What is the acceptable/professional/non-tacky way to bring your lunch to work?

Question

(Like, a sandwich, soda, fruit, pretzels...etc)

Answer 1

In a bag/special tin/ box that is not ostentatious and does not look like the deli packed it.\

Do not bring wine to the cafeteria!

More healthy food needed - so eat granola bars and other nutritional stuff. Well done

Answer 2

If you are concerned that the insulated luch box is tacky, but it is necessary because of what you are carrying in it, just buy something a little bigger to carry it in. My friend has a nice leather hobo sack she wears ove her arm, and when she gets into the department, out comes the thermal sack, her coffee thermos, her creamer, her chocolate chip cookies and potato chips, all of which she trucks to work everyday.
I wouldn't put my lunch in my briefcase, it might spill, and going into the bathroom to wash off your pens, pencils, and whatever else you had in their is way uncool. Unless the briefcase is the lunch box! LOL.
Sure, bring your lunch. Busy office people often eat in the office, or the cubicle, depending on the office rules. It shows dedication. to the job [or to eating lunch, LOL]. It is acceptible, especially if it is something healthy, or homecooked, or special, like your Mom's cheesecake that she brought you..
If eating a sandwich was good enough for the Earl of same, it is good enough for me. I take my lunch all the time. The food in the cafteteria is not necessarily to my liking, and I have a special diet. And, I do not always have the time to go there, and stand in line.
If you are concerned that eating out of baggies, or just a plain sandwich looks cheap, or tacky, just go upscale a bit. I take my chips out of the big sack, and put them in a small Tupperware. That is called portion control, I only want a few, the little individual bag from the machine is still too big, even though it has got smaller and smaller over the years.. And I have a square Tupperware for my sandwich. When eating with the boss, leave the P & J home, and choose something else that day. Buy some cheese, slice or cube it, have some nice crackers, some not messy fruit that carries easily [not a banana]. Consider a fruited Jello salad, homemade, or from the store. Yogurt is a nice choice. .

Answer 3

Being a human who eats lunch is no secret, and it is nothing to hide or be discreet about. Bringing ones own lunch from home instead of eating out every day is fine. Bring your lunch in any container that holds it and doesn't leak. A cute canvas bag with a zipper is nice. A brown bag is fine too. If there are refrigerator facilities where you are, that is ideal.

Where the politeness comes in, is that you don't keep your lunch at your desk where it might stink up the whole room. That you dispose of any leftovers where they are not visible or stink.

Answer 4

I usually take my lunch in discreet tupperware, with un-childlike colours. Like a small box along with a thermal mug.

Make sure you take something that doesn't make too much noise, and avoid taking too many dishes. Three items, at the most, will do just fine: lunch box, mug/flask, and spoon/fork (optional).

Answer 5

ANything you want really. I worry about the smell and the mess it could make. It should be something that won't offend or disturb. Like if you bring a smelly lunch it bothers people and disrupts the workplace.

Answer 6

My hubby is in the military and I pack his lunch in a thermal lunch bag. He felt silly at first takinging it to work, but now he couldn't care less. And taking your lunch means you're eatting healthier than if you ate out everyday. It really shouldn't matter what you take your lunch in mo matter what your job is. If someone desides to be a jerk and say something, than they're just being stupid and immature.

Answer 7

I put everything in my briefcase or attache case, when I was working. Most everyone else did, too. It depends on how formal your workplace is and what your job is.
Rule of thumb...white collar office job....lunch in the briefcase.
Blue collar job...anything like truck driver, construction worker,
sales clerk, maintence worker, press operator, etc....lunch goes in a thermal insulated mini cooler, lunch box, or paper bag.

Answer 8

It depends on your profession. In every job I have had, people brought their lunches in whatever container they had, paper or plastic bags, and sometimes those colorful insulated bags. On television the lawyers, and other people with prestige jobs carry their lunch in paper bags within their briefcases.

Answer 9

I would tupperware the sandwich and keep everything in your briefcase. Make room if you need to. It's silly, but brown bags and insulated lunch carriers are not considered professional attire. It just depends on how uptight your place of business is.

Answer 10

They make thermal lunch bags in various forms, colors, pattern and sizes. Most where I work, at a college, bring these.