The right receptacle obviously depends on the lunch you have chosen to make. Some recipes require assembly just before eating, with different components needing to be packed separately. The main thing you can do to help you on your packed-lunch endeavors is to purchase containers in lots of different sizes. But, as with all accessories, some are more attractive than others.
The enamel lunch pail
The Chanel handbag of lunch containers: expensive but excellent quality, and will never date. Etsy.com has an excellent selection.
The tiffin tin
Scour eBay for a genuine vintage floral painted beauty, or find an updated stainless steel version at most department stores. Embark upon your commute safe in the knowledge that your bread and salad are safely enclosed in separate metal compartments.
Thermos
Handy for the dismal al desko lunch when you’re superglued to your seat. If your place of work doesn’t have a microwave, you’ll need one of these to enjoy the soups in this book. More on these later.
Tupperware
A bit like a Volvo. Not particularly pretty, but safe and reliable; you know your pasta salad is in good hands. You can also transport soup in them with confidence. One should set aside at least three for packed lunch purposes: a large one for things like lettuce, which takes up lots of room and mustn’t be squashed en route; a medium-size one, which can be used for most concoctions, and crucially, a miniature one to house salad dressing, which can be nestled in either of the aforementioned, like a Russian doll.
So not everyone is going to be fussed about hunting down a utilitarian imitation WW2 mess tin to house their quinoa or spending a small fortune on enamelware. We understand. Thankfully there are other options and household items you can requisition to great effect.
The super-sized pickle jar
Fill it up with your packed lunch and get a free workout as you lug it on the commute.
The mini jam jar
A B&B staple, these little beauties are perfect for housing your salad dressing.
The quart-sized plastic ice cream box
Conveniently sized and often with gloriously retro packaging: do you need another excuse to buy some gelato or vanilla ice cream?