Lunch bag for work commute, is it worth it?

[Aabbaas]

I need to stop spending a fortune in pret or m&s during office days and be more organised with my lunches.
I have a long-ish commute (London), 1 hr and 15 mins or so, door to door. Office has a fridge but I am considering getting myself an insulated lunch bag to keep food fresh longer. I have seen some very lovely ones and wanted to treat myself to one but is it worth it? Curious to know how people use these. I don’t want to hold it with my hand as I commute with a backpack for practicality and comfort and want my hands free. They seem a bit too bulky to put in my backpack though once I also have the laptop, work stuff and change of shoes etc.
How does everyone do this? 😅

Middle of Lidl has nice insulated bags about the right side for 1.99 this weekend.

When I worked in the office, I always had a small Cath Kidston lunch bag, which I just hooked over my arm while I travelled in, while my handbag was over my shoulder, and it was fine. I never bought my lunch, simply as it was too expensive where I worked in Central London.

People overcomplicate lunch bags and the like. It doesn't have to be £100+.

I take a tiffin box and keep it in my bag until lunch. It’s always fine, I’ve done it for 15 years and never had food poisoning. I never spend a penny except transport on a work day as I take my lunch, coffee and drinks.

The Fact you consider orange and banana too smelly makes you sound ridiculous

When he’s sitting right next to me they are! But not as bad as reheated fish or curry I grant you

Theres nothing wrong with the smell of fruit. Again to be bothered by that is so strange to me. It’s fruit..

I’m quite sensitive to smell and oranges and banana can have a strong smell. No other fruit is an issue. We’re all different I guess

For such a short commute, I probably wouldn’t bother. Really good locktop box or flask in a canvas or waterproof bag (if you worry about leaks).

I used to commute 3 hours door to door to my London office 3 days a week. On those days, I’d pack breakfast, lunch and dinner. I did have an insulated bag because I’d be leaving the house at 6am and not putting things into the fridge until 9am and I wouldn’t always leave direct from my main office so sometimes dinner would need to sit around all day.

For a little over an hour and just one meal, I’d use a good leakproof container and a bag to go into your main bag.

I have a bag with a shoulder strap that’s really easy, frozen water bottle. Little thermos for beans/soup/pasta/leftovers in winter. I also take a reuseable cup and stop at Waitrose for a free coffee

Why wouldn’t a lunch bag be worth it?

I never eat out—first, it’s ridiculously expensive, it tastes bad, and it’s filled with harmful ingredients.

I have a lunch bag with a longer strap, so I can wear it crossbody or over one shoulder, which keeps my hands free.

I have a Black+blum large lunch bag which is insulated and holds my lunchbox, drinks bottle and other small containers. Has an adjustable shoulder strap too a.co/d/0bskEhxr

I always take lunch from home. Always.

I have never stuck to a lunch bag. I would recommend you set yourself a target of taking lunch for 1 month. If you manage that reward yourself with the lunch bag. Build the habit first.

Then maybe a thermos food flask? Screw top, won't leak, and you can east straight out of it.

A lot? What makes you say that?

Some people prefer to have breakfast and a lunch at work, some will have one meal and a couple of snacks, some prefer one meal that covers both breakfast and lunch or will only have snacks. Some may have diabetes and need to carry extra drinks and snacks in case of their sugars going too low as well.

In any case, a lunch bag means my food and drink is kept cool, secure and as far away from the gluten infested staff facilities as possible. Without trashing my actual handbag. And without being quizzed upon what I'm eating, whether it's something they would like, whether I make it myself, how many calories are in it, if I really eat like that every day, asking why I don't buy sandwiches, asking why I don't just buy sourdough if I'm Coeliac because their aunt says it's absolutely fine, where is the chocolate and the crisps, don't you get bored eating that, oh, I could never eat sooooo much food, there's easily 80g of rice there, did I know about heavy metals in fish, etc, etc, etc.

I just want to carry my food and drink easily, keep it in my office and eat it in peace. A purpose designed bag makes it easier - particularly for avoiding those who feel the need to comment upon what others are eating.

I put my food in a lunchbox because the fridge at work is a terrifying health hazard. I work in an area where there are only chick shops and drug dealers. So if I don’t fancy chicken or crack I need to bring in my breakfast and lunch.

We all use them in our house just from the supermarket.. We bought ones that fit in backpacks.
It holds sandwich drink fruit yoghurt biscuit and crisps (dont need to be in). We have picnic 'freezer packs' which fit in but if everything was in fridge overnight you dont really need them.
Never had an issue.

Not yet bought but am going to get this once I find thr dimensions of my work laptop

https://amzn.eu/d/0iDB4E8o

The best tip I ever got, which was on this thread, is to buy a carabiner clip and attach my lunch bag to my back pack. Works a treat!

I have two small insulated zip top bags that I just shove into my rucksack or bike pannier (depends on how I am getting to work).

I usually take a tupperware, yogurt and packet of crisps. If it's really hot I shove a small ice packs in (mine came with mail order chilled items) or sometimes my lunch comes out of the freezer (I bulk make lunch box dishes from the Rukmini Iyer books).

I bought a fancy blum salad box with dressing / separate compartments etc and don't use it as it leaks - in fact I've just given it away to a friend who was eyeing them up. Instead I use combination of sistema and cheap cartoon character boxes bought in Singapore as they don't leak. Or sometimes re-use takeaway containers which aren't foolproof but are OK for stuff without a lot of liquid.

I have an isolated tote / picnic bag for work. It does have 3 compartments, 2 for work crap and one for food- usually breakfast, lunch & snacks. I also take my own coffee & drink. I used ice packs when it was very hot otherwise I just keep them in the fridge overnight.

Having said all that, fridge space is limited, people always check/ question your food and the only coffee available is instant. I hate this.

Dd has to carry a jam packed bag. I got her a lunch bag that is shaped like a book so it slides right in. Then I just chose containers that are also flat. The system works well.

Thanks all for the replies.
I already have a nice backpack for work so not planning to change that. So I have to look for either a small lunch bag to keep inside the backpack or get one with a longer handle and carry it by hand instead.

I have been looking at:

https://www.johnlewis.com/black-blum-cooler-lunch-bag-6-7l/moss-green/p112736645?s_ppc=2dx_mixed_home_BAU&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20155424063&gbraid=0AAAAAD2el1ymOVK-Npv0FppWQMt-G8OuQ&gclid=CjwKCAjwzNTUBhAjEiwA7zcvWnF95xQCdcx3F6weoe6MYbH4T5jM-AwOLGOxjjW6FXvG-L8sOrVrkRoCeFUQAvD_BwE

or something like this: hindbag.fr/en-gb/products/lunchbag-igor-rose-blush?variant=54898154766662&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23342615933&gbraid=0AAAABA9ggRSRQTaHPj6QC3nd4IUqL1h49&gclid=CjwKCAjwzNTUBhAjEiwA7zcvWmrZNEW24Xog1b5WBXXV4olI_YgBm9P0Lb-cF1miFi2VIFtCEfthLxoC8l4QAvD_BwE

I would go ahead and get a lunch bag, then you can put your whole bag in the fridge at work. Our work fridge was a jumble of separate containers, some that often got forgotten and left to turn green.

This way you can contain your lunch and snacks; also keep your own cutlery in there! Things often get 'borrowed' in a communal kitchen.

The hindberg is cute

Interesting! Do you remember the brand name, by any chance?