All about lunch boxes

A lunch box is an indispensable item for everyone who prefers fast and tasty food, which does not require long standing in stores and public catering. High-quality lunch boxes are able not only to preserve the freshness of food, but also to keep it warm for a long time. Consider information about lunch boxes: common varieties, as well as the pros and cons of using them.

Lunch boxes are containers of a separate or collapsible type for long-term storage of food and preservation of its taste, vitamin and cooking temperature. High quality lunch box models can serve not only for storing second courses and snacks, but also able to keep soups, salads and fruits fresh for a long time.

All lunch box models differ in both individual and general positive and negative qualities. Initially, you should pay attention to the pros.

• Saving. Self-prepared natural food, which you place in a container for further consumption, is much cheaper than food and goods bought in stalls and public catering. In addition, the modern food market offers us a huge selection of budget and quality containers that preserve food remarkably.
• Quality... When it comes to natural food from the lunch box, you can be 100% sure which foods you are consuming. Meanwhile, you will never be sure of the quality of the products that were used to prepare meals from canteens or shops.
• Time... One of the main advantages of food in containers is that you can start eating at any time convenient for you without disrupting your diet or experiencing increasing hunger. Plus, to have breakfast in containers, you don't have to waste time queuing up canteens and shops.
• Design. Today there are a huge number of lunch boxes in a wide variety of colors and designs.

In addition to the obvious advantages, containers also have their disadvantages.

• Space... Even high-quality lunch boxes take up a lot of space in backpacks and bags. This is especially true for models with several sections.
• Smell. In low-quality containers, and there are most of them today, food can acquire an unpleasant aroma that can ruin your entire appetite. Moreover, if you eat such food in a public place, this smell can draw the attention of other people to you. Containers with poorly sealed or leaky lids can not only spoil the smell of your belongings and bags, but also stain them.
• Mixing flavors. The main problem with multi-compartment lunch boxes is that the smells of food placed in different compartments merge over time into one continuous aroma. This aroma will not seem pleasant for everyone and may well ruin the pleasure of food.
• Warming up. Unfortunately, not all models of modern lunch boxes can be heated in microwaves, and not every workplace can be found with a working microwave. While food in canteens and shops will be fresh and, if desired, reheated.
• Time. If, in the case of containers, you do not waste time queuing at canteens, then spend it on regular food preparation. To do this, you will have to get up half an hour or more earlier every day to prepare food and place it in a container.

Depending on the use and size of the containers, there are several common varieties of lunch boxes.

Parents usually buy such options for lunch boxes for their children who go to schools or clubs, because for high-quality education, you just need full, healthy and timely nutrition. Besides that These containers keep food tasty and healthy for a long time, they are able to maintain a comfortable temperature level so that it remains warm and reheated for a long time.

These types of lunch boxes usually have tight and completely sealed lids, and also have a portable handle for comfortable carrying food in your hands. And also in such models, several departments are usually provided at once: for hot dishes, salads, fruits, flour. One of the disadvantages of such models is their relatively high cost and reduced volumes, in contrast to lunch boxes for adults.

These lunch box models are available in two or three small tiers for specific food types. They are called chests because such containers are placed in special fabric bags in the form of oval chests with a handle. A distinctive feature of these lunch boxes is that in appearance, you cannot tell by them that food is stored inside.

These lunch boxes have such advantages as:

• in them you can carry 2 separate complete meals at once;
• thanks to the durable handle and stylish appearance, these containers can be safely carried to any public place and to work;
• the set of such containers usually contains a set of cutlery: forks, spoons and knives that make it easier to eat.

Especially popular lately are containers designed exclusively for snacks and quick meals. These lunch boxes are used as carriers for flour and sandwiches. Usually they look like large pencil cases with a special inner isothermal coating that allows bread and meat products to stay cool and fresh for several hours.

Typically, these "pencil cases" are equipped with a special strap that makes it easy to carry from place to place. And there is also an internal strap that fixes the sandwich in a given position and prevents it from breaking and crumbling.

This variant of lunch boxes has the following advantages:

• a wide range of product designs;
• great possibilities of choice;
• compact and small size for carrying.

They are the most budgetary and compact option among all lunch boxes. Typically, these bags are standard bags lined with a material designed to reflect and retain heat. In such bags, products remain warm for up to several hours, tightness is ensured by fasteners or special Velcro. Most often this variant of lunch boxes is used for storing fruits, vegetables or serves as an additional heat insulator for other containers.

For such options for lunch boxes, expanded polystyrene is used, which is able to keep warm for a long time and not spoil the taste and quality of food. The disadvantage of such containers is their low strength, lack of protection against heat treatment and the impossibility of long-term storage at low temperatures. These containers have no more than 3 food compartments.

It should be said that there is no official classification of lunch boxes depending on their size and shape. It means that the manufacturer independently chooses what dimensions and with how many compartments to create models for him. So, on the modern market you can find both lunch boxes with a capacity of 500 ml, and with a volume of 2 or more liters.

Depending on the number of tiers and levels, lunch boxes are divided into the following types:

• single-level;
• two-level;
• three-level.

Depending on the number of compartments and sections, containers are divided into: single-section, 2-section and 3-section. Models with more than 4 compartments for appetizers, salads, sauces or pâté are also available. The choice of large or small containers depends only on the amount of food that you are going to take with you on a hike or to work.

Modern lunch boxes can be provided with a variety of materials that are more or less suitable for storing certain foods.

Metal containers have their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, they are more durable than most other containers, retain heat for a long time, do not deform from temperature and keep food tasty for a long time in the refrigerator.

The biggest advantage of metal lunch boxes is that they can have several inner layers at once. This approach makes it possible to achieve from the most expensive metal models of food storage for not 4-6 hours (as in the case of other lunch boxes), but several days. Models made of high-quality stainless steel would be ideal.

Today, the most common option for making food containers is plastic.As a rule, plastic models are completely sealed, inexpensive and do not need any special care. When choosing plastic containers, pay attention to the packaging elements.

Such containers have such advantages as:

• low cost when compared with metal and ceramic products;
• the ability to divide food into several sections, as well as the ability to completely preserve the taste and quality of food; it is from plastic that the most dimensional models of lunch boxes with many sections and tiers are made;
• plastic containers can be found in every hardware store;
• due to the versatility of the use of plastic in industry, such models of lunch boxes can have all the necessary set of containers and tools for a full meal;
• plastic containers are usually sealed, which prevents mixing of different types of food.

Among the disadvantages are the following:

• plastic without additional heating elements gives off heat very quickly and is not able to keep it inside the container for a long time;
• plastic models, due to constant contact with moisture and fat, deteriorate very quickly, lose their appearance and break;
• Not all plastic container models are suitable for heating in microwaves.

A variant of containers made of this material is found in hardware stores much less often than other varieties. Meanwhile, glass lunch boxes have both positive and negative qualities.

Among the pluses it is worth noting the following:

• transparent glass containers allow you to monitor the state of food without breaking the tightness of the container, which potentially increases the shelf life of food;
• glassware belongs to the "eco" type - it does not emit harmful elements and does not become a hotbed for the spread of bacteria on the dishes;
• almost all modern glass lunch boxes are microwavable, which makes them competitive over plastic, silicone and polystyrene models.

The disadvantages include the following:

• glassware is much heavier than even metal models of lunch boxes, which makes it a losing option for use on long hikes and travel;
• despite the external strength of such dishes, glass is extremely poorly resistant to physical stress and pressure; glass containers crack and crumble from falling on a tile or stone;
• due to the too high density of glass, it is impossible to make models with many divisions and tiers from it;
• glass does not react well to sudden changes in temperature - if you stored food in a glass container in the freezer, you should not immediately lower it under warm water, as the lunch box is likely to crack;
• glass containers cannot be stored in an open place - they do not interfere with the ingress of sunlight on food, from which it can deteriorate.

Ceramic containers are also not popular among other models.

The pros are as follows:

• the possibility of long-term preservation of heat due to the structure of the ceramics;
• relatively high density when compared with plastic and silicone models;
• does not in any way affect the taste and quality of food, does not mix odors, and is also considered an environmentally friendly option;
• if in glass models there is a minimal possibility of creating lunch boxes with several sections, then ceramic models most often come with only one high-quality division.

Among the disadvantages are the following:

• the same weight as glass - this makes it a poor option for use on long trips;
• high-quality ceramic lunch boxes are much more expensive than plastic, silicone and even glass models, but cheaper than stainless steel models;
• in terms of strength, ceramics are as fragile as glass - from the slightest fall, such containers can break or crack, thereby breaking all tightness and thermal insulation.

Some people refer to containers made of this material as "eco" - bacteria do not multiply in them, there always remains a pleasant smell. Silicone lids ensure complete tightness of the container, tightly adhering to the container, which prevents spills of mixtures and liquids. In addition, silicone containers are much cheaper than metal and ceramic products.

Fortunately, the market today offers a huge number of lunch boxes for all tastes when it comes to the design and decoration of containers. The greatest variety in this regard is used by models made of stainless steel or ceramics: the outer layer of containers is decorated with paintings and drawings of different colors. If we are talking about options made of plastic, silicone or polystyrene, then models in a monochromatic design are most often found here.

Among the most famous manufacturers of high-quality containers, there are 5 most common: Tupperware, GoEat, Gipfel, IKEA. It is the manufacturers from this rating that today produce the highest quality lunch boxes with excellent thermoregulation, heating and durability. For example, Tupperware lunch boxes are renowned for their huge selection of designs, colors, and number of interior sections. These containers are made of several materials at once, which allows for a more subtle approach to preserving the qualities of food.

Lunch boxes of the firm Bento are distinguished by exceptional tightness, durability and ease of use at home. As a rule, there are two whole layers in these containers - the inner one is represented by a thick layer of stainless steel, the outer one is made of durable and heat-resistant ABS plastic.

Today, food containers can be found in almost every hardware store, however, unfortunately, not all of the models presented are of high quality and will be able to properly preserve all food. To choose the optimal lunch box model for your needs, you should study its description, characteristics, photographs and documents. It is advised to pay attention to several points when choosing containers.

• Food type... Each type of lunch box and container is tailored for a specific type of food. For example, for storing hot liquids, for example, soups, teas or compotes, you should choose thermoses, for storing main courses and snacks, for example, salads, you should choose classic containers. For storing whole fruits and vegetables, you should choose models of lunch boxes with an isothermal coating - they will keep them fresh and tasty for longer.
• Tightness. The model of a lunch box, regardless of the type, must be airtight - that is, it must have a tight and well-closed lid. The ideal option would be models with a lid fixed with additional plastic locks or fasteners.
• Warming up... On modern models of lunch boxes, it is usually indicated in what temperature conditions they can be used. If you have found this information, do not hesitate to contact a consultant and clarify this point.In addition, today there are models of lunch boxes with heating or with a thermal bag like a thermos, the food from which does not need to be reheated so often.
• Care. Modern lunch boxes, and especially multi-section models, often have a design that is inconvenient for maintenance and cleaning. If you have a dishwasher at your disposal at home, you should check with your consultant if the model can be washed in it.
• Separators. If you spend a lot of time at work and are used to several meals during work, you should choose container models with several sections for different products.
• Accessories. Some expensive models of lunch boxes provide additional elements that provide convenience when eating. These can be spoons, forks, insert containers, mini-trays, folding glasses.

Fortunately, any lunch boxes prepared using modern technologies do not need any specific maintenance. When it comes to caring for containers, you should pay attention, first of all, to the optimal storage conditions for the material of manufacture. So, the main rules for the care of all lunch boxes.

• Always keep containers clean, whatever the material. After each meal, wash the container thoroughly, dry it with a rag, or leave it to dry in a warm place. Remember to wipe down the outside and inside of the containers.
• Try to avoid unnecessarily exposing your lunch box to high or low temperatures. Many of the materials described above can deform with prolonged exposure to cold or heat. In addition, some materials from which modern food containers are made can release into food substances hazardous and unhealthy during thermal processing.

How to choose the right lunch box for your meal, see below.