# Why am I so embarrassed to bring lunch from home? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 8, 2008, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676 "2008-07-08T12:52:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/41 "2008-07-08T18:24:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Help me! The campus I attend school has mostly young (18-24) students and a lot of residential students, and I feel out of place anyway being older and not living on (or even in the same city as the) campus. It sounds like you’re just uncomfortable on the new campus, I don’t think it has anything to do with your lunch. You know, summer school brings a lot of passing-through types, I’m sure that there are plenty of people there with their own stories, you just can’t tell from looking at them. Maybe try to make chit chat with a few of them before class, ask a question about the homework or something. I’m sure you’ll become more comfortable as you get used to place. ---
**Author:** ![beanpod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9adbd/32.png) [@beanpod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beanpod)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/42 "2008-07-08T18:32:52Z")
Make something awesome at home on the weekend so you can save leftovers and take them throughout the week. I did this with a chicken stir-fry recipe and homemade burritos when I lived off campus in college. Once someone smells your far superior food and lusts after it, you’ll start to realize no one’s going to laugh at you. Trust me, those 18 year olds using their campus meal plans to get a tuna sandwich are going to be more jealous of your lunch than anything else (if they notice at all). It sounds like you just need to relax a little and get more comfortable with your routine on campus. No one cares about your lunch unless it smells better than theirs. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/43 "2008-07-08T18:52:39Z")
[QUOTE=Dinsdale] 47 years old and I still bring my lunch every day. Brew my own coffee in my office as well. [/QUOTE] I wish I had done more of it. My last job paid well but it took up a lot of my time so I ate every meal out. When I finally started cooking again I was bringing in much better food to work than I could buy. Now that I’m laid off I would like to have the money in the bank. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/44 "2008-07-08T19:17:14Z")
If anybody ever did say anything about it, a possible response is “Geez, don’t you have anything more important to worry about than my lunch?” I always looked at college as a big helping of “be yourself” anyway. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/45 "2008-07-08T21:09:37Z")
At least half my students bring their own meals. It sounds like a problem of your self-consciousness, not others’ responses to you. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/46 "2008-07-08T21:16:20Z")
I’d also add that on any college campus, there are tons of people who fit the “poor college student” mold. So taking your lunch shouldn’t elicit any more reaction than, “Ooh, wonder what she’s got?”. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/47 "2008-07-08T21:23:09Z")
At least half our staff bring lunch from home regularly and many of the rest occasionally. ---
**Author:** ![RedRosesForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/48 "2008-07-08T23:03:38Z")
Thanks for the advice everyone. I did it. One fancified tuna sandwich (balsamic vinaigrette, lotsa veggies, on a wheat bun) with fruit salad, pretzels, and Sun Chips. I totally ate the Sun Chips (and some popcorn a nice student brought to my film class) as I laughed at Charleton Heston trying to be a convincing 11th century Norman lord. So the pseudo-bowling-ball-bag makes a good cooler. Now I just have to figure out what I’m going to bring for lunch on Thursday… ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/49 "2008-07-08T23:12:55Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] … (If you sit down and add up the cost of buying food all day, every day, that number alone might make you feel a lot better about bringing lunch from home.) [/QUOTE] This is what works for me. Also I am far, far past the point of caring what a bunch of strangers may or may not think about my peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the re-used plastic grocery bag. ---
**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/50 "2008-07-08T23:25:51Z")
If you need a microwave, ask a professor or a departmental secretary. Most of them bring their own lunches. And they aren’t all subtle about it. I’ve known more than one gray-haired beardy guy in tweed who strode onto campus every morning with his lecture notes in one hand and a pink plastic My Pretty Pony (or comparable) lunch box in the other. If any other students are thinking anything about your lunch, it’s “I wish I had a home to bring lunch from.” ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/51 "2008-07-08T23:35:30Z")
[QUOTE=Driver8] This used to be the only reason I noticed other people eating alone in restaurants when I was on business trips. Otherwise, no-one cares! [/QUOTE] I never understood the horror some people have about the Table for One. Me, I bring a book, spread out my plates and napkin, and dive in to my meal AND the story. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/52 "2008-07-09T00:01:49Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] I never understood the horror some people have about the Table for One. Me, I bring a book, spread out my plates and napkin, and dive in to my meal AND the story. [/QUOTE] Oh goody! [The definitive clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXyAdToiYSk) IS on YouTube!! (from about 0:11 to about 2:06) ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/53 "2008-07-09T00:18:22Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] I never understood the horror some people have about the Table for One. Me, I bring a book, spread out my plates and napkin, and dive in to my meal AND the story. [/QUOTE] I often do the same - and am astounded at how many people \*then \*want to chat with me. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/54 "2008-07-09T01:51:26Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] I never understood the horror some people have about the Table for One. Me, I bring a book, spread out my plates and napkin, and dive in to my meal AND the story. [/QUOTE] I used to be a little bothered by it, but I got over it. Not so bothered that I didn’t do it though. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/55 "2008-07-09T02:52:59Z")
I like [this lunchbox](http://www.lunchboxes.com/chinese.html) from **Scarlett’s** link. Very cute! [QUOTE=ivylass] I never understood the horror some people have about the Table for One. Me, I bring a book, spread out my plates and napkin, and dive in to my meal AND the story. [/QUOTE] Me, either. I used to work in a place with a bunch of tables in the lunch room, and I preferred to sit at a corner table, eat by myself, and read. I **hated** when someone came over and started talking to me. I guess their thought process was, “The horror! She’s eating alone! I must go over and talk to her!” :rolleyes: No. Leave me alone. I want to read. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/56 "2008-07-09T02:55:19Z")
This is strange, as I sometimes felt self-conscious about this in college, but in the opposite way: it was cool to bring your own lunch and uncool to buy lunch on campus. In my view, freshman who live on campus are the ones who (have to) buy lunch there, and upperclassmen (who are definitely cooler than freshmen) all live off campus and therefore bring their own lunches. Maybe it’s because my college was in a weird hippie-town and that being poor and vegan was “cool”. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/57 "2008-07-09T03:15:35Z")
[QUOTE=Erasmus Darwin] That’s easy: Store your lunch in a metal lunchbox with a picture of a cartoon, television, or movie character from the 80’s. Personally, I’d recommend something like Knight Rider, The A-Team, or Gremlins, but I don’t know how well that crosses gender lines. Also, I’m pretty sure that it’s a scientifically proven fact that the grinning, cigar-chomping visage of George Peppard makes Doritos taste 12% cheesier. [/QUOTE] I came inin to suggest this. You can’t go wrong with a [Muppet Babies](http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1985-Muppets-Babies-LUNCH-BOX-THERMOS-Pail_W0QQitemZ150266457390QQihZ005QQcategoryZ1410QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) lunch pail. No one will think you uncool if you show up with that ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/58 "2008-07-09T03:39:22Z")
> [@](#): > > I guess their thought process was, “The horror! She’s eating alone! I must go over and talk to her!” I’m going to go with Occam’s razor here and say honey, he wants to lay you. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/59 "2008-07-09T05:59:00Z")
[QUOTE=Laughing Lagomorph] This is what works for me. Also I am far, far past the point of caring what a bunch of strangers may or may not think about my peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the re-used plastic grocery bag. [/QUOTE] Heh - re-used grocery bags are my standard lunch bag, too. It definitely is one of the pluses of getting older - you really do stop caring so much about what other people think. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676/60 "2008-07-09T13:16:56Z")
I totally agree with the person on the first page who said to bribe yourself. My husband and I bribe ourselves all the time, and it’s helped him quit smoking and me to exercise more often. I might have to get a “DIY” lunchbox from the [lunchboxes.com](http://lunchboxes.com) link. Maybe two. My husband would like a truck lunchbox, I’m sure, and I’d love a kitten lunchbox, though I’d rarely use it. There are lots of cheap, reusable plastic containers available today. Make your own bento box from an assortment of them. And make sure to include a treat in every lunch, whether it’s a fortune cookie, or deviled egg, or whatever. It should be something that you don’t allow yourself to eat at home very often, if at all. A box of fortune cookies is cheap, has plenty of them, and they’re fun. I wouldn’t put food in a wood bento box, but it would make a great sewing basket. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-so-embarrassed-to-bring-lunch-from-home/455676.md?page=4)