This might be the most well-designed lunchbox ever - here's what it's like
This is the Prepd Pack, a bamboo and BPA-free plastic bento box that snaps together using magnets. It comes with one large container, two small containers, and chopsticks. You can purchase more containers or a fork, knife, and spoon at an extra cost.
Once I got my box, I downloaded the free Prepd Pack app on my phone. It asked me which health goals I'd like to prioritize. I chose five.
The next screen suggested 58 recipes, like the one below, based on those preferences. I could select one to see its calorie count and expected prep time.
I chose a "fast" box called "Gone Boating," which included zucchini topped with hummus, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, and apples with peanut butter as sides. Once selected, the recipe was added to another section of the app, called "My Prep."
When I tapped on the recipe, the app listed the ingredients, nutritional info, and how to make it.
When I added the recipe to the "Shopping List," it told me how much of each ingredient to buy.
On Sunday evening, I went to a market to get the ingredients. I liked that I knew exactly what I needed to buy.
The meal took about 20 minutes to make. When I was done, I slid the box into a sleeve (available separately) and then into the fridge.
When I opened my Prepd Pack the next day, I loved how the boxes looked. Several of my coworkers asked me what it was, since it looks cooler than a typical lunchbox.
The zucchini boats were tasty.
Monday night, I gathered ingredients for the next few days of lunches (I cheated and bought kale chips instead of planning to make them). Then I went home to prepare the food.
30 minutes later, my kitchen was in chaos. All of the washing, chopping, and preparing of the produce and tofu took me about 40 minutes — about twice the time the app said it would.
To be fair, I prepared enough veggies and noodles for two miso-soup meals. But the 40-minute estimate didn't seem to take into account how long it would take to make the accompanying kale chips.
The next day, I added hot water to my box of soup fixings, as the recipe instructed. While my photo of the soup was Instagram-worthy, the dish itself tasted bland. It needed more seasoning.
For Thursday's lunch, I made a recipe called "Green Eggs," which was basically an omelette with feta cheese, tomatoes, spinach, and basil. Instead of the suggested home-roasted beet chips, I packed Trader Joe's kale chips again to save time. This meal took 30 minutes and was delicious.
But on the last day, I gave up and packed my bento box with Chinese leftovers.
Overall, the Prepd Pack did not persuade me to bring my lunch more often.
When I buy lunch, it's because I didn't have time to make one in advance. And when I get home, I need to think about dinner — not a 45-minute recipe for tomorrow's lunch. (The app does list "fast" lunches, but there aren't many, and the app didn't make them easy to find.)
While it was fun to discover creative recipes, the Prepd Pack made my lunch preparation more complicated.
That said, however, it's the most well-designed lunchbox (and bento box) I have ever used.
The containers were completely leak-proof, and the magnets that make it close were satisfying to snap together. The recipes I made were also aesthetically pleasing.
If you want to spend $79 on a beautiful lunchbox, the Prepd Pack could be for you. But I will stick with my paper bag.
Backers pre-ordered the Prepd Pack — which includes the lunchbox, three containers, and chopsticks — for $59, though it will now retail for $79. If you want extra parts, they will cost you: $25 for another container set, $19 for a carrying sleeve, and $12.50 for cutlery.
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