What is considered a "picnic lunch"?

Q. On the Universal Studios website, it says this:


We offer a variety of fresh, delicious food for our guests to enjoy at restaurants and concession stands throughout our resort; however, we understand that guests may need to bring outside food and drink into our parks. Please note the following guidelines for bringing food and drink into our parks:

Acceptable items:

â¢Bottled water
â¢Small snacks that do not require heating
â¢Any food required for medical purposes and medicallyâindicated nutritional supplements
â¢Any food required for special dietary needs
â¢Baby food/baby formula
â¢Soft-sided insulated bags no larger than 8.5" wide x 6" high x 6" deep


Prohibited items:

â¢Picnic lunches
â¢Food that requires heating or refrigeration
â¢Alcohol and glass containers
â¢Hard-sided coolers
â¢Soft-sided coolers larger than 8.5" wide x 6" high x 6" deep
â¢Coolers, suitcases, and bags with wheels
Please be advised that all bags and personal items are subject to inspection.


My question is, what is a picnic lunch? If I brought a sandwich, an apple, and a banana or something like that, would that be considered a picnic lunch??

Also, I was wondering, does Universal Studios (in FL.) search your purse? I know they search bags but I was curious if they searched small purses as well.

Thank you! :)

Answer
Yes, they will have you open all small bags that are not clear or mesh.

A picnic lunch indicates that you are bringing a whole spread to feed your whole family. One way to think of it is that they normally don't care if YOU have a sandwich or a banana. But if you pack a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, a family-size bags of chips, stuff like that, then that is not ok. Half the time, they don't worry so much about what you have as about the bag you are using. They tend to be very strict about bags that are too big, particularly bags with wheels, since they are more likely to cause injury and are therefore more likely to get them sued!

A sandwich and an apple or something should be fine.

Where can I buy a small, inexpensive messenger-style bag?

Q. It need not have several pockets, zippers, and hoopla. Just the bag (big enough to hold a waterbottle, a camera, and my phone), and an adjustable strap. (It's for hiking.) And inexpensive would be nice.

I would rather get suggestions on where to get one, so I don't end up shopping around and finding stuff to buy at every store I visit.

Advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Answer
J - what about something like an insulated nylon lunch bag?
The padding would protect your camera & phone, and keep the bottle and water on the outside, away from the electronic stuff. Most of them come with adjustable straps.
Another possible solution would be to find a plain black nylon purse. I found one at Kmart, made by American Tourister, which I use for my camera, along with a few odds and ends. Don't worry, it doesn't look girly or anything like that.
Third choice might be to look in the camping, sporting goods, or luggage section of a store. I've seen hip-packs that have buckle straps that could be worn over the shoulder.
Best, and least expensive, place to check out would be your local discount store like Kmart, WalMart or similar mart-mart stores. If there is an Army/Navy surplus store near you, they may have the type of bag you want.

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Lunch bags... cute? Insulated?

mindy n

I'm looking for something to carry food and snacks around in that doesn't have Scooby Doo or Spongebob on it. Surely you guys have something you use. I don't want the yucky tupperware one either. (picky picky)

Anyone have something unique and cute out there?

Answer
I have one that I LOVE, which is from Arctic Zone.

It's this style:

http://www.arcticzone.com/products/az/lunch-bags/hi-top-kids-munchsak-lunch-bag/

Except it has a ladybug on it, and is a bit more grown-up. :D

I couldn't find a picture of it, but I found it at Walmart in the back-to-school section. They probably still have them somewhere, though.

Ideas on what to send kids for lunch at school?

Lil lady

My kids can be picky at times and hate school food ( i don't blame them) I need ideas on things I can send them for lunch that will keep well in their lunch bag for a few hours.
Btw they are in K and 3rd grade

Answer
you should be able to find a small refreezable ice pack at walmart or pretty much anywhere like that...that is what i put in my daughters lunch box to make sure nothing cold spoils...then after school just put it back in the freezer for the next morning...

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School packed lunches?

Steph

I got a letter from my sons school saying they have changed the rules regarding packed lunches. They are now saying that you can only have one of either, crisps, cake or biscuit. Your only allowed sausage rolls or sausages once a week. You have to have two portions of fruit or veg a day.
Also you are suppose to have a portion of lentils, kidney beans etc once a day.

They sent a questionaire home a few weeks ago asking what we thought of the idea and I put down how it would affect my child wanting to go to school if I was trying to force him to eat things he did not like.
The letter said that 47 parents replied to the questionaire, 25 of them already take packed lunches and the rest are on school dinner. What has it got to do with them if their children do not take their dinners?
Can the school really enforce this?
My son has had alot of problems with his health in the past few years which has resulted in him being awkward with food. The doctors have always told me to
Not try and force things onto him.
What can I do about this?
Dont tell me to speak to the school cause they are not going to change the rules just for one child.
What do you think would happen if I continued to send him with his usual lunch?
Would the staff take it off him?
Please help me

Answer
Hi Stephanie, Your question is one of the reasons I find Y!A so fascinating. Now, do I understand correctly that the school is telling you what you can send with your son for his lunch? If so, since when can a school tell anyone what they must eat? It's the parent's responsibility to decide what kind of food a child eats for lunch, if the lunch is taken from home. It sounds like the school rules are to there to keep folks from sending kids to school with a soda pop and 3 bags of potato chips. You know, that kind of thing. So, if their main issue is health, surely they would give due recognition to a note from your son's doctor about what he should eat. If you had trouble with that, I would have an attorney contact the principal. I'll bet that would take care of the problem. Hope this helps.

Where can I find a tote bag for school?

Luckucharm

Where can I find a big tote that can hold books and other requirements for school? Please no website, just stores that i can visit. Please answer. Thank you!:)

Answer
Geez, way to leave this broad 'n' wide open :P

I mean, the tote is just about one of the most common types of bag, especially since a lot of places make promotional totes for not just stores, but also art venues, museums, etc. So you should really add more details if you want a more specific answer.

Generally though, all totes should be able to hold school stuff, unless you have absolutely looooads. That's because like the name implies, totes are meant to carry (or 'tote') stuff around. They are not typically a wallet-keys-and-phone kind of bag - if they are, they are usually specifically labelled as such with a qualifier, like 'mini tote' or 'tiny tote' etc. They are typically big enough for at least A4 size - that's the size of your basic sheet of printer or copier paper - and you should fully expect to be able to fit at least a binder and a couple of books around an inch thick, plus a small pencil case (about half a dozen pens), a small wallet and phone, or a water bottle (the small knd though).

However, if you have more than that, it's not a good idea to carry it around on one shoulder all day. Really; I'm not being a nerd - it seriously IS unhealthy, and while I would say that a tote is usually much better looking (nicer backpacks are usually expensive, stupidly hard to find, and sometimes both), the legacy that carrying too much weight unevenly is going to leave behind is not worth the better looks. Unfortunately, schools are doing very little to educate students (and for younger kids, parents) about this issue - heck, they even compound the problem by making unreasonable demands like asking for a binder for each topic! But that doesn't mean you have to put up with that misinformation and not do the best for yourself.

So try to reduce the weight as much as possible: only pack what you need for that day, leaving all other notes and books at home or in your locker (it takes a bit of planning, but on the plus side it only takes a few weeks to make it second nature); make notes on loose leaf paper and take them to school in a folder, leaving the binder at home or in the locker. Make better use of your locker: keep all your extras there (eg lunch, makeup bag, gym gear/spare clothes, rain gear) since you can just grab them as they are needed (just keep a lip product and maybe a small mirror with you, both of which should fit in with your pens or your wallet), and try to plan as many locker runs as possible during the day, so you only have to carry the books for one subject or period if possible. If any of your classrooms has seating in pairs, try to see if the other person is amenable to sharing book-carrying duties, so you don't both have to haul the book with you every time.

good luck!

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Lunchbox idea for a very picky hungry man?

dmorris514

My husband is super picky, works outside, and has no access to a microwave. He is sick and tired of sandwiches and doesn't like pasta. He wants something different and I can understand, however, I'm lost. He eats sooooo much! Not really a "rabbit food" type of guy. Lol. He works about 50-60 hours a week outside and right now the weather is a bit chilly. Does anyone have any creative lunch ideas that will fill him up?
He's not crazy over soups either. This is why I'm lost. I have no idea what to feed him because he is so picky though. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Answer
A picky eater man. A rare breed, indeed. LOL, call his mother and complain, and make her come up with lunch ideas, she did this to him. Is he a meat and potatoes guy?

The wide mouthed insulated thermos jar is the answer, and you can put in anything that will fit into it. Buy two, one for the potatoes, one for the meat.

Or buy him an insulated lunch sack or a heavy metal lunch box that you can strap a thermos into, great for hot chocolate, tea, coffee, warm punch, eggnog, [no booze of course]and buy a cold food keeper, freeze it, toss it in. My Dad took one off those metal rectangular boxes with the rounded lid, he carried mail, and it had to go into his swing box until lunch. No refrigerator there, thankfully, his was in some trees and he avoided the hot sun.{for those that are too young, in the days before mail carriers all had their own mail truck, those were greenish painted mailboxes, a mail carrier had one on his route, opened it with his own key, and could store things in it like umbrellas, dry gloves, and, lunch.On rainy days, Dad would sit in it, keeping his head dry, his long legs stuck out of it aways, he was 6'5".]
go to the plastic storage section at Walmart, they have lots of cool correctly shaped for the food storage ideas.
A hearty man salad, like chicken fruited salad. Apples, grapes, raisins, chunks of chicken, pecans or almonds, toasted and put in a baggie to add before eating it. Just put some Mayo or Miracle Whip in a little jar, dribble in some orange juice, and shake. Keep dribbling until the mix is pourable, pour and stir. Put in a man muffin, like cranberry orange, or zucchini.

I like to make a baked cheesecake, I cut it into servings, and wrap it in foil, and freeze it. Then I just grab a slice, toss it in the lunch bag, and it is thawed by lunch time.
Love magic cookie bars, they are filling, and would be sturdy enough to handle some rough handling. Bar cookies are not so delicate, and do well in a lunch bag.

I would make like some roast beef and gravy, cut the beef into easy to bite pieces, and put some mashed potatoes and some butter into another container.
I make a recipe with round steak, just cut the beef into nice chunks, roll it in flour, sear it both sides, and make a sauce of a can of cream of mushroom soup, a envelope of Lipton's onion soup mix, and a half cup of water. Slow simmer it for a couple hours, it comes out so oniony and tender. Could serve it with boiled or mashed potatoes, or rice.
Shepard's pie is great. Chicken and dumplings would work well.
Chili is a good meal. Beany wienie, beef stew, breakfast casserole with tater tots and cheese and eggs, apple bread pudding with a caramel sauce.

Anything that he will eat, make a double batch for supper, and put the leftovers in both your lunch sacks for the next day. If he is anti leftovers, choose things that will freeze well, wait a week or two, defrost and heat it up and dump it into the thermos. Meat loaf freezes well. Roast pork would work.
Anything BBQ would work, pulled pork, pulled chicken, beef.

Toast up some bagels, and put a cream cheese based spread and a knife in his lunch. I cut parmesan and a little garlic powder into cream cheese for a spread, served on onion bagels. I mix honey and cinnamon and sour cream and cream cheese, then dump a can of cranberry sauce [the kind with whole berries] on it and refirgerate. Just spread it on. Yum.

What Should I Bring In My Lunchbox?

Chloe

I'm going to 7th grade and I want to lose weight. The lunches at our school are so fatty. I can skip lunch and go outside and get some chips and a coke, but that isn't healthy either. I was thinking about bringing a Special K Protein Shake, but I realize that I might give in to the food because it looks good and I'm hungry for FOOD. So what should I bring in my lunchbox?

Answer
I found this on internet, I'm sure this will help.
"Top tips for a healthy lunch box
⢠Always include fresh fruit and vegetables. Vary the selection to keep it interesting.
⢠Offer a variety of whole grain breads, rolls, pita bread and flat breads.
⢠Use avocado as a spread instead of butter or margarine.
⢠Use reduced fat dairy foods. Cheese and yoghurt are ideal.
⢠Kids need a serve of protein at lunchtime. Ensure you include lean meat, egg, peanut butter, chickpeas or tuna.
⢠Add a chilled bottle of water and limit juice.

Keep it fresh - packing the lunchbox
Itâs important to keep food in the lunch box cold to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.

Pack the school lunch in an insulated lunch box and include a small freezer brick or freeze a bottle of water and pop it into the lunchbox to keep food cool.

Helpful tips for adding fresh fruit and vegetables to lunch boxes
⢠Kids like fresh fruit cut and ready to eat. Fruit salad is the ideal lunch box solution; itâs colorful, easy to eat and bursting with vitamins.
⢠Offer different seasonal fruits each day for a change in flavor, color and texture.
⢠Freeze fruits in the summer or for sport days. Simply pop the frozen fruit into a small seal-able plastic bag or airtight container.
⢠If including whole fruit in the lunchbox, select fruit that is a suitable size for a child to easily hold in their hand and eat (this is particularly important for younger children).
⢠Peel and slice or cut fruit if possible and choose seedless varieties of grapes, watermelon and Imperial mandarins.
⢠If youâre added tomato to sandwiches, place the tomato between fillings and not directly onto the bread. This prevents the bread becoming soggy.
⢠When using avocado, mash or drizzle with a little lemon or lime juice to prevent the avocado from discoloring.
⢠Mild tasting and crunchy lettuce varieties like Iceberg and Oak leaf and Lebanese cucumbers are ideal for kids.
⢠Add leftover (or cook extra) roast pumpkin or sweet potato to sandwiches, wraps and roll fillings. Naturally sweet and loaded with beneficial antioxidants, roast vegetables team well with a range of fillings.
⢠Make salads or salad sandwich fillings interesting by using a range of vegetables like grated carrot, snow pea sprouts, lettuce or rocket or baby spinach, sliced celery, tomatoes, avocado and cucumber.
⢠Use a vegetable peeler to slice cucumber into thin ribbons for sandwich fillings.

Fresh for Kids have created a 5 Day Healthy Lunch Box Meal Plan and a Quick, Recess, Lunch and Snack Recipe Booklet which are free to download to give parents some fun and healthy ideas for their childrenâs school lunch boxes."

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would the ice pack in my lunch box melt if...?

Alliegator

I just packed my lunch for school tomorrow, and I put the ice pack in the fridge, with the stuff. but since the ice pack is ice because its in the freezer... would it melt in the fridge or stay the same?

OR

could I just keep the refrigerated food in the lunch box in the fridge, but just put the ice pack in the freezer, would the food stay good even though its inside my lunch box?

Answer
It would last a long time in an insulated lunch bag. If you were just sticking the ice pack in a grocery bag you would have a mess quite quickly.
It will melt in the fridge eventually. Just leave it in the freezer until you get ready to leave.

Help with lunch ideas, please. :)?

sha h

My husband and I both work on an ambulance. We both work a 24 hour shift and a 48 hour shift every single week. We spend between $800-$900 a month on lunch alone, and this is all drive through... Some weeks we may get some time at the station, but it's a very regular thing that we will be away from the station for 24 hours straight and sometimes even longer, so we can't really depend on putting bagged lunches in the fridge. We do however get to work together, on the same ambulance, so we can pack a full lunch together and just share it... The only real thing I can think of to help us save some $$, is peanut butter sandwiches. We both love them, but eating nothing but PB sandwiches for 48 hours straight gets a little old... I just really need some ideas that we can pack for lunch that would be okay without refrigeration for sometimes up to 40 hours. I don't mind to cook stuff before we go onto shift and "portion it out' for the shift, I just don't know what would last. I was thinking maybe some rice, and macaroni, but I'm not sure this stuff would be okay that long in a vehicle. Any input would be absolutely awesome! Thanks. :)

Answer
Oh boy....$800-900 /mo. on lunch alone...hmmm not good. I think my financial adviser would have a heart attack if he read that. Then, I'd be off the hook! haha Let's just shudder and think about it ...before we get to solving the problem...that is over $10,000 a year...just on lunches. Ok, you guys work hard for the money and you deserve better. That money has got to go into savings as an emergency fun or towards a long vacation. :) As much as I love, PB&J sandwiches...and I do...no one can eat those 24/7. So, here's a few ideas that come to mind. You might not be able to make your lunch everyday but if you can do a few things to start...you'll be heading in the right direction in no time. Even if you cut the "drive through" stops to just 3 times a week...that's a start.

So, let's start with "tools of the trade". These items are great for transporting/storing food. Some things might work better than others just use them by trial and error. I recognize you don't want to carry alot of stuff with you but a small cooler packed with just about everything you need can go a long way. I was a driver for an International Express Mail Delivery service. I had to make do alot until I wised up...put some energy into it and got it all set up.

-(reusable) Frozen water bottles (Just use regular small water bottles, freeze them and use them as your ice in a small cooler). As they melt, they are great for a quick after meal hand wash or just drink the water. Buy a six pack and put them all in the freezer to keep on hand. Just grab and go.
-Igloo ice chest (small) These are great and fairly compact.
-Reusable bamboo forks, knives & spoons
-2 durable cloth napkins
-Soft "compacting" ice chests-These are new on the markets and are designed to fold up when you are finished.
-"Thermos" (brand) product lines of hot & cold food/beverage storage.
Examples:
http://www.thermos.com/products/vacuum-insulated-24-oz-stainless-king-food-jar.aspx
http://www.thermos.com/products/element-5-lunch-lugger-cooler.aspx

Entrees:

-Tuna/Chicken Salad Stuffed Bellpeppers/Tomatoes:
Make your favorite tuna or chicken salad and stuff them in whole red bell pepper/tomato cups. (top is cut off & deseeded). Keep the little bell pepper/tomato "lids". Then, wrap the entire item in plastic wrap. No need for a bowl...the food is part of the storage system. Serve with celery/carrot sticks, crackers/crostini.

-Muffaletta Sandwich-This New Orleans "staple" can be made ahead of time with an entire wheel of bread (big or small), wrapped in plastic wrap tightly (so it compacts) and then at meal time it can be cut into wedges. Rather than type the recipe out (and there are many variations of it...so just find a favorite) here's a link. This sandwich is an entire meal. It can be high in calories so it's up to you how often you make it. But you can pick and choose other healthier ingredients if you want.

http://www.nolacuisine.com/2005/07/17/muffuletta-sandwich-recipe/

-Turkey Chili in a Bread Bowl-Again, this uses the food as part of the food serving/storage. So, you bring along your new Thermos of Turkey chili. Then, when meal time comes around you pull out small wheels of bread (or large dinner rolls) that have been prepped (top cut off, insides removed). Just fill the bread bowls with your warm chili. Bring along a baggie of shredded cheese and chopped onions. Note: Bread bowls & large (prebaked) potatoes work great with hearty stews, thick soups and even tuna/chicken salads. Lots of options here to work with.

Ok, that's it off the top of my head. Good luck to you and take care.

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Will freezer pack keep dairy products cool enough to be safe to eat in a lunch bag?

Nathan

I have an insulated lunch tote that has a mesh screen on the top where a freezer gel pack can slip inside. I also have containers with freezable gel containers for a sandwich and about 3/4 of a cup. This is cool enough to keep lunch meat cool enough to eat, but lunch meat can be kept at room temperature for the purposes of a lunch.

I haven't used mayonnaise, but I would like to. I'd also like to use the cup to keep yogurt or cottage cheese but I'm afraid the yogurt will spoil before I can get to it.

I leave for work about 7:45 and I have lunch at 11:15. There is a refrigerator, but it's iffy that there will be any space for my bag, so I keep my bag at my desk until lunch.

By 11:15 the gel has thawed is is sloshing around, but the sandwich is cool. But I'm not sure if it's cool enough to safely eat mayo or cottage cheese or yogurt.

Answer
There should be no problem keeping your food safe for that amount of time, but if you are worried why not get one more freezer pack and put it on the bottom of your bag for security? That would be more than enough even if they both thawed out. Another thing you can do for safety is to freeze your sandwich. It would be thawed out by lunch and you would also have the added security of knowing it would not be getting too warm where there is mayo in it, and it would also help keep your food cold. Just a small word of advice tho, lunch meat should never be kept at room temperature with the assumption that it will be safe for that little bit of time. We just got over a nasty case of salmonella in my family by assuming that. Always keep your sandwiches as cold as you can for as long as you can.

Good lunch ideas that don't need to be kept cool or heated?

Snarly

I need to start packing a lunch when I go back to work in January because buying lunch each day is costing me too much and is not good for my waistline.... my only problem is I am really fussy with packed lunch. For example, whenever I put an ice pack in to keep it cool, it makes my sandwiches soggy so they don't get eaten. So now I can't put an ice pack in. I also can't heat anything at work.

So far I have got popcorn and juice packs to take, but I am looking for something more substantial to put with it!

Answer
We have a microwave & a fridge, but I keep some things at room temperature to eat them lukewarm after cooking them in the morning & eating half of it for breakfast. For instance,
curried rice & veggies & cooked apples with raisins or chopped dates & spices
Trader Joe's frozen entrees in bags, stir fried in the morning with extra steamed veggies added
warm or cold mac 'n cheese with steamed veggies added
oatmeal with apples & raisins (still good, milk or not)
all or half of a sweet potato baked that morning
Any of those can be dished up into plastic lidded containers placed in bread wrappers if needed.
Another possibility is a small wide-mouth thermos to keep them warm. If you have any doubts about the safety of what I'm doing, then by all means be safe & put cooked food in a wide-mouth thermos. In fact, that's what you'll often see the outdoors workers eating from so they'll have hot soup with their sandwiches.

Others can be taken out of the fridge in the morning & kept for several hours without much danger. Blue ice could be taken with them if you feel the need. Sandwiches can be in plastic sandwich boxes or in bread wrappers.

cheese sandwiches
cucumber & cheese sandwich--cut into fourths & put a slice of cucumber & a sprig of cilantro onto each fourth.
hummus sandwich--vinegar in hummus works well as a preservative.
almond butter & low sugar fruit preserves
cheese sandwich on pita bread with ruffly lettuce
crackers & cheese
bagel & cream cheese
homemade oatmeal muffins or cookies
I always use soy mayo (Nayonnaise) because I figure that it's less likely to spoil than a standard egg mayonnaise. Other possibilities are oil and herbs on the bread and/or a sprinkle of vinegar

Other items from the fridge can be in serving size containers or in plastic bags with twist ties. For example,
baby carrots or carrot sticks
olives
cashews, blanched almonds, or mixed nuts
plain yogurt with cardamom, cinnamon, or garam masala stirred into it
pasta salad made on the weekend
bean salad made on the weekend
a whole avocado--peel & slice at lunch & hope that it's good.
the usual apple, banana, or other fruit

I also take frozen things for the microwave & confess that even after eating breakfast, I still want to eat some of these quick lunch items at morning break & will still be ready for lunch by the time noon rolls around. It saves time & money not to rush off to the coffee shop for a chocolate muffin or a bagel.

Plain yogurt can be made overnight in a wide-mouth thermos. Heat the milk to 180 degrees then cool it down to around 95-110. (I've seen some disagreement about the 2nd temp.) Pour into a hot thermos & add a big spoonful of plain yogurt as a starter. Use a good brand from the health food store as the starter. Stir on the lid, wrap in a dish towel, & place in an insulated nylon container to keep it warm overnight. The next morning, with a little bit of luck, you'll have fresh yogurt in your thermos. It's a variation on an ancient miracle. Carry it in the thermos or put it into a little lighter weight plastic container. Over time, even plain yogurt starts to taste sweet.

Also note that the Japanese people use divided containers called Bento Boxes & have made quite an art out of packing these with a variety of dishes. After hearing about these, now the makers of plastic carriers in America have followed suit, so now you can find similar divided dishes in our big box stores, some with spaces for blue ice beneath the food. If you want to buy any sort of lunch bag or container, you'll find the best selection in the late summer when parents are buying school supplies for their kids. Other times of the year, it may be a little hard to find the insulated bags that you want.

Aside from all that fancy stuff, some of us just toss our food into some sort of cloth tote bag & head off to work. For more food, I may use a tote bag with a small cardboard box I've set inside, a good idea, too, if some things are best kept upright to avoid leakage. It's best if these bags get washed every weekend. Have an extra bag in case one is still drip drying. Forget any ironing. No one cares. Commercial cloth lunch bags may have cute sayings like, "Brown Bag," but I usually want something a little bigger than that with handles on it. I get really hungry when I'm at work. Don't forget your toothbrush btw.

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Ideas for a Good-for-You Lunch?

ALJ

I need ideas for lunches. I bring my lunch to work everyday. It must be healthy and not too complicated. I usually do salads but I want something warm (or at least room temp) now that it is getting cold outside. I have done those Campbells "Soup-at-Hand" and they are good but the sodium in them is insane! Please help - I hate trying to think of lunches!

Answer
You can heat and use your own soups if you buy a simple, single-serving thermos. My kids take home lunch (dietary concerns & allergies), some of their favorite healthy thermos lunches for this time of year are:

- chicken noodle soup (take the soup in the thermos and add the noodles from a ziplock bag - the soup will still be hot enough to warm the noodles in a few minutes)
- chili - bag your own sides like baked tortilla chips, cheese or nonfat sour cream and make sure you put lots of veggies in the chili
- veggie pho (a vietnamese broth based soup that you add in fresh, raw flavors before eating like lime juice, cilantro & bean sprouts).

Other options they like are kolache type sandwiches which stay hot in foil (bread dough wrapped around sausages for example) for quite a few hours. A good recipe is here: http://www.recipezaar.com/Ham-And-Cheese-Kolache-39168.

For me, during the fall, I generally take a baked potato once a week. Wrapped in foil and fresh out of the oven (I roast overnight and use the rest for twice-baked potatoes at supper time), I put it in an old "drink cozy" and then in a ziplock & paper carrier. Generally the potato is still hot enough to melt my toppings when I cut it open at lunch.

Hope this helps.

what are the best healthy cookbooks specifically for lunch?

wendy!

i am looking for the best cookbooks for a healthy lunch.
no online recipes please.

Answer
I swear by the Brown Bag Lunch Cookbook by Miriam Jacobs. The recipes are adult friendly, and actually quite good. There are creative ideas in here which have inspired me to think of other lunch ideas.

For the kids, I go with The Top 100 Recipes for a Healthy Lunchbox: Easy and Exciting Ideas for Your Child's Lunches by Nicola Graimes. The recipes in this book are interesting and innovative, and most of the recipes are sure to be kid-pleasers.

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does this bag look big enough for high school?

tmimad1

im starting high school and i want a bag thats not to big but big enough so to fit my bags in so have a look please
http://store.fueledbyramen.com/albumview.asp?idproduct=66475

Answer
sorry...but no. you want a good, sturdy, but fashionable bag (preferably a backpack). you will be taking books and binders and lunch boxes or whatever you have for that day home, and you will probably want a backpack or tote thats good for your back and bigger than the one you picked out. for paramore...if you really like that band...check out hot topic or somewhere else with band stuff.
check out this website out...
http://search.hottopic.com/search?p=Q&srid=S9%2d3&lbc=hottopic&ts=moby&w=Paramore%20Backpack&uid=87561217&method=or&isort=score&srt=0

Kinchaku vs. Bento Bag?

KuroKitty

Hi, I was wondering if there is any difference between a Kinchaku bag and a Bento bag? Shape/size wise. I know there is sometimes a bamboo basket attached to a Kinchaku?

I want to buy one to wear with my Yukata... having a little trouble finding a proper/cheap Kinchaku to go with it. Thought it might be okay to substitute it for a bento bag...?

Thanks!
NB: I'm outsite Japanese so I'll be buying online. If anyone knows a good site that sells internationally, let me know :)

(The good quality Kinchaku on ebay are costing a fortune. >_<)

Answer
I have looked at rakuten.co.jp and ebay.com for some kinchaku-style bags including bento bags. I am surprised that bento bags are so fashionable nowadays. There are quite a few kinchaku-style bento bags that seem to go well with yukata. Size-wise, I would say that they are pretty much the same (just big enough to fit a small/girl's size bento box). Some of the kinchaku bags have handles.

Here are some pictures of kinchaku-style bags from rakuten.co.jp.

Kinchaku bags

http://search.rakuten.co.jp/search/mall/-/%E5%B7%BE%E7%9D%80-206626/f.1-max.1499-min.1100-p.1-s.5-sf.0-st.A-v.2

Bento bags

http://item.rakuten.co.jp/tpfactory/c/0000000117

If you do not live in Japan, you can search for one on ebay.com using the following keywords.

Keywords: japanese kinchaku bag or lunch bag japanese

Kinchaku bags

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A4256&rt=nc&_nkw=japanese%20kinchaku%20bag&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.l1581&_pgn=2

Bento bags

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=lunch+bag+japanese&_sacat=See-All-Categories

Hope this helps.

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College Students who have their act together (financially)?

jayrodd84

...I have been a little more than irritated just watching my weekly check get sucked into the whole. I am broke before I ever get to see a penny of my money I work for. I am currently in the negative. I was just looking for some insightful opinions on what you do to conserve money. Such as changing your own oil, types of healthy food to buy, etc. etc.

At the moment, I never go grocery shopping and commute an hour away for school and always end up stopping at the 7 eleven for breakfast, wendy's for lunch, and junk food for dinner. And the occasional social drinking out with friends (which turns into spending way more than I should).

But tell me, some active students that have a good daily plan, what is your mental and physical routine to sort of keep you responsible and grounded in order to stay within your means.

(After typing most of this I realize and see how my money is wasted, but Im really interested in hearing from some responsible somewhat independent individuals that pave their own way) Thanks....

Answer
When I was a student I lived on campus, so that kind of took out the whole commute thing. Unless you're living with your family or in some other rent-free situation, I suggest you either look into on-campus lodging or find a place closer to your school. If you are on-campus you can also buy a meal plan, which is exponentially less expensive than eating fast food.

If you are going to school that does not offer student room and board, you should start bringing a bag lunch. We eat a huge amount of beans and rice in our family because these foods are healthy and very inexpensive. A bag of dried black beans costs $2 and can make a pot of soup that will keep for a week and feed you lunch every day of that week. You can make wraps with beans and rice, some diced tomatoes and onions, hot sauce, sour cream and cheese. The total cost per wrap is something like 80 cents and they're great for lunch and extremely nutritious. It takes me about 10 minutes in the evening to prepare lunches for my husband and myself and we save over $100 each week. I also don't buy any bottled drinks. I make tea by the gallon and put it in thermal travel mugs for work and keep it on hand at home. The same goes for coffee. I haven't actually paid for a cup of coffee in two years. Put the coffee and the water in the coffee maker before you go to bed (usually while you're making your lunch), so all you have to do in the morning is push the button. Then you have hot coffee waiting for you when you get out of the shower.

To save money on social drinking excursions, have a couple of drinks at home before you go out, then have your friends pick you up. You won't have to buy as many drinks that way.

Hope that helps.

College students, what do you use as a backpack?

katie

I'm starting this fall and I want to ditch my blue LL Bean backpack. At first I considered using a Vera Bradley tote bag; then a Vera Bradley messenger bag. However, I don't know if any of the bags from Vera I'm looking at are big enough. Here's what I picked up in the store:

http://www.verabradley.com/product/Color/Indigo-Pop/Messenger/1001729/defaultColor/Indigo+Pop/pc/639/c/0/sc/934/p/1001729.uts

It didn't seem very wide. I need to be able to carry my 15.6" laptop, my textbooks and notebooks, some pens, my wallet keys and phone, lunch, a water bottle, and possibly a change of clothes if I go work out. I want the bag to be big enough to hold everything so I don't feel like my stuff is overflowing out of it. I don't want to lose anything.

Is using a tote bag a good idea? Is this messenger bag too small? I'd love some input. Please let me know what you use and what other stores sell cute, functional bags. Thanks.

Answer
It all depends on your needs. And I agree with the other poster, it will get dirty.

I would say about 95% of your classes won't require you to take your textbooks to class. In my 4 years in college, taking at least 50 or so classes, I only had 4 classes that required me to take the book to class. So you'll only need to take a notebook or laptop for taking notes.

Normally, I use a tote bag b/c I go to school in Kansas and the weather is miserable in the spring/summer/fall. It holds my notebooks, pencil/pen bag, phone, keys, wallet, a few personal items, and water bottle. I don't take my laptop to class b/c many classes won't let me use it anyway and I'm too tempted to hop on social networking sites. It will also carry 1-2 textbooks on those rare occasions when I need them. I also picked up a Swiss Gear backpack at Target a few years back for when I need to carry a ton of books to the library. But since I mostly study at home, it rarely gets used.

For me, that tote bag would be perfect. It might be a little tiny if you intend on carting your textbooks to study. But you can always do what I do, have a cute tote bag for class and then take your LL Bean backpack for those library sessions.

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How to be preppy in middle school?

okayciara

i need tips..........
preppy sterotype and im in 6th going to 7th

Answer
Wear abercrombie and a buy a lot of designer bags and shoes
thats what i do and my friends say i am a prep!

Here are some cute examples:

Polos are awesome!! If u have the money get the real ones! I have 1 real and a few abercrombie ones
http://www.abercrombie.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10051_10901_490577_-1_12253_12203http://www.ralphlauren.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3101095&cp=2944330.2944341&pg=2&ab=int_121808_RLCLASSIC_WOMEN_SHOPNOW&parentPage=family

Dresses are cute too try pacsun they have tons!

http://shop.pacsun.com/girls/dresses/Dora-White-Dress/index.pro

http://shop.pacsun.com/girls/dresses/Day-Dreaming-Dress/index.pro

Try tops like this too!

http://www.hollisterco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10251_10201_463586_-1_12744_12552

Wear this as a jacket:

http://www.hollisterco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10251_10201_264589_-1_12619_12552

Accesories:
Shoes try sperrys and flats and cute flip flops
Sperrys look great with every thing because they are a neutral color

go to the sperry top sider website and look for bluefish 2 eye (I had too many links sorry)

Coach Flats are so cute
Sorry I could not find it on the coach site :( Try looking on ebay?)

Flip Flops!!! I luv them!!

http://www.abercrombie.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10051_10901_461382_-1_12256_12203

http://www.hollisterco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10251_10201_464453_-1_16448_12552

Bags!!!! Get designer bags they are really preppy!

Stuff like backpack, pencil case and lunch box get vera bradley

Sorry too many links go to the vera bradley web site and search
Large Backpack
Brush and Pencil Case
Let's Do Lunch

Cute purses!!!!
Too many links sorry, go to vera bradley site and search
Maggie
Small tic Tac tote

http://www.dooney.com/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=21529

Jewelery! Try tiffany and Co.
You can get cute necklaces in a lot of places!

http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?fromGrid=1&sku=21124656&mcat=148204&cid=316221&search_params=s+5-p+2-c+316221-r+-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+


Get a scarf like this one too! white goes with a lot of things!

http://www.hollisterco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10251&catalogId=10201&productId=459001&langId=-1&categoryId=12616&parentCategoryId=12552&colorSequence=01

To act preppy...
Have you ever read the clique? I would say that my style is like Alicia's. I act like her too. Read the book if you haven't and be Massie and the other girls too. Get your friends to make a little clique with you and all use my style tips and you shall be the preppy clique! hahaha

I really hope that I helped you! This took me a while to put together so please consider my ideas!!! Thanks bye!

What is the history of the Bento box?

Kevin7

Answer
History of Bento

Early Bento

Bento, or packed lunches, can be traced back as far as the fifth century, when Japanese leaving their homes to till their fields, hunt, fish, or even wage war carried food with them to eat on the go. These portable meals typically contained staples, such as white rice, rice mixed with millet, or potatoes.

During the Kamakura Period (1185 to 1333), hoshi-ii (literally, "dried meal") was developed. Hoshi-ii consisted of cooked and dried rice, carried in a small bag, that was eaten as is or after being rehydrated with hot or cold water. Wooden lacquered bento boxes were produced during the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1568 to 1600); meals would be served in such boxes at tea parties and during hanami (cherry blossom viewing parties).

During the peaceful and prosperous Edo Period (1603-1868), bento became more refined and widespread. Japanese packed lavish assortments of food into fancy, tiered, lacquer boxes to take on outdoor excursions or to the theater. Travelers and tourists would carry koshibento ("waist bento"), consisting of onigiri wrapped in bamboo leaves or in a bamboo box. The popular makunouchi bento ("between-scene bento"), consisting of small onigiri sprinked with sesame seeds and a rich assortment of side dishes, was developed during this time for theater patrons to eat between maku ("scenes"). From this period onwards, bento began to evolve into a sophisticated art form. Special occasion bento are used in celebrations in the home, at Buddhist memorial services, for entertaining guests, and for tea ceremonies.

In the Meiji Period (1868-1912), Japan's railway system was born, and the first ekiben ("station bento") were sold. The very first ekiben, consisting of takuan and rice balls with umeboshi filling that were wrapped in bamboo leaves, reportedly was sold on July 16, 1885 at the Utsunomiya Station in Tochigi Prefecture. Thousands of different types of ekiben are sold at train stations throughout Japan today. A European-style bento, consisting of sandwiches, also was developed during this period.

The aluminum bento box made its first appearance during the Taisho Period (1912 to 1926) and was considered a luxury item due to its silver-like finish and its ease of cleaning. The disparity in wealth among Japanese spread during this period due to an export boom during World War I and subsquent crop failures in the Tohuku region. Bento carried to school by children became a reflection of a student's wealth. A movement thus developed to abolish bento in school and, after World War II, the practice of bringing bento to school gradually declined and was replaced by uniform food provided for all students and faculty.

The 1980s â with the introduction of microwave ovens, convenience stores, and more affordable bento boxes â saw a resurgence of bento.

Bento Today

Bento again are a common sight at schools and at work. With more working mothers, however, ready-made bento are increasingly sold at convenience stores, supermarkets, department stores, and restaurants. In addition to the still popular makunouchi bento, many types of box lunches are sold, including Chinese- and Western-style bento.

Modern bento boxes are made of many materials, including plastic, aluminum, and the traditional wood. Generally, boxes are rectangular, oval, or circular in shape. Some bento are designed to keep food hot, such as Zojirushi's Mr. Bento. Designer bento boxes, and boxes decorated with popular characters such Hello Kitty, also are popular. Bento boxes often come with matching chopsticks, silverware, and carrying pouches called kinchaku or large cloths called furoshiki used to wrap everything up. There are styles designed for women, business men, boys, and girls â a little something for everyone!
http://cookingcute.com/history_of_bento.htm

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