In February 2024 this website crashed for no apparent reason. Despite using professionals at GoDaddy.com it was impossible to restore anything after October 2021 (over 100 posts). I do have many of those post in draft form (no final edit or photos) and I have decided to repost them in that manner. I apologize for typos and other errors. How do I feel about losing all of my original work? Life goes on.
The first three videos that I produced for YouTube were on how to pack a lunch. That was around 2008 and it was in response to treating divorced men who I was seeing in my practice who were going broke buying lunch every day. Admittedly, the videos were way too long and too detailed.
I went out with my friend, Tom, for breakfast last weekend. We have a favorite spot in Chicago and have been going there for years. Last month breakfast (including tip) for the two of us was around $40. This month the same meals are close to $50. Price increases can be found at every prepared food level, from fast food to swanky restaurants. Based on the above, I thought I would write a post based on my decades of experience of packing everything from a simple lunch to three complete meals.
When I was a medical student I was poor, very poor. The school that I attended had a lot of wealthy kids who thought nothing of buying their lunch every day. I was in the small minority who brought lunch and ate it in the barren “medical student lounge.” In those days may grocery stores had a “generic aisle” of food that was truly generic. These items were very inferior to house brands. In fact, once I opened a can of green beans that contained an entire plant: stem, leaves, and roots. This is where I shopped for food. In those days I used a simple brown bag, which I eventually upgraded to a fabric bag with a Velcro closure. My lunches were always the same: generic bread with generic lunch meat (often bologna) or a PBJ, A Capri Sun pouch drink, and a third item such as a piece of fruit or a few sandwich cookies. My one big extravagance was the purchase of a Swiss Army knife. A fellow poor student had one and used it to cut up apples and the like. I saved my penies and bought my very own knife and used it constantly. In fact, I still have it to this very day.
I graduated medical school and started my residency. By then I was divorced and with a young child. I was making money, but not much. I needed my own apartment (due to my visiting daughter), and I was also paying child support. Money was very tight, but a bit looser than medical school. Due to cost, I almost always cooked at home. Typically, I would make a “dinner for two.” I would immediately separate half of the meal into a rectangular Rubbermaid container. It was around 1” deep and was designed to accommodate two stacks of lunch meat next to each other. That container would go into the fridge and would be my lunch for the next day. It was a great solution and I honestly believe that my lunches were not only more economical, but better tasting than the stuff available in the hospital’s cafeteria. I would supplement that meal with other foods, like a piece of fruit, or cookies. When I didn’t have a leftover meal I would go with whatever I could find in my kitchen. Cheese and crackers, a sandwich, a can of soup. The key was being flexible. I know I had a lunch box of some sort, but I can’t remember what it was. In those days coffee was always available as was water.
When I started my real job I had more money. Many people around me frequently ordered in food or went out to local restaurants. Although I could afford to do this, it made no sense. By bringing my lunch I could use my breaks to complete paperwork and return phone calls. By not doing that at the end of the day I got to go home as soon as I was finished with my last patient. Here I followed a similar pattern of bringing leftovers, standard lunches, or sometimes shelf-stable meals. It wasn’t uncommon for me to bring both lunch and dinner. During the last 10 years of my working life I traveled to Rockford for two days a week. It wasn’t uncommon for me to bring a light breakfast, lunch and dinner on those days. My lunch bag of choice was a soft sided cooker designed to hold a six pack. It was compact enough and spacious enough. An insulated lunch bag is a real lifesaver, and I never had an issue with food spoilage.
My kids have picked up my habit and almost always bring lunch to work or school. They are still at home and are happy to use family supplies instead of spending their own money.
The bottom line is that packing a lunch can be very simple and fast once you get the hang of it. Plus, it will save you quite a bit of money. Not only will you be saving on exorbitant restaurant prices, you will be using up home foods that you would likely throw out.
I believe that you should follow the KISS option when making lunch, or keep it simple silly. The more complex you make it, the less likely you will continue to do it. Personally, I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to rush in the morning so I would usually do everything the night before, including making my lunch. Then it was just grab and go.
Contain your food.