How I do lunch

Today, I want to talk about my lunchbox. I love my lunchbox! Taking my lunch to work has always been one of the best things I can do to keep myself on track. It has also saved me hundreds of dollars because when I go down to the cafeteria, I usually spend $8-10 on lunch.The trick has been finding a lunchbox that worked for me.

When I worked nights, I carried a soft lunchbox that fit a lot of food. It was great, but I always had to find tupperware for what I wanted and I ended up with all different sizes and lids that never matched the bowl I wanted to use. Not the most efficient, but it worked.

What really fascinated me though, were Bento boxes. I loved the idea of one box, with separate compartments that would hold everything I wanted. I tried several different version, but it was always hard to find one that met all my requirements. My box needed to:

* Hold a good amount of food - enough for a 12 hour shift.

* Not spill all over my bag if it were turned on it's side.

* Hold liquids because I like to take soups and foods with sauces

* Be microwave safe

* Have multiple compartments and keep the food more or less separated.

* Fit in my shoulder bag comfortably so that I can walk to work and not have it bother my back.

 Right now, I am using the Cool Bites Bento Lunch box. I've had it for about 6 months and it has been great. It holds plenty of food. I have enough space for lunch and a snack during the day. It seals well, and no matter how it turns in my bag, I have not had it leak on my stuff. It will hold liquids, but they don't stay in their compartment, so most of the time if I pack soups, I either pack them so that I can add the broth later or I put the soup in a small canning jar which I can just throw in my bag too. It is microwave safe and comes with a freezer pack to keep foods cold if needed. Plus, there are plenty of compartment options. There are two tiers. The bottom tier has removable bowls that fit in the one large compartment. I rarely use those bowls because the two compartments on the top and one big one work well for me. And, it fits perfectly in my shoulder bag!

Here's my lunch all packed for today. Salad with a condiment cup of dressing, red grapes, celery sticks and string cheese, a green apple, and a canning jar of Butternut Squash, Carrot, Ginger soup. (BTW, the soup is delicious! You should check out the recipe here.)

I still have a cloth lunchbox for those times when I still want to carry a bag. My bento box fits into it well. But I love that I don't have to carry the cloth bag to keep everything together.

Today's Motivation:

There was steady drizzle this morning when I was getting ready for work and I love walking in the rain! The weather is cooler, there are not a lot of people out, and I get to use an umbrella. (That's right. Just like a 5 year old, I still get excited about carrying an umbrella.) I was so happy I could just throw my lunch in my bag and leave today. With my lunch in my bag, I had my hands free to walk and carry an umbrella. Totally worth it!