We’re teaming up with fellow food bloggers to host a Brown-Bag Challenge, a month-long initiative to eat consciously and save money by packing a lunch each weekday instead of eating out. Join us here and share what you’re eating on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #brownbag.

Week 2 of the challenge was quite an eventful one, despite Monday being a holiday. Everyone involved has been consistent in sharing excellent lunch-packing advice, recipes, snack ideas and photos. We had a twitter chat last Thursday where dozens of brown-baggers chimed in with their lunch ideas. One question we asked, “Any ideas for tasty sandwich spreads besides mayo?” got quite a response. Here are a few of the mayonnaise alternatives offered by our twitter friends:

@lisalibrarian goat cheese, mustard, mashed avocado

@Health_Bean pesto!!!!

@LetsTalkandWalk hummus or mustard

@CarleneFutureRD what about roasted garlic! It gets creamy and spreadable not to mention flavorful.

@JennaReed1 olive tapinade is so tasty on sandwiches instead of mayo!

@zachcrock hot sauce if you like it, I use it in place of mayo.

Another sandwich spread that was tweeted over and over again was @dietitianjanel‘s homemade walnut butter: “just walnuts + salt + food processor. So easy and amazing!”

What was the best thing you ate this week? Read up on what brown-bag participants have been packing in their lunch bags, and for even more advice, join us on Facebook this Thursday at 2:00 p.m. ET for a chat with Healthy Eats dietitians, Dana White and Toby Amidor.

Posts from fellow brown-baggers:

The Lazy Dietician: Bringing Your Lunch Could Make You Healthier

The Food Network Dish: Gaby from What’s Gaby Cooking’s Cowboy Quinoa Salad

Simple Food, Healthy Life: Zesty Lime Black Bean Soup

Nutritionella: Beating Sandwich Burnout

The Undercover Cook: Southwestern Black Bean Dip

Adventures in My Kitchen: Brown-Bag Challenge vs School Lunches

My Wallet is Fat, Not Me: Split White Lentil Stew (Urad Dal)

Chick Bike: Brown-Bag Challenge, Days 6 and 7

The Garden Ephemerist: The Reluctant Cook

The Undercover Cook: Grilled Shrimp Tacos With Chipotle Cream

The Adirondack Chick: Week 2, Eggplant Rollatini and Unintended Ratatouille

This Imperfect Plot: Brown-Bag Challenge, Day 5

Feeding Philosophers: Brown Baggin’ It, Week 2, White Bean and Rosemary Soup

City, Life, Eats: Day 6, Curried Mango Salad and Shabby Sheik Hummus

Brown Girl, Brown Bag: Shelf Life (and a recipe for pantry chickpea salad)

Netlycka’s Distracting Confusion: A Short, Busy Week

Healthy Plates: Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Spread

Between City Limits: In the Bag

Coupon Chef: Day 5, Ham and Cheese Breakfast Muffin Recipe

Carmen Fitness: Brown-Bag Challenge Day 12

All Girl Cooks: Healthy Eats Brown-Bag Update

Essentials of Nutrition: A Teacher’s Lunch

Healthy, Kitschy Vegan: I Swear, I’m Still Alive

I Brown Bag: Healthy Eating Starts at Home

Reve Noir: Brown-Bag Challenge Days 5 and 6

Not Your Church Cookbook: The 10 Commandments of Leftovers

Diary of a Fat Kid: Week 3, Day 1

Coach’s Oats: Beneficial Brown-Bag Challenge

Adventures in Everyday: Brown-Bag Challenge

Canadian Mother Musings: Multi-Tasking Brown-Bagger

Zaika Zabardast: Greek Zucchini and Beetroot Fritters