The Tiffin Lunch

My plan to reduce my use of plastics has inevitably crept into other areas of my life as well. It turns out (not surprisingly) that you can't just go to the store and refuse to buy plastics. There aren't easy alternatives for most purchases, so I've ended up reevaluating how I approach shopping and everyday expenses. I've found myself watching lots of documentaries on Netflix about the food system in America, since that's part of the reason why it's so hard to switch to completely non-processed, non-packaged food.

So, in response to the question, "So what do you eat?", here's an example of my tiffin lunch, carried plastic-free.

Generally, I bring sliced fruit or fruit salad, a cucumber and tomato salad, and a cheese sandwich, and might sub out any of those with leftover soup or stew. I have an additional small stainless steel container that can fit a halved avocado or another sandwich for long days. All of these items can be purchased without plastic, too...except for cheese, which happens to be my favorite food. I haven't completely switched to this whole foods, Michael Pollan-esque diet; I do buy candy bars or chips occasionally, and I definitely don't always make the healthiest choices when I go to restaurants. But it's a good start, and I'm especially looking forward to the half CSA share I purchased for when I move next month.

I checked out the Manga Cookbook from the library, which has some good Bento box ideas, so hopefully I'll be able to branch out more soon. I also recommend checking out the blog 100 Days of Real Food for some more creative ideas than mine. Do you have suggestions for packing tasty lunches?