All about lunch boxes

Lunch box is an indispensable item for anyone who prefers fast and tasty food, for which you do not need to stand in shops and catering for a long time. Quality lunch boxes can not only preserve the freshness of food, but also 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 folding type for long-term storage of food and preserve its taste, vitamin and cooking temperature. Quality lunch box models can serve not only for storage of main dishes and snacks, but also able to keep soups, salads and fruits fresh for a long time.

All models of lunch boxes 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 put in a container for future consumption, is much cheaper than the products and goods bought in stalls and catering. In addition, the modern food market offers us a huge selection of budget and high-quality containers that perfectly preserve food.
• Quality. You can be 100% sure about exactly what foods you eat when it comes to natural food from lunch-box. Meanwhile, you will never be sure of the quality of the products that were used to prepare dishes 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 disturbing the diet and not experiencing increasing hunger. In addition, to have breakfast with the help of containers, you do not need to spend time in the queues of canteens and shops.
• Design. Today, there are a huge number of lunch boxes in a variety of colors and designs.

In addition to the obvious advantages of the containers and their disadvantages.

• Space. Even high-quality lunch boxes occupy a large amount of space in backpacks and bags. This is especially true for models with multiple sections.
• Smell. In low-quality models of containers, and most of them today, food can acquire an unpleasant aroma that can ruin the entire appetite. Moreover, if you eat such food in a public place, this smell may draw the attention of other people to you. Containers with poorly closed or unsealed lids can not only spoil the smell of your things and bags, but also stain them.
• A mix of flavors. The main problem of multisection lunch boxes is that smells of food placed in different compartments merge into one continuous flavor over time. This aroma is far from pleasant to everyone and may well spoil the pleasure of food.
• Warming up Unfortunately, not all models of modern lunch boxes can be warmed up in microwaves, and not every workplace can detect a working microwave. While the food in canteens and stores will be fresh and, if desired, preheated.
• Time. If, in the case of containers, you do not spend time waiting in lines in canteens, then spend it on regular cooking. To do this, you have to get up every day for half an hour or more to prepare food and place it in a container.

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

Parents usually buy such lunch-boxes options for their children who go to school or to groups, because for quality education they just need a full, healthy and timely meal. 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 stays warm and heated for a long time.

These types of lunch boxes usually have tight and fully sealed lids, and are also equipped with a portable handle for comfortable food transport in your hands. And also in such models several departments are usually provided at once: for hot dishes, salads, fruit, flour. One of the disadvantages of such models is their relatively high cost and reduced volumes, unlike adult lunch boxes.

These lunch boxes are represented by two or three small tiers for individual types of food. Trunks they are called because such containers are placed in special fabric bags in the form of oval trunks with a handle. A distinctive feature of such lunch boxes is that in appearance they cannot be said that food is stored inside.

Such lunch boxes have such advantages as:

• they can carry 2 separate full-fledged dishes at once;
• thanks to the durable handle and stylish appearance, these containers can, without embarrassment, be carried to any public place and to work;
• A set of such containers usually contains a set of table tools: forks, spoons and knives, which facilitate the use of food.

Especially popular recently are containers designed exclusively for snacking and fast meals. Such lunch boxes are used as carriers for flour and sandwiches. Usually they look like large canisters with a special internal isothermal coating, which allows bread and meat products to disappear and remain fresh for several hours.

Typically, these "canisters" are equipped with a special strap, which simplifies their transfer from place to place. And also there is an internal strap that fixes the sandwich in a predetermined position and does not allow it to break and crumble.

This lunch box option has the following advantages:

• wide selection of product design;
• great choices;
• compact and small size for carrying.

They are the most budget and compact option among all lunch boxes. As a rule, such packages are standard packages lined inside with material designed to reflect and retain heat. In such packages, products remain warm for up to several hours, tightness is ensured by fasteners or special velcro. Most often, this option lunch boxes used for storage of fruit, vegetables or serves as an additional heat insulator for other containers.

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

It is worth saying that there is no official classification of lunch boxes depending on their size and shape. It means that the manufacturer chooses which dimensions and with how many compartments to create models for him. So, in the modern market one can meet as 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. And also models with more than 4 compartments for appetizers, salads, sauces or pate are possible. 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 represented by a number of materials that are more or less suitable for storing certain foods.

Metal containers have their 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 in the refrigerator for a long time.

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

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

Such containers have such advantages as:

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

Among the minuses are the following:

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

A variant of containers from 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 advantages worth noting the following:

• transparent glass containers allow you to monitor the state of food without compromising 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 of the spread of bacteria on dishes;
• almost all modern glass lunch boxes are adapted for heating in the microwave, which makes them competitive in front of 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 in long hikes and travels;
• despite the external strength of such dishes, glass is extremely poorly resistant to physical stress and pressure; from falling on a tile or stone, glass containers crack and crumble;
• due to too high a density of glass, it is impossible to make models with many divisions and tiers;
• the glass reacts poorly 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 will not be able to 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 advantages are as follows:

• the possibility of long-term conservation of heat due to the structure of ceramics;
• relatively high density when compared with plastic and silicone models;
• does not affect the taste and quality of food, does not mix smells, 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 quality separation.

Among the minuses are the following:

• as heavy as glass — it makes it a bad choice for use on long journeys;
• high-quality ceramic lunch boxes are much more expensive than plastic, silicone and even glass models, but cheaper than stainless steel models;
• The strength of ceramics is as fragile as glass - from the slightest drop, such containers can break or crack, thereby disrupting all tightness and thermal insulation.

Some carry containers of this material to the type of "eco" - they do not breed bacteria, there is always a pleasant smell. Silicone lids provide full tightness of the container, tight to the container, which prevents spillage 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 any taste, when it comes to the design and decoration of containers. In this respect, models of stainless steel or ceramics use the greatest variety: 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 here most often there are models in a single-color design.

Among the most famous manufacturers of quality containers can be identified 5 of the most common: Tupperware, GoEat, Gipfel, IKEA. It is the manufacturers of this rating that today produce the best quality lunch boxes with excellent heat control, heating and durability. For example, Tupperware lunch boxes are known for their huge selection of designs, colors and the number of interior sections. These containers are made of several materials at once, which allows for a more subtle approach to preserving the quality of food.

Lunch boxes Bento differ in exclusive tightness, durability and usability in house conditions. As a rule, in these containers there are two whole layers - 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, but unfortunately, not all of the presented models are of high quality and will be able to properly preserve all the food. In order to choose the optimal lunch box model for your needs, you should study its description, specifications, photos and documents. It is advised to pay attention to a few points when choosing containers.

• Type of food. Each type of lunch box and container is adapted for a particular type of food. For example, for storage of hot liquids, for example, soups, teas or compotes, it is worth choosing thermoses, for storing main dishes and snacks, for example, salads, you should choose classic containers. For storage of whole fruits and vegetables, you should choose models of lunch boxes with an isothermal coating - they will keep them fresh and tasty longer.
• Tightness. The model of the lunch box, regardless of the variety, must be airtight - that is, it must have a tight and well-closed lid. The ideal option would be models with a lid, secured 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 this information you found was not - feel free to contact the consultant and clarify this point. In addition, today there are models of lunch boxes with heating or with a thermo bag like a thermos, the food from which you do not need to reheat so often.
• Care. Modern lunch boxes, and especially multi-compartment models, often have an awkward design for maintenance and washing. If you have a dishwasher at your disposal, you should check with the consultant if the model in it can be washed.
• Separators. If you spend a lot of time at work and are used to several meals during work, you should choose models of containers with several sections for different products.
• Accessories. In some expensive models of lunch boxes, additional elements are provided that provide convenience when eating food. These can be spoons, forks, plug-in containers, mini trays, foldable glasses.

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

• Regardless of material, always keep containers clean. After each meal, wash the container thoroughly, wipe with a cloth or leave to dry in a warm place. Do not forget that containers should be wiped from the outer and inner sides.
• Try to avoid excessive exposure to high or low temperatures in the lunch box. Many of the materials described above can be deformed by prolonged exposure to cold or heat.In addition, some materials from which modern food containers are made can emit dangerous and unhealthy substances during heat treatment.

On how to choose a lunch box for food, see below.