G/F & D/F Day 7: Lunchables: Super Nerd Attack!

I am a total dork when it comes to bringing my homemade lunch to the office. It keeps me eating well, as apposed to when I'm home and snack all day, crumbing right over the sink. It is also pretty expensive to buy lunch out every day in downtown Manhattan, running around $12 a day to keep you full and satisfied. I hate breakfast, but more on that later; for now, it's my highly awaited time of the workday: lunch!

After trying many different products over the years, and before actually getting it right, here are my top three favorite items for lunch on the go:

1. Built NY (featured above: Gourmet Getaway Lunch Tote in black)
Lunch totes made from neoprene (the wetsuit material), stain resistant, machine washable, stores flat. It's unlike most other obvious lunch carrying totes out there on the market, and it won't leak like most bags I have found. Cloth bags always seem like a great idea, but if you're a water-packed cruciferous eater like most of us veggies are, then keeping your bags dry and cool is of the utmost importance. Plus, I am usually carrying shmancy camera equipment around the city these days, so leaking lunch is a no. They come in varying sizes and patterns; I highly recommend one!

2. To-Go Ware (featured above: To-Go Ware 2 Tier Stainless Steel Food Carrier w/ sidekick sauce container)
This was given to me as a gift about two years ago and it's still going strong. The tiffin is perfect for carrying large quantities of food, like a picnic or road trip, as well as lunch if you have a big appetite like I do. The upside is the quality of stainless steel, the non-leakage latched lunch tiers, and the ability to just take the top part off if you don't need to bring too much with you (I find the double tier a bit much at times). The downside is that it's a little bulky, and the snapping & unlatching at lunchtime create a good laugh in a quiet office, which can sound like gearing up for the great big space launch. Which brings us to the reason for my latest purchase:

3. Stainless Steel Sealable Food Container Set (featured above: Round, BPA-Free plastic lids, from www.plasticfreebottles.com)
I seriously love these things. They are super lightweight, non-bulky, stackable, and come in the perfect size range. They also look a bit more like Tupperware, and I am really surprised that no one else in the container-familia hasn't jumped on this eco-steel bandwagon yet. In due time, I'm sure. These are my total favorite so far.

(Above: mixed salad of green leaf lettuce, red cabbage, zucchini slices, carrot shreds. Side of black olive tapenade, green olives, artichoke and hummus w/ Mary's Gone Crackers).