How we Carry our Lunch

Have you ever watched your co-workers bring their lunches to work? I’ve realized over the years that how you carry your lunch is kind of like the car you drive- it may change over time but it definitely can and usually does define you in that moment. Please note that I have brought my lunch in all of the following ways, so you might say I’m a bit of multi-personality.

Brown Paper Bag – If they are clutching the bag at the top, this person might be on a liquid diet.

If the top of the bag is neatly folded over and has their name it on it than you are dealing with the office goody two shoes. Never makes mistakes, very easy to read, not getting crazy at the office Christmas Party. You can bet there is some sort of sandwich (egg salad, tuna fish, turkey) , a baggie of carrots, a baggie of grapes and maybe a chocolate kiss –but just one.

FYI- I searched for this picture AFTER I wrote this - VERY telling!!

Plastic grocery bag – This is the person who is usually running late and running through the door on the dot of starting time. They threw some stuff in the bag and often that same bag with random selections sits in the office Fridge for weeks on end. It might hold such things as individual Jell-Os, a whole piece of fruit with no way of cutting it, a store bought sandwich that tastes more like the wrapping than food and an entire Hershey’s Chocolate bar.

Cute lunch bag/tote /box made specifically for lunch – This is the Outgoing one in the office. The person who plans the parties, makes the cleaning rotation list, and ensures that all office supplies are accounted for. Not to be confused with the shyer brown paper bag person, this person likes to show off. Inside that neat little tote you will find frozen diet dinners, an in-season fruit, a yogurt from Whole Foods or the higher-end grocery store, and a protein bar claiming to taste just like dessert. The kind of food that you wish you had time and money to go and shop for , then once you do, you realize it still tastes like crap, it just looks better in a fancy tote.

Plastic Food Containers – If they are see-through, then you have the office show-off who can do all and does do all. This is the person that brings the best potluck dishes, and made five days worth of lunches on Sunday evening while watching Jeopardy.

If the containers are not see-through, then you have the person who is picky about what they eat and has to specially prepare their lunch. The person with many food allergies who also cannot use certain kinds of pens, and likes all of the papers in the files to go in the same direction.

Trendy shopping bags with handles- This is like the cute lunch/bag tote person but the difference is that they are much trendier. They can’t be bothered with a germy lunch tote that will need to be cleaned each and every night. This person likes the bag they brought their lunch in much more than the lunch itself. You might find a variety of things that famous people would eat or at least do a commercial for.

Gift bags – This is the person who is the social butterfly and will share whatever they bring with whoever is around. To them a present one day, lunch bag the next. Very laid back and usually a little too happy for normal people. This person will likely have plastic utensils, and straws because life is fun and so should your lunch be. Don’t be surprised to see them eating the remains of Birthday cake from the weekend out of that bag.

Coolers – This is your serious eater. Typically takes their lunch out to the car. Who really knows what is in that cooler? This person doesn’t talk much, works hard and likes to get home on time so the cook of the house can pack up the cooler and set it by the door for the next day, because this person is guaranteed to be at work EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Of course you have the Non-packers or often times fast food baggers- these are the people that you can’t figure out how they afford eating out every single day while you are eating your bologna and cheese sandwich wrapped in tin foil that you carried in by hand. Because you are the person who doesn’t want to seem too settled. You might not come back the next day and you certainly aren’t going to commit by bringing anything you would leave in the lifers fridge.

How do you carry your lunch to work?

(Today, I carried my Lean Cuisine in a Cheesecake factory bag with a whole grapefruit and some almonds – I told you I’m a little eclectic!)

and finally, for a guaranteed laugh: