Pack It Up, Pack It In

I am lazy. Every night I make grand plans about packing my lunch, doing something that is healthy and cost effective. And every morning I rush out of the house with my laptop bag, purse, diaper bag, make-up bag and other assorted crap flung over my shoulder. If I even remember to bring something from home it is a container of yogurt or a container of cottage cheese or maybe a banana...all of which end up crushed at the bottom of one of my bags and not capable of being used for any nutritional gain.

Fast food is fast and deadly, sandwiches are oversized and overpriced, and coffee is not a food, so what's a girl to do? I saw an ad in a magazine recently that showed that Lean Cuisine is selling very cool lunch bags starting in September and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. You can only order them online, which is fine for the tech savvy, but a disappointment for the rest of the world. (www.leancuisine.com)

And then there was Fit & Fresh, a Providence based copany that makes fun, useful products for storing and toting food from home. In an article in the Connecticut Post in June, one writer even talks about how she saved money AND lost weight by packing smart.

The products are smart - a storage container for soup on top and salad on bottom; a chilled drink cup with a compartment for powdered mix on the bottom; a fruit and veggie container with a little center cup for dip. (Go to www.fit-fresh.com to learn more.)

The products are clever, convenient and clearly portable. So, who is going to come to my house and pack up the fridge for me? I'm still lazy. It's not perfect, but it's certainly a start.