Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Brown Bagging It

My new job has also meant the start of new routines. New morning routines. New evening routines. New commuting routines. And new lunch routines. As I mentioned a week or so ago, I have started taking my lunch to work most days. While this isn’t all that different to eating at home everyday (back when I was telecommuting for my old job), it does require a little more planning and a few new accessories.

New lunch accessory #1—reusable lunch bag.


 I guess technically this means I am green bagging it!

In order to be green and save a few bucks, I have invested in this insulated, reusable lunch bag. It is the perfect size for my current lunch menu and at $4.99 at The Container Store, a total bargain. Truth be told, I originally had my eye on this adorable neoprene lunch tote (in polka dot), also from The Container Store:



But at more than $20 I decided it wasn’t worth it. I settled for the cheap but peppy green bag instead.

As for what’s inside my lunch bag? I am definitely a creature of habit and my daily lunches have already turned into routine. Every day pretty much the same thing: yogurt (I like the new Greek-style yogurt which is thicker and has more protein than your run-of-the-mill yogurt), a nectarine, a mini-bag of Smartfood white cheddar popcorn (only 100 calories!), and a Kashi peanut butter granola bar. Occasionally I throw in some carrots when I am feeling a need for some veggies. I find this to be a pretty healthy lunch that keeps me full most of the day.


I did worry about keeping my yogurt cold until lunch time since I work in a huge building with few refrigerators available for easy lunch storage. Which brings us to….

New lunch accessory #2—mini ice pack.



This was another Container Store find and was only, I think, $1. It is about the size of a pack of cards and works like a charm, keeping my yogurt the perfect temperature throughout the morning until I have time to eat. You just have to be careful how you arrange everything else in the bag—the first time I used it, my granola bar got too close to it and was so hard I could hardly break a piece off let alone take a bite!

All in all my new lunch routine seems to be working out well. What do your lunch routines look like?

1 comment:

  1. Why we're friends, installment #463: We pack virtually the exact same lunch. In fact, I have that Greek yogurt in my fridge right now, and I'm debating switching to it full-time when school starts. And I love those peanut butter granola bars specifically.
    Reason #464: I bought the floral Built lunch bag at The Container Store in June because I had my original post-college lunch bag for nearly seven years and it had seen better days, and I felt the splurge would make me happier when I go to work, and it does!

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