# Can we get a list of foods that should not be "brown-bagged" for lunch at work? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 24, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-a-list-of-foods-that-should-not-be-brown-bagged-for-lunch-at-work/318474 "2005-08-24T19:35:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-a-list-of-foods-that-should-not-be-brown-bagged-for-lunch-at-work/318474/41 "2005-08-25T14:58:55Z")
Now I’m paranoid about my recent microwave popcorn jones. I can eat a big bag of the 94% fat free stuff and stay on my diet, people! I will say that I always monitor it carefully so that it’s not even slightly scorched (because I can’t eat it otherwise). I’m about to email the folks in the cubes around me and ask if I’ve been inadvertently offending them. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-a-list-of-foods-that-should-not-be-brown-bagged-for-lunch-at-work/318474/42 "2005-08-25T15:43:24Z")
Another vote for “you eat what you want, I’ll eat what I want”. SDMB rules (don’t be a jerk) seem appropriate – clean up after using common areas, don’t you eat at my desk, don’t leave dirty dishes out all afternoon, etc. (And even though I like fish, I agree that banning it from a common microwave is reasonable). When I was young and poor, I used to eat a lot of canned tuna fish for lunch. I would ‘wash’ it (run water through it in a strainer) at home, which greatly reduced the smell (and saved time). It never went near the microwave. The few people who complained were politely told to get used to it. FWIW, I hate the smell of cheese, but it’s never occurred to me that I should dictate dietary habits of people I work with. I had a colleague in my current office complain about my eating broccoli for lunch – _she doesn’t like the smell._ Of broccoli. (I steam it in the cafeteria’s microwave, and bring it to my desk. I put salt and pepper on it – no fish, no onions, no garlic, and definitely no cheese). Her desk is located way out of smelling range, but she has to occasionally walk past my desk. Try pleasing someone like that and you’ll go nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-a-list-of-foods-that-should-not-be-brown-bagged-for-lunch-at-work/318474/43 "2005-08-25T15:53:46Z")
> [@Winnie](#): > > Not to hijack the other topic, but this really creases me. Recently there was a sale at our local market on Lean Cuisine meals, something ridiculously cheap like 10 for $1 or something. Two women decided to buy about 50 of them and fill up our entire freezer at work. THE ENTIRE. FREEZER. My husband gets his TV dinners at Albertson’s at 10 for $10 as well. However, he brings them in to work _one at a time_. How hard is it to pack your lunch each day and bring in just one? It’s a whole damn meal in one box! Grab it on the way out the door! Taking up the entire freezer is just _rude_. Yeah, it’s a pet peeve of mine, too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-a-list-of-foods-that-should-not-be-brown-bagged-for-lunch-at-work/318474/44 "2005-08-25T16:06:09Z")
The census-taker’s liver. Fava beans are OK, and so’s a nice chainti if your workplace allows alcoholic beverages. But not the liver. Or asshole FBI agent’s brains in tupperware. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-a-list-of-foods-that-should-not-be-brown-bagged-for-lunch-at-work/318474.md?page=2)