apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I'm part of a lunch group at work - there's 5 of us and we each bring 5 portions of something we make over the weekends and trade on Monday. That way we all have lunch for the week, save on costs and don't get bored eating the same thing every day. For folks with similar diets it's a great way to keep things interesting and cheap!

Great idea... wish I had enough people with similar tastes to do this with. (and/or who would actually make stuff!)

I guess motivation's not a problem for me; it's something I just do without thinking, though it's mostly banging together sandwiches the night before. But under item 1 (making it easy), intentional leftovers - soups, stews, casseroles, stir-fries, big batches of dolmas (in my case) make great packed lunches. Supper one day, lunch the next.

Now I have a question... my husband refuses to take soups or saucy things to work because he's careless with his lunch bag and the containers (I think they're Rubbermaid) leak. Can anyone recommend lunchable containers that seal really well?

I always make something for the week ahead on Sunday and pack it up in separate containers immediately. That way I'm all set and all I have to do is grab it from the fridge in the morning. The only thing I have to prepare in the morning is adding granola to my yogurt because pre-packing it means soggy granola (and that's not good).

Leftovers for lunch are the other option. Like whytehpoenix, I often make double the portion and pack the rest up for lunch the next day. Pasta dishes especially.

I also like sillahee's idea of trading lunches. I'll have to ask some of my friends if they want to try that!

whytephoenix-- you have a couple of options. An environmentally sound option is to reuse mason jars for soupy lunch items. If you want something that you can reheat in and eat out of, I recommend pyrex's glass containers with lids. I carry mine all the time and have never had them leak, even if they flip over in my bag. Important: don't reheat with the lid all the way on! It is best to open and set it loosely on top.

http://www.target.com/Pyrex-Round-Storage-6-pc-Value/dp/B0011ECP98/sr=1-8/qid=1242416590/ref=sr_1_8/187-2948273-5235035?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&index=target&rh=k%3Apyrex&page=1

I bring my lunch a lot and usually cook up a big batch of something (stew, soup, curry, etc) and portion it out in plastic containers. I then freeze and take them into work (where the freezer is NEVER used, so i can use it as my personal food storage without clogging up my home freezer). If i continue to make batches of food over time, i can build up a small stash of "frozen food" and therefore can decide what i want to have on a given day, not just what i prepared on Sunday and have eaten for 3 days straight.

Admittedly, this is a little easier in the winter, when you're more likely to eat hot, easily-freezable comfort foods. Doesn't really work with a salad. :)

Let's try to work on the pictures, shall we???
The pic has a meal that was obviously microwaved in plastic, and a disposable cup!

Thanks DI - I could do Mason jars but the huz is self-concious, I may get some Pyrex for him.

My favorite brand for non-leaking is lock 'n lock. I love them, the biggest problem is that they seal so well you sometimes forget they're in the fridge, and well... I forget for a long time ;)

They work because they have a tight rubber gasket in the lid, and when you "lock" the sides, it compresses to the body. I have never had one leak, even when carrying soup in a very loose bag.

I always make things that taste good cold. Quinoa stir fries are a pretty standard thing for me, and I am pretty quick at whipping them up the morning before. Throwing together salad greens on top of a pesto-slathered dehydrated pizza crust (like a giant circular raw cracker) with a squirt of lemon, then an entire avocado in my bag is another quick fix. I have a thing about freshness, so making things a week in advance doesn't work too well for me. Usually I will only end up buying once a week max. Now to cut the latte habit.

A couple years ago I put myself on a lunch and latte diet, I had calculated that my drink a day latte was costing me nearly 90 dollars a month, and at 5 dollars a lunch average? Yikes! I bought a number of different sized rubbermaid containers, a cute little lunch bag and slowly weaned myself off the lattes over a month or two. I kept a calender in my lunch bag and tallied up every day how much I saved to give myself motivation. These days I make cous cous or quinoa salads, eat leftovers, or I make my own sandwich bread and challenge myself to avoid as much packaging in all things. I like a little sweet thing for lunch and my latest pleasure is to mix up a bit of peanut butter with honey and coconut, chill it in fridge and have a treat with no packaging. I will work harder on more local ingredients in my next "challenge".

Hey freyalei, I used to take a similar peanut butter mix for breakfast to work every day. I used rolled oats instead of coconut and I tossed in some cinnamon. About 3 cups of it mixed up and left in the office fridge would be enough for the week, and I rarely had to worry about grabbing breakfast before heading out the door in the morning. I did get burned out on it though after having the same thing for almost 9 months.

I also try to keep some oats in a microwavable bowl in my desk with cinnamon and some splenda already added. Add water, heat, and I've got lunch or dinner if I'm working late.

flataffect, I like the idea of the oats, thanks. Yum.
After being inspired by Heidi Swanson at 101 cookbooks I added more whole grains back into my diet again. I mix in cooked small grain brown rice sometimes to give the peanut butter more chewiness. Oats seem like a natural. And we just got this exquisite Vietnamese cinnamon.
(I sound like a hippy, but am not. Not that there is anything wrong with being a hippy, no offense meant. )

We have a big fridge at work, so on Mondays I try to bring enough sandwich makings, pieces of fruit, and cut up veggies to last at least through Thursday. This way, I don't have to think about it every day. Also, I have two teens at home, and the odds of those sandwich ingredients still being in the home fridge by Wednesday morning are kind of low. I try to bring leftovers from supper occasionally, but, see "teenagers" above.

Where did the container come from?

I am another Lock 'n Lock fan! I buy them at Target, I believe. Or WM.

another idea...google bento lunch ideas. Lot's of bento makers prepare their lunches on the weekend for the week ahead and have tons of great ideas.

Personally, I buy a huge bag or two of mixed greens at GFS and make a salad daily with sliced almonds, currants or other dried fruit, Raw sprouted flax (from WF), brocolli slaw, cucumber and red onion. It's pretty easy to prepare daily. I keep all the dry goods together and toss in a bowl and bring a long a bottle of dressing; currently rasberry vinagrette. Lots of coworkers covet my salad.