The brown bag (which has come to be a metaphor for any lunch container) can offer gourmet fare, a basic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and everything in between.
The late cosmetic magnate, Helena Rubenstein was a brown-bagger, and so was oil millionaire H.L. Hunt. These successful people knew what they were doing, and today millions of people follow their savvy example.
Just look around—brown-baggers are everywhere, and for good reason. Eating lunch out during the work week can run into big bucks — if there’s a place to cut unnecessary spending, it would be with this lunchtime habit. And then there’s the health factor — more and more folks are choosing real whole food with the benefit of knowing exactly they are eating, over fast food chicken parts and high calorie restaurant entrees.
But even with the very sound advantages of bringing your own lunch to work, it can get a bit tedious and same ‘ol-same ‘ol. So let’s look at some ways we can keep the sparkle in this very bright idea.
First, how about sandwiches? We start with the base — whether it’s a pita pocket, a bagel, a whole grain tortilla wrap, or even sturdy leaves of spinach or lettuce. Next comes the spread — butter, cream cheese, avocado paste, nut butters—the list can go on. Finally, we add the fillings — cold cuts, leftover pot roast or grilled chicken, salmon or egg salad, sliced fresh veggies — another endless list of possibilities.
But we’re not limited to sandwiches. What about a piping hot cup of soup or leftover beef stew from last night’s supper? Or why not celery sticks filled with nut butter or cream cheese and chopped red pepper? A colleague of mine brings baggies full of veggie sticks, raw nuts and lots of fresh fruits for his lunch. Another co-worker brings a huge salad and homemade crackers for lunch. As long as we have the means to transport the food, there’s no limit to what lunch can look like.
And even though we’re calling it “brown-bagging,” any good tote will work. I bring my lunch every day in a sturdy wire basket with handles. I only use glass containers, so things were getting a little heavy for the paper sack. A friend made a cute lunch box out of a shoe box with added twine handles. Use your imagination and have fun with your container choice.
One final thought: Serious brown-baggers plan ahead. So when sitting down to supper tonight, remove some of your meal into your storage container(s) so you’re ready for tomorrow’s lunch!
In researching this topic, I went hunting for some unusual, yet health-oriented brown-bag ideas. Here are a couple — let us know what you think. First, dessert (life is short, you know…):
Date-Nut Creamscotch Cookie Sandwiches
Fun and delicious new take on the “cookie for dessert” pattern
3 oz softened cream cheese
1 Tbsp chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp chopped dates (Medjool are my favorites)
1 tsp brown sugar
Graham crackers, oatmeal or sugar cookies
Blend cream cheese, nuts, dates, and sugar together. Spread filling on Graham crackers or sugar cookies. Top with another cracker or cookie for a delicious brown bag dessert sandwich.
Download this recipe.
Salmon Pies
Makes 3 pies
3 Tbsp butter
¼ C flour
½ tsp salt
Dash pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chopped chives
1 lb cooked salmon
¼ C fresh or canned mushroom pieces
½ C condensed milk
1 C diced cooked carrots
1 C cooked peas
¼ C dry sherry
3 pastry shells (5-inch), with dough for the top crusts
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In saucepan, melt the butter and mix in flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and chives. Flake and add the salmon, removing any bones. Then add mushrooms, milk, carrots, peas and sherry. Stir. Fill pie shells and cover them with top crusts. Poke holes in the top and bake 5 min. to set the crusts; then reduce oven to 350 degrees for 20 more minutes for browning.
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