It's All About the Package

As a defiant response to Sad Desk Lunches, the Food52 team works to keep our midday meals both interesting and pretty. Each week, we'll be sharing our happiest desk lunches -- and we want to see yours, too.

Today: If you want to eat a good lunch at work, it's got to get to your office in one piece. The right containers will help.

This may seem obvious, but the first step to eating a great work lunch is actually transporting your lunch from your kitchen to your office. When there is a container of wholesomeness (or, hey, leftover pizza) in the office refrigerator, you are less likely to do what I call the lunchtime walk of shame, which is of course the act of walking back into your office at 1 PM with a $15 salad in your grasp. 

Once you know what you'll be eating instead of said salad, it is important to choose the right vessel. Transport is essential, as you don't want to weigh down your backpack or your murse with too-heavy glassware or stain it with leaky plastic. You need the right stuff.

So, a few tips: 

I like to transport soups -- this one packs well -- in mason jars, and then bring some bread to toast and dip. 

Some super-efficient people I know carry their salads in jars, too: heavy stuff (grains, beans) goes at the bottom, light leafy greens on top. You can even slip your dressing in there, at the bottom, and shake everything together at the last minute -- this prevents sogginess and minimizes the number of things you have to wash when you get home. Or just pack an über-sturdy grain salad.

Sandwiches should be wrapped properly, lest they become pancakes. Consider upgrading from aluminum foil to a protective sandwich wrap or a sleek box.

Most importantly: Don't forget to pack yourself a cookie, or a bit of chocolate. January is almost over, anyways.

Tell us: How do you wrap up your lunch for safe travel?

Cookie photo by Phyllis Grant; all other photos by James Ransom