Growing up, having a packed lunch for a field trip meant all the best goodies. Though many underclassmen still enjoy the perks of dining halls, students living off-campus are on their own when it comes to feeding themselves. It’s up to them to recapture the magic of bagged lunches by making lunch packing easier, faster and a little more fun.
PackIt (top right)
This handy tool eliminates the mess and bulk of an ice pack. Bring as many perishables as you want without worrying that they’ll go bad. Simply freeze the bag overnight, pack your lunch in the morning and the bag will keep the food cold until your noon dash between Tech and Fisk. It’s a little pricey for a lunch sack, but it comes in 14 patterns and six solid colors so you can eat in style. ($19.95, packit.com)
Bento Boxes (bottom left)
These bright, stackable boxes do the thinking for you when it comes to covering all your food groups and controlling portions. The smaller containers are sized to pack a variety of veggies, protein and grain. There’s no triangular compartment for your cold pizza, but the box does help separate your foods for a fulfilling lunch. ($24-38, laptoplunches.com)
LunchSkins (top right)
These reusable sandwich bags are bright, eco-friendly, dishwasher-safe and Oprah-approved. What more convincing do you need? The makers of LunchSkins aim to reduce the carbon footprint of plastic bags and other lunch trash. The bags come in sandwich, sub and snack sizes and a variety of colors and patterns. ($8.95 for sandwich bags, lunchskins.com)
black+blum Lunch Pot (bottom right)
For those looking for more variety than a simple sandwich, the black+blum Lunch Pot makes transporting messier foods less of an ordeal. These watertight canisters fit together and keep foods like noodles and sauce or yogurt and granola fresh and separate until it’s time to eat. ($23, black-blum.com)
Banana Saver
This may be a “first world problem,” but who hasn’t thrown a banana in a bag or backpack and rediscovered it battered and mushy? The great people at bananasaver.com have you covered. This plastic guard protects your banana from bumps and bruises and costs $5.50 at Uncle Dan’s.