For a while, I've been bringing my lunch to work. It's good for a number of reasons -- it's cheap (very cheap), it's nutritious (you can eat better) and it lets me get more done during a time when I'm exceptionally busy at the office.

But one thing I've always hated was carrying crap back & forth to the office. Since I try to eat meat and salad. You can't carry those things in a paper sack like a high-carber brings a sandwich & banana, so it's Tupperware. And it's a pain because you're carrying dirty plastic containers back and forth all the time.

I finally decided to carry just one container and eat the same thing every day. Last week it was cinnamon-grilled chicken thighs. This week it was grilled sirloin and a few bratwurst. Buy a bag of salad, and leave it there until it's gone. This solution works pretty well. Not a perfect system, but at least I don't work in an office where there are food-stealers, like my wife does.

I don't mind eating the same thing everyday. I'll make it on Sunday and it gets me through the week. Ate all week on the chicken thighs for maybe $7 total. The steak was bought in bulk on sale, so it wasn't much more. I used to do the leftover thing from the previous night's dinner, but it got old dealing with the containers.

Anyone else brown bagging it?

Blue-boxing it, actually. I have a nice 2-section lunchbox. I use Ziplock bags and rubbermaid containers - at the end of the day, I just load them back in the box and cart it all home.

There's enough there for breakfast and lunch and maybe a good snack - so I have no excuse to go out for anything. Leftovers, usually. Each day I take half a romaine heart in the upper portion (just saw it in half longways and wrap it in plastic film). Below we have pre-baked burgers and chicken breasts, leftover crock pot beef, boiled eggs, and a cup of caesar or blue cheese (or mixed, if you're cleaning the fridge like I did last night) dressing for dipping. That and the protein powder in my office and I'm good to go!

I love taking my lunch. It's actually better than anything I can get on the street...

I work the graveyard shift so dont have to worry about having to make a "lunch" every day. But I do keep several 7oz packs of tuna in my drawer and some mayo and dill relish in the office fridge for those nights when I get hungry. I also keep a tupperware dish in the drawer for mixing the tuna salad.

I work nights too and usually don't stop long enough to eat, but if I do it is a sugar free jello or string cheese, eat and run

I "purple bag" it most days - salad or chopped veggies in one container, dressing in another and a third container for protein.

Carrying the bag around is a small price to pay for having legal food in the office fridge!

I don't leave food in the fridge at work for more than one day because the more zealous clean freaks periodically toss everything they think has been there too long (including containers) and then clean the fridge.

Julie

Yeah, I pack my breakfast, lunch and snack every night, haul it to work every morning and take dirty dishes home every night. We keep plastic plates in the breakroom, so when possible, I pack things in ziploc baggies and then throw them away at work. Anything that gets left overnight in our refrigerator will probably be gone the next morning because the night cleaning staff apparently gets hungry!

If I'm going to have my main meal at work, I have to bring it in as I work for a pizza company!! I work swing so try to have my main meal at home and then maybe bring some deli chicken, cheese or low carb snacks for at work. I'll get a bag of chicken and keep it at work, and eat from it when I want it.

I agree it's a hassle taking dishes back and forth, but for me it's better than eating pizza when I'm really hungry and I have nothing there...I can make a salad with the pizza toppings but for me it's easier to avoid them altogether!

Ruth

http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-Ben...93494800&sr=8-1

Those things are pretty cool for bringing stuff to work, and this is pretty good for just a big salad:

http://www.amazon.com/Fit-Fresh-210...93495020&sr=1-2

I work at a place with a kitchen, so I often actually cook lunch at work - bacon and eggs, omelets, stuff like that.

-j.

Coolness, j13! I once saw the salad bowl somewhere and I've regretted not buying it since. The bento jar is a bit spendy, but MAN is it Uber-cool. Have you used it? How do you like it?

G

I like to make big pots of stuff whenever I get the chance, and freeze it into individual portions. Then during the week, when I am rushing out the door in the morning, I just grab a container of frozen whatever, and there's my lunch. Chili and Broccoli cheese soup are my mainstays, but occasionally I come up with something else thats freezable. Leftovers that I don't feel like eating the next day can usually be frozen for a lunch down the road. For some reason, the ground beef based meals seem to be better for freezing.

Actually, I pink-bag it--I have a pretty large LL Bean lunch bag. One thing that I'm surprised no one's mentioned but is a mainstay of my lunches is a thermos bottle. I actually have two--a small 10-ounce one that I use to bring stuff like scrambled eggs and a 20-ouncer that I use for soups and stews. My bag is big enough so I can fit both of them AND a quart bottle of water with a cold pack in it. Thermoses are much better with soups and stews than with other hot dishes like casseroles, I've noticed, but I got tired of salads and was glad to make the investment so I could have hot food for my first meal (I eat in my car just to get out of the building).

I have a Fit N Fresh salad bowl but quite frankly it's a pain and if you're not careful it'll make a mess.

I bring in a couple hard boiled eggs, or a hot dog to work every day, and then bring the containers home. I leave a package of string cheese in the fridge..just in case I get 'snacky'. I work retail, and we sell food, and I have to have something in case I get the cravings.

We do have "food thieves' though, and except for one time..my string cheese has been safe. Guess they like the crap foods too!

I used to eat for out (B/L/D) all the time, thinking I was doing myself a real favor. But now I am "brown bagging it" (though I really have yet to use a literal brown bag). I am ussually bringing it in to the office in a couple of those plastic sacks from Walmart or Krogers or the like. We have a fridge, freezer, microwaves, sink, and ice machine at the office, and a cafeteria as well.

I pack my breakfast sometimes, and lunch most every day now. I actually thought I would hate it compared to eating out (not just from the difference in the quality of the food, but also losing the mental relief of getting away from all the workday stress) - but in truth I am truly loving eating in. It's a big surprise to me.

At first I went to Walmart and decided I would invest in a large collection of all things for toting food (in every size and shape). I spent probably too much on plastic containers - good ones.

At first I was bringing in food in those plastic rubbermaid/tupperware type deals, in all different shapes and sizes. Then I started noticing discoloration (white-ish) on the bottom where I would nuke my food (evidently the sizzling of the grease or oils or water would do it). Anyone else experience that?? I like to thoroughly cook my food, erring on the side of overcooking, if possible, but I have damaged/discolored the bottoms of many of our plastic containers before I learned better.

Anyhow, my wife and I decided that was nasty and possibly releasing nasty plasticide chemicals into what I was eating. I now bring a nice Correlle type plate and nice silverware, and some meat (often Johnsonville Brats, baked chicken, etc). I supplement with some low glycemic veggies like asparagus, green beans, broccolli, or cauliflower (sometimes frozen in the bag, sometimes in cans). I bring a can-opener to the office. My food is most often in tamper-evident/resistant containers.

I find that am eating better, feel fuller, have folks making comments about how wonderful what I am eating looks to them. I really enjoy eating with real silverware and plates - it just makes it nicer than paper and plastic, and makes eating a more homey and classy experience.

So I am still bringing stuff to/from in the plastic, but cook on the Correlle plates. I also bring in snacky stuff (SF Jello, LC Yogurt, etc on occasion), or breakfasty stuff (eggs - scrambled and omlettey style).

I keep a mini-fridge and microwave in my classroom--taking my lunch is the only way for me. Have you SEEN what is served in school cafeterias and called nutritious, balanced meals?

I blue bag it. Usually last night's dinner, with string cheese for a snack, diet coke and a bottle of water. everything I need for the day. Help save on the waistline and checkbook ! It's hard to get dh to do it, though. just this morning, we're carpooling (another $$ saver) and I asked where his lunch was. "oh I forgot to pack it" hmmmmm