What's on Your Lunch Box?
Actually, this is a two-part question:
First, when you were little, what was on your lunch box? Did you like it, or was it a hand-me-down? I have Care Bears, which I loved, but I rarely got a chance to use it, since my mother was laboring under the impression that the food that the cafeteria served was so good for us (boy, was she wrong - hamburgers like hockey pucks and congealed cheese pizza, yum!).
Second, if you a traditional, old-school style lunch box, just like what you had as a kid (with the matchign thermos and everything), what would you have on it today? I think that I would like to have two: one with Anthony Bourdain travelling the world, with a matching thermos that has some of the interesting items that he has eaten on them. And another one with Altom Brown, that comes with a matching baking/cooking tips thermos.
What about you?
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32 Comments:
Roy Rodgers & Trigger, I'm still horse crazy!
Today? Maybe one with a pix of all eleven grandkids.
NanaJoie at 11:35AM on 02/09/09
When I was a kid I had a Monkees lunch box with matching thermos. By the time I hit middle school, lunch boxes weren't cool, so I used brown lunch bags.
Nowadays I have a large assortment of Bento boxes (everything from Mr and Ms Bento to the more traditional laquer boxes) and the traditional boxes are pretty classic in their designs. Were I design my own metal lunchbox, I'd want it to have these hula girls on it, which I think would look awesome. And it would definitely need a thermos which should have this sepia of Duke Kahanamoku. How cool would it be if one could do something like that thru Cafe Press, which sadly, one can't.
chisai at 12:02PM on 02/09/09
When I was a kid, I had a Scooby Doo lunch box. I don't remember if it was something I asked for or if that's just what mom bought me.
I am currently in possession of an Evil Dead lunch box. It's groovy.
Amandarama at 12:07PM on 02/09/09
@NanaJoie - mine was a Gene Autry, then I think I had a Dale Evans and Buttermilk! There are not many of us that go back that far!
bareneed at 12:07PM on 02/09/09
In the late 1970s/early 1980s, I used Strawberry Shortcake, Dukes of Hazzard, entire NFL logo, and Star Wars lunchboxes, as well as Sanrio lunch or bento boxes. I had a TON of Sanrio pencil cases, pens, pencils, and erasers. It was ridiculous.
In the late 1980s to early 1990s while in college through grad school, I used Bad Batz Maru, Felix the Cat (from Japan), My Neighbor Totoro bento containers and lunchboxes/carriers.
In the mid-1990s, I used retro Winnie the Pooh bags (I think they were for diapers) and lunchboxes as lunch carriers, as well as Chococat.
These days, I reuse to death grocery plastic bags w/ Tupperware to hold my food.
I occasionally using my lunchboxes as purses; a carryover from my high school days.
Cassaendra at 12:11PM on 02/09/09
All the way back in the 70s I had a blue Benji lunchbox.
Today I've got a Built bag, black with multi color, multi size dots.
VerasTastyFreeze at 12:20PM on 02/09/09
Oh, man. My aunt worked for Aladdin so my brother and I always had a ton of different kinds of lunch boxes. I specifically remember one with Steven Urkel on it. One had a chalkboard sticker on it that took up the entire front and my friends signed it. Then we grew up (Hello, 3rd grade!) and we had those lunch bags that are made by like... outdoorsy people or something. Haha, I don't know.
If I had one now, I'd want a Top Chef lunchbox, so all the other kids would be jealous. Haha...
meg3j at 12:51PM on 02/09/09
I had hello kitty lunch boxes growing up, but I was always envious of my bff who had a star wars lunch box.
Now, I think I'd want a miss bento.
Aynsl156 at 1:03PM on 02/09/09
I had Muppet and Charlie Brown lunch boxes when I was a kid - very old skool metal with the thermos that never kept anything warm.
Now I want a proper bento box, preferrably Hello Kitty or Terr (sp?) Panda.
TheCheapChick at 1:06PM on 02/09/09
I never had a lunch box growing up as my parents were of the "School lunches are good for you" ilk...... But I always wanted one. My buddy had a Three-D Bee Gees Lunch box that I thought was cool, but I was a total jock so a Pittsburgh Steelers lunchbox to match my hat, scarf, gloves and jacket all with matching Steelers logo's would have been nice.
Now I would have a "Great Chefs of New Orleans" retro lunchbox..... God I miss that show...
Pavlov at 1:50PM on 02/09/09
When I was little (early 90s), I had a soft, rainbow lunch bag but I was horribly embarrassed because everyone else had brown paper bags and I had tupperware. Little did I know that my parents were on the forefront of envirnmentalism! Now I have an adorable lunchbag that I bought on Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5786053). I've learned that a lot of the "weird" habits my parents had are actually kind of awesome.
emgroff at 2:41PM on 02/09/09
I can't remember the name of the lunch box. It as in the early 70's and it was very "girlie" , it had girls on the front and side and a game you could play on the back with magnets.
If I had one today it would have to be the Beattles box.
pjracz10 at 2:53PM on 02/09/09
when you were little, what was on your lunch box? - A plastic and cheap safeway bag. My parent's always said it wasn't necessary :p (jerks) These bags break allllll the time.
Now I tupperware everything with elastics and put it in my giant purse. I need the other hand for my coffee and buspas!
hungrychristel at 3:09PM on 02/09/09
When I was a kid I had two different ones... one was brown w/ horses on it (I was a country girl) and also a strawberry shortcake one.
Today.. it would probably be a flower one, with daisies and peonies.
Alm25 at 3:30PM on 02/09/09
I bought a new lunchbox every year when I was a kid; they'd just plain rust out and the thermoses would get irredeemably nasty. Just a regular part of the school-supplies list, no big deal. So I can't remember what was on them.
chisai:
Me too, but no high-end stuff like Mr. Bento or laquer boxes. Mine have abstract patterns or flowers or fish or kitty kats on them. :)
Hm, fantasy lunchboxes? I'd have a beautiful wood bento (yes, they make them) with a picture of my mother in her prime – she taught me to cook, and then to teach myself.
gentlyferal at 3:48PM on 02/09/09
Roscoe the recycler! I think I was the only kid on the planet to have this lunchbox, as my dad was a recycling industry "insider" back in the early days. I have no idea where he got it from, but Roscoe was a soda can with arms and legs who reminded us of the 3 R's, and the lunchbox itself was recycled aluminum.
Today, it's tupperware and Safeway bags. I wish it was Transformers with matching Thermos, haha.
Embackus at 3:49PM on 02/09/09
I brown bagged it as a kid, which may be why I have a lunch box collection today. I have a Totoro Bento Box, Serenity (the Joss Whedon Firefly movie) and Muppets metal lunchboxes, and a Laptop Lunch box as well as a Mr. Bento and quite the assortment of plastic Fit 'n Fresh boxes, Lock & Lock containers, and random cute containers I found at the Asian grocery store. My coworkers are jealous.
AliceBlue at 4:04PM on 02/09/09
Oh jeez I read the question wrong :p
This makes it funner. I would probably either go with:
- Smurfs
- Mickey Mouse
- WWF
- Muppets
- Beetlejuice
hungrychristel at 4:41PM on 02/09/09
Hong Kong Phooey (no lie) and Grape Ape, which my bro and I alternated carrying.
FoodieSearching at 4:41PM on 02/09/09
my little pony. it was purple and so pretty:)
waterbaby at 4:43PM on 02/09/09
I had a pink plastic lunch box when I was little. I think it had an image of Minnie Mouse in Paris or something. I still love pink, so if I had a lunch box today, I would want some kind of pink-influenced plaid or polka dot pattern on it.
runnereater at 5:07PM on 02/09/09
I had a Holly Hobby lunch box that I loved... It had a big H on it and I thought that it was made just for me because that's also my initial. I was obsessed with HH and had her stationary too... The Thermos was blue plastic, inefficient, leaked all the time, and made my milk taste really bad.
No I have an insulated black patent bag with diamond quilting reminiscent of a Chanel purse. All the ladies in the office are jealous!
My fantasy lunch box would be Holly Hobby again, but insulated and with a great stainless steel thermos. Nice!
PeanutButter at 5:11PM on 02/09/09
I used to have an insulated bag and matching thermos with sharks on them. Now I just use a Camelbak, but if I could get a lunchbox custom made, I would put a Vail trail map on it, so I could sit at my desk and plan my weekend.
cycorider at 5:31PM on 02/09/09
Selecting a new lunchbox for the year was my favorite part of the back-to-school ritual. If I recall, I had a Beatles Yellow Submarine, a Batman, and a Partridge Family. I don't need to tell you I wish I had saved them!
From time to time the thought has occurred to me to take some sort of nostalgic lunchbox with me to work, but it's not really very practical. On days when I bring my lunch, it tends to get crammed into my briefcase, right beside the legal briefs. Ah, nostalgia. I wish I could buy a half pint of milk for seven cents, too!
Lorenzo at 5:33PM on 02/09/09
Oh, I was SO in love with my Here Come The Brides (tv show) lunchbox back in the day. I had a big-time crush on Bobby Sherman.
Now I have a variety of bento boxes, from nice ones down to dollar-store versions that I use.
deetroitMI at 7:17PM on 02/09/09
I think we had a thread ages ago where everyone shared their Old School lunchboxes--I love to read about all of the different designs!
But it ain't retro if it isn't metal!
I say that one of the saddest things about being an adult is that you can't pick a new metal lunch box every September :(
The yellow Snoopy box with Snoopy as the Beagle Scout was my favorite, followed by Strawberry Shortcake and Holly Hobby.
HeartofGlass at 7:26PM on 02/09/09
@deetroitMI - I had a Here Come The Brides lunchbox also. I'd totally forgotten about that until I read your post. I was SO in love with Bobby Sherman it was crazy. I used to buy 16 Magazine and pin his pics all over my walls. If I recall correctly, they shot them so that the eyes always looked like they were following you, which kind of creeped me out so I'd change in the bathroom.
chisai at 7:42PM on 02/09/09
all through school my lunchbox was a medium blue box with white edging that had a full blown yellow rose on the front. It finally fell apart/rusted through in 8th grade. Wish I still had it! Maybe i'll try my craft skills and pick one up at the craft store and try painting it and decal. I miss that lunch box ;-)
huneybumper at 7:40AM on 02/10/09
It was the mid-60s. My parents waited till the last minute to buy me a lunchbox, so by the time we bought one, they were pretty picked-over. What did I end up with? Wagon Train.
It was safe to say that no one else had the same lunchbox as me.
reger60 at 9:07PM on 02/10/09
I had the big yellow plastic Snoopy doghouse lunchbox in the 1st grade (my first lunchbox) that housed a matching thermos in the upper half of the box. My husband had his beloved Hong Kong Phooey lunchbox in also in 1st grade (1974, people!)---which his dad KEPT and now our daughter--who is now in 1st grade--is using it as HER lunchbox!
Full circle, or what????
artgal1990 at 2:37PM on 02/12/09
in high school i had a rosie the riveter 'we can do it' lunch box that i carried as a purse.
redzerostar at 2:38PM on 02/12/09
@artgal1990: I had that one, too!! I loved it so much. I stuck on some black plastic vinyl letters on the side to spell my last name.
My second, and last, one was a soft padded Holly Hobbie box. It smelled sour inside due some spillage from the leaky thermos.
Marls Barkley at 10:37PM on 02/13/09