier, and gives you a satisfying feeling that you made it and it came from home. So pack a lunch that is both nutritious and delicious, and you’ll see some changes in your life, maybe not dramatic, but definitely positive.