The first thing you will need if you intend to start brown bagging it to work or school is a container for your lunch. While an old fashioned brown bag will work and is quite affordable, a lunch container suited to your personal tastes, and incorporating the option of cold packs is especially useful. You may also wish to have an insulated container for packing leftovers or soups, and a good reusable water bottle. With these simple items at hand you will be well on your way to packing a lunch. Suitable lunchbox options are available for men, women and children, and can be suited to all sorts of situations. For many of us, a travel coffee mug is also a smart way to save a few dollars a day.

Packing a lunch isn't always economical. If you choose to purchase expensive single serving products, it can be less cost effective than you might think. Consider purchasing larger sizes and repackaging into plastic bags or reusable containers of one sort or another. Packing a lunch is also a great way to use up dinner leftovers, and you can even plan to cook a bit extra for the next day's lunch, or to freeze for future lunches if you like. If you are packing lunches for kids, you can even create your own lunch packs with crackers, lunchmeats, and cheeses, much like the popular store bought alternative. Sandwiches, wraps, soups, stews, curries, stir fries, pasta dishes and more can all be packed up to make tasty lunches, whether stored in a thermos to keep warm, warmed in the office microwave, or eaten at room temperature.

Parents of preschoolers and older children may find themselves resorting to grabbing snacks and meals out for the kids more often than they like. One solution is to pack a cooler of snacks when you leave home for several hours. Apples, peanut butter crackers, hard boiled eggs, granola bars, string cheese and other simple foods will all store and pack well and can be eaten on the go with minimal mess and fuss. You may even want to stash a few weather proof foods in your trunk or glove box for snack emergencies to avoid grabbing that order of French fries. Consider equipping each child with a water bottle when you leave the house to make things easier.