Hello all.

I'm starting to commuting to my new job soon. The commute is much further which will be fun. One logistical question I have for you all: how are you packing your meals when commuting so they do not spill and add a lot of extra weight? I need something that won't leak. I make my meals the night before. I have class containers that do not leak but they are pretty heavy. I usually will pack breakfast and lunch or breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Any thoughts?

Glass is too heavy and can break. I use plastic Rubbermaid food containers in various shapes and sizes. I also use Nalgene bottles for carrying liquids.

Fruit. Completely self-contained in biodegradable packaging. Tasty too!

For other stuff, I use those Glad containers. I don't carry soups or things in watery sauces, but stews and gravies don't leak from them. They go in the bottom of the panniers with everything else on top. This keeps them from bouncing around

Rubbermaid and Ziplic have plastic containers with lids that screw on. Like tsl, I pack them on the bottom. If I'm worried about leakage, I'll put them in a plastic bag or two and knot the tops.

I've packed soup and stews the old fashioned way: in a thermos!

I keep a set of utensils, a plate, and a bowl at work so I only really need to concern myself with packing food properly so it doesn't explode all over my bag before I get to work. I use various plastic containers for dry food. Soups or liquidy type dishes can go into a thermos or even your second water bottle so you needn't worry about it leaking in your bag if its in your cage. If it gets packed in my bag, I use a ziploc gallon or quart size bag as an added measure of protection just in case that air tight sealed container is not really airtight.

Plastic containers inside a plastic/Ziplock bag so that if it does spill the mess is contained, more or less. Glass is too heavy as others have said. So is a thermos. Gotta be willing to compromise.

I'm a creature of habit, so it's oatmeal every day. I make it at work with mostly everything already there.

You'll figure some kind of system as you become more accustomed to the commute. It's easy for us to tell you what you need to do, you have to figure out what works for you.

I keep a bunch of frozen stuff (both homemade and Trader Joe's-type) in the freezer at work. Problem solved.

Edit: But if there is no freezer at work and you HAVE to carry food, a trunk bag with two panniers on the sides (even a cheap one) will hold your meal upright while allowing you to safely pack clothing and other items in the panniers.

I got a set of tupperware-type containers from Aldi. They have gaskets, and tabs to hold the lid on, which are very tight and leak proof (a bit difficult to snap on though).
I work a 12 hour shift so I often have breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Since I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, it is a bit bulky. Betwen my food, change of clothes, and swimming gear my commuter rig looks like a lot of people's touring rig

I can't pack my trademark big-ass salads since I have been riding a roadbike w/ a backpack rather than a commuter w/ rack and panniers, it is the main drawback of the minimal packing approach.

I take the same lunches as I do on the days when I go by car. For stuff that requires some sort of container, I'll use either plastic or glass, whatever's available. If the container has something that might leak liquid in it, I make sure to put it in a plastic bag and tie the bag so tight that the lid won't come off even if jostled. This goes into another bag with the rest of my lunch, and into my pannier. There's usually, among other things, some clothes in the pannier to help pad my lunch.

On days when I happen to ride my road bike and panniers aren't an option, the exact same method applies, except the bag goes into my backpack. Since I've got dishes that seal decently and with the other bag tied around them, I haven't had many issues with putting them into the backpack sideways to make them fit.

Spinach in a zip lock, bread in a zip lock, tuna in its can... all in jersey pocket.

Travel light, eat light.

I have standard forks, spoons, bowls, plates, etc. at work. So I can just bring my food in a
ziplock sandwich bag(even stews!). I've also (re)used the Chinese soup and meal take out plastic
containers.

Been experimenting with camping/backpacking food lately. Just boil some water in an electric
kettle then lunch is served. Very light and takes up little space in your bag and desk drawers:

Products

I just use regular plastic Tupperware type containers that snap close and have a rubber gasket. They are just generic type things I got from bed bath and beyond/target. I've carried everything as messy as soups, or as large as salads in my backpack. I ride a road bike and don't find it much of a problem weight wise. I think the key is to keep as much as you can at work, I have plates, utensils, salt/pepper in my desk drawer. Same thing goes with clothes, I've got a work jacket and shoes all there. Lighten your load and you can pack lots of food. I usually truck in snacks on Monday like trail mix or instant coffee, but that's only one ride with a heavy pack.

Stanley FTW!

Massively weird combo. I can not quite decide whether to have a red wine or a white one with it.

Finally. A thread we can get our teeth into!
I usually take leftovers. I don't put plastic in a microwave so, if something needs to be heated, it goes into a glass container (with the proper lid). Anything else is good in plastic containers or ziploc baggies. I've not had a problem with spills. I take my lunch in a soft sided cooler that I hang on the side of my rear rack with a combination of a carabiner clip and hd wire tie. I used to hang it on the handlebars but have come to like this method much better.

Packing for 3 meals as the op and others mentioned would require a slightly larger cooler than I am presently using. It would not be a problem to hang it the same way.

I have a soft sided lunch box that fits a big as your head salad in a glass container, protein of the day - usually chicken in a glass container, sometimes sardines, apple slices, a small handful of nuts, and a small dressing bottle (homemade vinaigrette). In the top goes breakfast - 3 eggs and kale.

The box fits nicely in a 15l pannier, my coffee resides in the trunk - which also holds my repair kit, lock, and pocket goods, and the other side pannier can hold a weeks worth of clothes, the laptop, or whatever, but is usually empty t-f on the way to work and has dirty clothes in it on the way back.

Sure, it's all a bit heavy (especially so when I have to hang the bike on the train), but I don't notice it much once moving and extra weight = extra calories burned.

Really, look at your "car" meal, and make it fit on the bike. I bought the size of panniers I did specifically to fit the soft sided box that fits my car meal. Gotta make it seamless to make bike commuting "worth" it.

When I do need to carry food to work I strap a small Rubbermaid cooler to the top of my rear rack.

So this Job is not in The restaurant Kitchen, Chef?

when I eat out at the generous serving, Mexican fare, restaurant, I bring a rubbermaid/Tupperware container.

it wont leak when turned sideways.. Packed in panniers or the big Brompton front bag

Glad and other cheaper containers , leak .. then a backup of putting them in a zip lock bag and sealing that helps .

Thanks all. Bought these: Amazon.com: Plastic Food Storage Containers - Set of 7 - 100% Unconditional Guarantee: Kitchen & Dining

great reviews and should do the trick.

I do not have acces to the kitchen all the time.

I use several different brands of plastic containers and put my lunch in a soft sided cooler that fits in my backpacks or pannier. It's all in one place that way and if anything ever leaks it's contained in the cooler.

I use a glass generic Rubbermaid container. Has held up well for a few years now despite sitting on the bottom of my backpack which is banged around at times. A glass lunch container seriously isn't that heavy, and it cleans up nicely. I sometimes forget about it over the weekend; a quick soap down and it's ready to go Monday morning.

Cold goods get kept in a fridge/freezer in the staff lounge. Housekeeping doesn't have access to it and said staff is small so no stealing thus far.

Same here. Rubbermaid or Ziploc (I'm not sure which brand) screw on containers for liquids. They're really durable and dishwasher safe, though I should mention that my dishwasher isn't the kind with a heating coil for the dry cycle.

Any solid foods are transported in cheaper quality glad containers that last about a year. I wrap the lunch containers in a plastic bag like the ones from from home depot, grocery store etc...

If it's really hot out and I'm concerned I'll throw the bag in a thermal shopping bag (the kind lined in reflective material) maybe even throw in a cold pack - my ride is about an hour.