Packing a lunch for work or going to the beach for a picnic? Eating your own homemade meals is definitely a healthy and sustainable option and today you can do it in style.

When I was a kid I used to go on road trips with my family. This meant eating on the go at least once a day when traveling. There were some accessories that accompanied us in every trip and I remember them as if it were yesterday: the Giostyle water flask (now a rare piece from the 80s), the portable fridge, and the food glass containers. Those accessories are also now part of my personal travel kit as a grown-up but in different designs.

In this strange summer 2020, being outdoors is one of the least risky activities and makes us independent from crowded places. Eating on the go requires first of all functional accessories but now we can also choose from many stylish options.

I’ve rounded up some of the must-have outdoor accessories for making sure everyone enjoys a good meal without compromising on style.

READING TIP: after some thoughts, I’ve come to the decision of organising my advice per brand. The brands you’ll find in this post focus on outdoor tableware producing lunch boxes, cutlery, food storage containers, bottles and flasks, travel mugs, unbreakable drinking glasses, and it will be easier for you browse them guided by the characteristics and the style you are looking for.

Travel & to-go dining accessories. monbento

If you love Japanese-inspired Bentos and boxes, you’ll love monbento products. Designed in France since 2010, the brand is very popular for its compact, two-tiered lunch boxes available in different beautiful designs. Lunch boxes are dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe and are BPA free. monbento offers a wide range of accessories, from cutlery to food cups and dividers, containers, lids… If you can’t find the design for you, you can create your own!

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Travel & to-go dining accessories. Mepal

I discovered Mepal products some years ago while looking for a new lunch box. Instead of buying a traditional lunch box, I ended up buying one of their Cirqula storage boxes. 5 years later, I’m still using it both at home and when traveling: the lid is 100% airtight and leakproof and you can put it in the dishwasher, microwave, and freezer. Cirqula boxes are part of a bigger array of products Mepal makes since 1976. Thermo flasks, bottles, lunchpots, drinking cups, tableware… you have a lot of options to choose from (and also a collection dedicated to kids).

Travel & to-go dining accessories. Alessi

Since its establishment in 1921 Alessi has developed many collections for the home. Among the numerous products, today I focus on two collections: Food à porter and Giro Kids. The first comprises a set of food and beverage containers + cutlery travel set while the second encompasses unbreakable plates, bowls, cups, and steel cutlery sets. Both the collections are colorful and just perfect for Summertime! Don’t you agree?

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Travel & to-go dining accessories. W&P

Porter collection from W&P is one of my most recent discoveries. It includes bottles, travel mugs, seal tight bowls, straws. This collection is both functional and stylish: items have rounded shapes and pastel colors and are available in plastic or in ceramic. I obviously fell in love with the ceramic option (it is no coincidence that I recently wrote an article titled «ceramics, ceramics everywhere!»). Products are BPA free, dishwasher, and microwave safe.

Travel & to-go dining accessories. SIGG

SIGG is mostly known for its recyclable aluminum flasks. Who lives in Switzerland as I do, has at least one SIGG bottle at home! Their collections are all made in Frauenfeld (Switzerland) and range from drinking bottles to food boxes. Design is sleek and essential but collections offer many color options to choose from. Among their newest addition the Tritan and Polypropylene bottles.

What do you think about this selection? Did you find something useful and beautiful that will travel with you this Summer?

What I really love of this post it’s the fact that each one of those brands is contributing to preserving the environment. We are living in a fragile era and we have to be very responsible regarding how we use the resources on the planet.

Reusable items are a step toward a more circular future and if you’d like to know a bit more about circular lifestyle, here is a video I recorded with SOMA Studio Milano (the video is in Italian with English subtitles).