Food for work: lunchboxes and life hacks. What is more convenient to carry lunches to work? Lunch boxes made of food-grade plastic

Monotonous business lunches in establishments located near your office, the menu of which you know by heart? Dull table meatballs and mashed potatoes? Drinking yoghurt with grain bread from the nearest supermarket? This is the wrong choice for those who strive to fill every moment of everyday life with useful pleasures. Life is short, and every meal can and should be beautiful and healthy. Healthy food can only be prepared at home - when you personally know every ingredient and are responsible for its good reputation. We will tell you how to properly pack take-out food so that you can have lunch in pleasant company.

1. Choosing a lunch box

One of the main purposes of a lunch box is to keep your bag safe (tomato sauce won't decorate your diary or wallet) and keep your food fresh. Yes – also his appearance! Lunch boxes cope least successfully with the latter. For an ideal result, there should be several lunch boxes in stock, of different shapes and volumes. Some models have different compartments, for example, for a main dish and a side dish. But only through experience can you determine which container is best for you. We advise you to pay attention to the experience of the Japanese, who, with their “bento” (the ancestors of lunch boxes), have achieved perfection over many years - they know how to fold products so that they look like an art object. So everything comes with experience. The main rule: when packing food, try to leave as little free space as possible. Rectangular lunch boxes are ergonomic, but round ones are somehow more logical to pour soup or put millet milk porridge with pumpkin.

Store your lunch box in the office refrigerator. Wash and dry it thoroughly after use. Do not forget that this is by no means an heirloom and it is better to exchange them for new ones more often and without regret.

2. Plastic or metal?

Everything that comes into contact with your food must be guaranteed to be safe. Plastic lunch boxes must have a safety certificate, and it’s right if you know as much good as possible about the manufacturer’s brand. All plastic lunch boxes (but not all food storage containers, so be careful) are microwave safe. But if it is possible to put food on a plate (this is also more aesthetically pleasing) and heat it up, it is better to do just that. Even the best plastic can release toxic substances when heated, so it’s best to keep a couple of ceramic bowls and plates on your office desk.

Metal lunch boxes are less popular - and this is undeserved. They perfectly preserve the taste of food and are safe. Glass and ceramic lunch boxes are an even more environmentally friendly option if you are not too lazy to carry extra weight in your bag.

3. How to deliver soup to the office?

Many people are used to eating hot soup for lunch and, if this is not possible at work, they suffer greatly. It's OK! Delicious borscht or creamy corn soup can be prepared at home and taken with you. To prevent your entree from spilling into your bag along the way, you can use a thermos or container with a screw-on lid, which will ensure maximum tightness. Another way to achieve tightness is to place a rubber layer between the container and the lid. True, the layer wears out quite quickly with frequent use, so check it for strength every time. Just in case, be on the safe side: do not turn the container or bag with it over and also pack the container in a plastic bag.

You are grown-up girls who don’t need to explain that if you put sour cream in spinach cabbage soup in advance, the result will not be very appetizing. Pack sour cream in a separate small container or choose sour cream in 50-gram mini-packs at the supermarket.

4. Lunch bags - eat and throw away

Disposable plastic bags are, of course, a banality and a thing of the past. On the other hand, there is functional rationality. The bag weighs nothing at all and does not take up extra space. On the way back, there is more space in the bag, and you don’t have to wash anything. Sandwiches, steamed turkey, apples, pears and other firm fruits, home-baked gluten-free bread or zucchini muffins, nuts and all other dry snacks will thrive for several hours in this bag. Put everything dry and everything that doesn’t wrinkle into bags. In this case, your lunch will be in perfect order. Give preference to thick zipper bags, which are often sold in stores under the guise of freezer bags. Store food bags in the refrigerator. If you have a lot of similar lunch bags in your office refrigerator, sign yours. Or buy multi-colored bags with funny designs that are made for children's school lunches. American designers went crazy and came up with lunch bags with a pattern of mold spots on the packaging. Colleagues in the shared refrigerator will definitely not covet such a package.

5. Paper bags, parchment, foil

Delicious dinners without a side dish like quiche lauren with broccoli, cottage cheese casserole with dried apricots, cheesecakes or a portion of apple charlotte can be wrapped in parchment paper, foil or put in a craft lunch bag. The last option is the most environmentally friendly and stylish, but apparently not quite budget-friendly, and sets of paper bags are not sold everywhere. Sandwiches and lavash rolls with any filling retain freshness well in a parchment package, and a special “sandwich maker” made of soft rubber is also suitable for sandwiches. They are produced by the same manufacturers that make lunch boxes and plastic containers. By the way, if you make sandwiches for work, you shouldn’t prepare them the night before. Better before leaving the house. Soggy bread doesn't whet your appetite at all. If you have very little time in the morning, then give preference to other dishes that you can easily prepare in advance in the evening, and in the morning you can simply take the lunch container out of the refrigerator and put it in your bag.

6. Thermoses

In the era of the victorious march of smoothies around the planet, a forgotten attribute of hikers has returned to life again (although it is optimal to both prepare and take on the road a freshly prepared smoothie in a special glass with a screw-on lid). In a thermos, in warmth and comfort, a soul-warming drink lives until the end of the working day, for example, rosehip infusion or ginger tea with lemon or an infusion of herbs useful in the autumn twilight: chamomile, fireweed, thyme, mint and other aromatic herbs. This is definitely a hundred times better than the so-called tea of unidentified varieties from bags in the office. On fasting days, you can bring cabbage soup in a large thermos.

7. If possible, cook in the office.

If you've dreamed up a complex salad for lunch, add the whole ingredients and cut them into a plate in the office. Pre-cut vegetables quickly lose their slender shape and supply of vitamins, and juice also flows out of them unsightly. Wash tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, green salad and other juicy vegetables, dry with a paper towel and pack whole. If you’re too lazy to fuss around and get your hands dirty in the office, take more suitable salads with you. For example, sauerkraut with cranberries, grated beets with prunes, bean salad, salad with corn and pasta, fruit salad with dense fruits (banana, kiwi, apple, nectarine). Such dishes will reach their destination without loss. The salad does not need to be salted or seasoned in advance - otherwise the juice will be released intensely.

As you can see, you can eat healthy, tasty and healthy home-cooked food in the office without any problems. The main thing is to approach this issue thoughtfully - choose a convenient food format, buy beautiful lunch boxes, craft bags, and a thermal mug. When you have a bright set of containers for food, you will cook lunch at home and take it with you, even if there is an inexpensive canteen near your work.

A lunch box comes to the aid of office employees - a small container for food that is convenient to take with them. Food from home is cheaper, tastier and healthier than fast food. Sometimes it happens that a person needs a special diet, or there are no decent lunch offers near the office.

Containers and bags for food are also convenient because many can withstand heating in the microwave. They are made from materials of different strength and durability, most often food-grade plastic and stainless steel. Some containers retain heat for a long time, similar to a thermos.

The products are useful for parents; they can take a snack or a full meal with them to their child. Because many children do not eat in the cafeteria, but they cannot remain hungry all day. You can take a closer look at the catalog of lunch boxes at the link: https://homemarket.ua/store/posuda/lunch-box

What types of lunch boxes are there?

There are models on the market to suit every taste at different prices. Buying a vessel pays for itself after 2-3 times of use, because taking food from home is cheaper than in a cafe. You can enjoy warm food in the office without limiting your choice of lunch. Containers are cared for like regular utensils.

Lunch boxes made of food grade plastic

Available model - lunch boxes with compartments made of food-grade plastic. They are compact, lightweight, have a lid, and are inexpensive. There are different volumes - from 0.2 liters to several liters. They can be used to store food in professional kitchens. Food-grade plastic is non-toxic when heated, so it is allowed to put hot food in and heat it in the microwave.

leaking lids;
instability to damage;
food gets cold quickly;
fragility with daily use.

Lunch boxes that keep you warm

Thermo lunch boxes made of stainless steel with compartments resemble professional tableware. This material is considered strong, durable, and products can be stored in it in any environment. It is convenient to take it to work because the food does not cool down for a long time, the lid is airtight (although it is not recommended to carry soups).

Double or triple division allows you to avoid mixing the main dish and salad. They note the approach to design: you can choose the color and pattern to your taste. There are round, oval, square. Product advantages:

retain heat and cold;
food does not cool down for 4-5 hours;
folding plastic handles;
several levels or compartments for different dishes.

Among the disadvantages:

average price, more expensive than plastic;
the container is heavy;
cannot be heated in the microwave;
large volumes, usually from 0.5 l;
The thermal layer wears out and the capsule no longer maintains temperature.

Thermal bags

Lunch bags are special bags with a thermal layer that maintain temperature. Professionals use it to deliver food to your home. The bag holds both heat and cold.

Small ones with a pattern are suitable for food containers for work or leisure. Depending on the size, it will fit a different number of boats, but not less than 2 of 0.2 liters each. The inner material is foil fabric, the outer material is different fabric. It must be fastened with a zipper, otherwise heat will be lost.

The products are useful on vacation if you need to take perishable food from home or keep drinks cold. There are large and small models with colorful designs. Among the disadvantages:

high cost;
effective if dishes are packaged in temperature-preserving containers;
impractical for 1 boat;
Suitable for storage only.

An office employee who has the opportunity to heat up food is better off using food-grade plastic. If you don’t have equipment, then take a thermal container, and then a lunch bag. This will allow you to bring and store multiple meals and snacks. Often special plastic spoons and forks are included, which is also convenient to use.

November 3, 2016

text: Myhandbook

What could be simpler: collect fresh, delicious ingredients for soup, salad or granola in a jar/bottle and take it with you to work. When you want to have a snack, all you have to do is pour hot water or add dressing and stir. Ksenia Tatarnikova, blog author Smart Cookie, tells you how to prepare a delicious and quick lunch in a new way.

I first heard about salads in jars from my sister - she has lived in Berlin for a long time, and recently it has become common for them to take these cute, multi-colored jars or bottles with them to work, and they contain salads, pickled vegetables, granola, oatmeal and even cupcakes!

It couldn’t be easier: put the ingredients in a jar and add hot water before use or add yogurt if we are talking about granola. All that remains is to stir or let it brew for ten minutes - and voila! - lunch is ready. You can prepare it the day before and put it in the refrigerator, vary the ingredients according to your mood, your own taste and budget.

Here are some tips on how to assemble the jar:

– it is better to pour dressing or liquid into the bottom;

– then – “heavy” ingredients like vegetables and boiled legumes;

– on top – “light” greens and herbs, berries and boiled rice, pasta, soba (so that the cereal does not become watery at the bottom of the jar due to the dressing);

– finally, on top – nuts, seeds, pieces of dried fruit, crackers.

Quick noodle soup in a jar

Place in a clean, dry glass jar with a wide lid: 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce, 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, 1/4 bouillon cube (you can make homemade vegetable broth and freeze), 1/4 tsp. grated ginger (optional), 1/2 tbsp. grated carrots, 1/2 tbsp. chopped Chinese cabbage, a handful of chopped parsley/spinach/cilantro, pepper to taste. Place a handful of rice noodles on top (break them with your hands). Cover with a lid and store in the refrigerator (no more than a day).

Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before eating. Then pour boiling water (the water should cover the noodles) and leave to brew for 10-12 minutes. Stir gently. You can eat the soup straight from the can or pour it into a bowl.

What else can be used in quick soup: dried shiitake mushrooms, sweet corn, slices or paneer, seaweed, bean sprouts, watercress, hot and bell pepper pieces, green onions, kimchi.

Multi-colored salad in a jar

By analogy with instant soup, you can take it with you on the road.

“East”: put a dressing of yogurt, salt, pepper, finely chopped cucumber, chili pepper and parsley on the bottom of the jar, top with 3-5 spoons of cooked orzo pasta, 2-3 chopped sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, 3-5 spoons of boiled ( canned, rinse and drain in a colander), a handful of iceberg lettuce. Stir gently before eating. Stores in the refrigerator for a day.

“Varied”: Whisk and pour a dressing of olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, apple juice, Dijon mustard and finely chopped chives into the bottom of the jar. Top with slices of tomato, carrot, yellow bell pepper, fennel, mushrooms and green salad. Stir gently before eating.

Quick breakfast for work

Place fresh berries or fruits, thick natural yogurt in layers in a glass container, and granola (baked muesli) or nuts on top. Crispy fruit parfait is ready! Don't forget to bring a spoon with you. It’s better to take it separately and add it right before eating. You can put yogurt and fruit in the refrigerator in advance.

Proven combinations for different days:

blueberries/blueberries + walnuts

raspberries/blackberries + granola

apricots, cherries/cherries + cashews

Vietnamese pickled vegetables

Peel and cut into strips a long cucumber, daikon and 3-4 small carrots. Mix 200 ml rice vinegar (without additives), 2 tsp. sea salt, 150-200 g sugar and 200 ml water until the sugar dissolves. Place the vegetables in a jar, pour in the marinade, and close the lid. Leave in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably 3-5 days. Take it out, place it on, garnish with herbs and enjoy!

I have two bonus cards in Eldorado and from time to time the “generous” store throws in money of 200 rubles on them. For the Eldorado store this is a very small amount; you can’t buy almost anything with it. So I go around racking my brains about what to buy with such a bonus in the store.

My husband has recently refused to take first courses (soups, borscht) to work with him. Every container I buy leaks all the time. Although I don't buy the cheapest options. So it occurred to me to buy a high-quality container for first courses, to please my beloved husband, so to speak)

There are cheap options in the store (although they are not exactly cheap, since the same containers are much cheaper in other stores).

After choosing for a long time I decided to buy Grand Chef brand container from the CURVER collection.

I have a square mold with a volume of 1.2 liters.

What attracted me to this container is the silicone lid; it fits very tightly to the container itself.

The lid has a convenient edge for opening.

I can note that the lid is difficult to close the container; it takes a lot of effort.

There was also an information brochure inside.

My husband has already tried to carry my soups to work. Nothing spills! Really 100% tight)

The only downside I can mention is the price, in the Eldorado store the price was 299 rubles, but since I paid 200 rubles in bonuses. That container cost me 99 rubles.

I think that 99 rubles is an adequate price for plastic, albeit of high quality.

Eating at a cafe 5 times a week is not a cheap pleasure. Not even to mention the fact that it’s easier to be tempted to eat a higher-calorie or unhealthy dish. But here the question arises: how to take home-cooked food with you to work so that it is convenient and reliable? We will answer this today.

What should I take food in?

If you bring lunches to work irregularly and make do sandwiches, the problem is solved quite simply: the sandwich can be wrapped in foil or cling film so that it does not fall apart, and later put in a plastic or paper bag for safety. An excellent solution in this case would be thick ziplock bags, originally intended for storage in the freezer.

If your sandwich rarely remains appetizing until lunch, try the following:

Wrap the bread separately from the filling. Alternatively, store the bread at work and only take the filling with you.
If you use sauces, take them with you in small containers or bottles and add them just before eating.
Place your sandwich in a plastic container so it doesn't get crushed in your bag on the way to work.

In Soviet times, people took with them to work soup in a glass jar. The idea is clear, but not the most convenient: it’s heavy, fragile and still not perfectly sealed. Now there is a good alternative - plastic containers. To prevent the soup from spilling, you can use a container with a screw-on lid - it will ensure maximum tightness. But it still wouldn’t hurt to be on the safe side: don’t turn the container or bag with it on its side for too long and don’t forget about the plastic bag. I have an inexpensive Bytplast container (pictured below): I don’t carry soups in it, but dishes with sauces don’t leak.

Another way to achieve a seal is to use a rubber layer between the container and the lid, which can be found in many lunchboxes. However, such a layer can become unreliable with constant use, and the tightness also depends on the quality of the fasteners that press the lid to the container.

You can even take lunch with you in a separate bag specially designed for these purposes. There are several advantages here:

load redistribution, beneficial for the back;
easy to clean if food spills inside;
It’s easy to keep food at the desired temperature;
The size of the bag will not limit the portion you would like to eat for lunch, and vice versa.

To get hired full lunch, there's nothing better than a special lunchbox. In Japan, lunches are often packed in oblong containers called bento, which became the ancestor of all lunchboxes. Classic bento is suitable exclusively for dry food (for example, sushi and vegetables) and is used mainly by schoolchildren. The Japanese have made a real art out of bento filling.

Lunchboxes - the European version of bento - have a different number of levels and compartments, so you can always choose the appropriate option among many models. Two levels are convenient because you can heat only one, and leave the second one - with a salad or snack - cold. One or more compartments must be sealed in order to carry, if not soups, then meat and gravy. Another important characteristic - the ability to be used in the microwave - is found in the vast majority of lunchboxes (but not all plastic containers). If you don’t have a microwave at work, a thermal lunchbox can help out by keeping food warm for a long time.

Lunchboxes are more expensive than regular containers, but a high price, unfortunately, is not always a guarantee of their quality. I’m sharing my own experience: we bought my husband a plastic two-tier lunchbox with a bunch of compartments for work (it’s pictured below). I dabbled in putting a variety of food into containers for only three days, then the plastic fastener cracked - the lid no longer holds and does not hold all the levels together. You won't be able to carry food in it to work anymore.

In this regard, I can advise you to choose only high-quality plastic, or even better, metal: it can be used to make either the entire lunchbox or individual parts of the structure that bear the load. Particular attention to the material is also necessary because many types of plastic, when heated in the microwave, release harmful substances that should not be in our food. Lunch boxes usually have labels indicating that the plastic is safe. If you're health conscious, simply transfer the dish to a plate before reheating, or invest in a ceramic lunchbox.

It is useful for the lunchbox to “work” with a different number of parts: for example, today you took two dishes with you on two levels, and tomorrow you want to take only a salad - it is very convenient to take only one compartment so as not to take up extra space in the bag. For example, the lunchbox in the photo below can do this.

Lifehacks

About food:

Organize a supply at your workplace consisting of bread, honey, nuts and dried fruits - these products last a long time, are healthy and can save you if you are late at work or did not have time to take lunch.
Sandwich bread can also be stored at work so it doesn't get soggy along the way.
Buy a bag of apples, tangerines or other similar fruits at least once a week for work: this way you won’t have to carry them with you every day, which is quite difficult, and a healthier alternative to chocolate will always be at hand.
Always keep your salad dressing or sauce in a separate container/bag to add before eating. A small bottle of olive oil and vinegar can also be kept at work.
Ideal if you have a refrigerator at work. If you don’t have one, and food cannot be stored for a long time without it, you can put a bottle of frozen water in the same bag with your lunchbox.

Life:

If you don’t want the lunch you brought from home to limit your rest during your lunch break, make it a habit to go for a walk. In summer, you can eat lunch in the nearest park, and in the cold season, just take a short walk in the remaining time.
If everyone goes to a cafe or canteen, and you don’t want to lose the social component of shared lunches, choose the most interesting interlocutor from among your colleagues and propose an experiment: carry lunches from home for a week or two and calculate the savings. Suddenly he gets involved.
Keep a supply of healthy snacks at work that you can use to save hungry colleagues. Let's hope this kind of generosity returns in spades.

Photos: homedorf.ru, ippinka.com, backtoherroots.com, indulgy.com, magicmag.net, gallerily.com