Tips For A Brown-Bag Lunch With Co-Workers
For many of us office workers sitting all day behind a computer screen, running out to the nearest Chipotle or corner salad spot is a daily ritual that gives us a brief moment to catch up with co-workers and get some fresh air. It's also a habit that be expensive and unhealthy (if you frequently indulge in your penchance for burgers and shakes) over time. So why not brown bag it instead?
All this week, Big Girls Small Kitchen and Small Kitchen College is focusing on the art of the brown bag lunch. Now if thoughts of lunchboxes stuffed with a boring sandwich, carrot sticks, and a pudding cup that you eat alone come to mind, think again. Instead of making a lifeless lunch-for-one, team up with co-workers and host a weekly brown bag potluck in your office. With our tips and suggestions below, you can share a healthy and delicious meal made from scratch over good conversation, all while saving money and reducing lunchtime waste.
1. Pick the Date
Begin by picking what day of the week you want have your gathering. Wednesday offers a midweek respite from your office's busy pace, or choose Friday for a fun and social way to ease into the weekend. Then be sure to book your office conference room or create an area where lunch can be set up (like that empty desktop?) That way, when it's time to eat, desk chairs can be pulled together in a circle.
2. Poll Your Co-Workers
Send an email around to your colleagues inviting those interested to join in. Assign three colleagues each one dish — an appetizer, entrée, or dessert — to bring that is large enough to feed your group. If you have more than three people participating, make the gathering a weekly tradition so the people bringing the food rotates to ensure everyone has equal cooking responsibilities. Create a calendar to post in your break room so no one forgets when it's their day to cook.
3. What You Need
Hosting a brown bag potluck is easy if your office has a full kitchen with fridge and sink for storing and cleaning up. For budget- and eco-friendly dining, have each participant bring in their own plate, utensils, and napkin (which they can stash at their desk or in a kitchen cupboard) and be sure that you have utensils on hand for serving. And be sure to have some cleaning spray and paper towels on hand to wipe down any dripped food or crumbs from the surfaces (so you don't attract unwanted four-legged friends).
4. Planning the Menu
When planning what to bring, consider the kinds of foods you might bring to a potluck party, a picnic lunch, or when you're prepping lunches in advance. Choose foods that are low-mess so you don't end up wearing your brown-bag lunch entrée into the office (that juicy tomato salad, should it leak, is a recipe for disaster). If you've got a microwave on hand, reheating your signature cheese dip is easy, but soup for 10? Not so much. Looking for more ideas? Check out BGSK's tips for brown-bagging it and five of their favorite brown-bag lunch ideas.
What If?
• You have no fridge (or if the office fridge broke): All hope isn't lost. Ingredients like peanut butter or hummus can sit at room temperature for a couple of hours and they're the perfect base for stuff-your-own pitas when served with a variety of chopped fruits and vegetables. A hearty vegetarian salad (dressed with oil and vinegar just before serving) is another good alternative when packed in a big collapsible bowl, especially when accompanied with a loaf of bread and homemade brownies. You can also invest in a stylish insulated bag where you can keep large dishes cool (and then use it at the greenmarket or for a picnic) with ice packs — this a small bag will also keep three pints of chicken salad cool for up to four hours, no ice required. (Look below to see how you win your own!)
• You only have a water cooler in your break room: Don't cancel the party just yet! Forget using real plates and utensils and instead have each co-worker bring their own lunch kit that they can carry home without dirtying their bag — this kit comes in a stylish tote that you don't need to be embarrassed to be seen with. For something compact that you can throw in a plastic bag, choose a bowl like this that has a base that doubles as a cutting board — along with pocket-sized folding utensils. Of course, if you'd rather leave your spoon in your pen cup on your desk, you can always rinse off your utensils in the bathroom.