Get a Food Jar, Not a Lunch Box

If you don’t have a microwave at work, the best lunch container is an insulated food jar — not a typical lunch box.

Regular lunch boxes and plastic containers just hold food. They don’t keep anything warm. Food sits in your bag for three hours and by noon it’s room temperature, and your soup might as well be a smoothie. A vacuum-insulated food jar fixes that. It keeps hot food hot and cold food cold for hours. The old-school Thermos still works, and the Stanley and Zojirushi versions are just as good.

Look for a wide-mouthed, vacuum-insulated jar with a leakproof lid. Use it for soups, stews, curries, pasta, rice bowls. You can also use the same jar for chilled salads or fruit on hot days. For longer heat retention, pour hot water in, let it sit, then dump it before adding your food.

Skip the sad desk sandwich. Future you deserves better.