Tag: food storage

If you had told me six months ago that I’d be as keen on eating salads as I am now, I would not have believed you. I’ve had an aversion to uncooked leafy greens for pretty much my entire life — at least until recently. The moment of change occurred at a social dinner when someone put a Caesar salad in front of me, and I ate some to be polite. Since that moment, I haven’t been able to get enough. I now make salads at home regularly, but the first time I decided to make one for my office lunch I realized that doing so would be a challenge.

Although I owned plenty of Tupperware containers, I figured that storing all of my salad ingredients in the same plastic box would result in a soggy, room-temperature mess by the early afternoon. I put the notion of bringing a salad to the office out of my head and resigned myself to the fact that I’d just have to continue eating them at home. Then, I came across the S’Well Stainless Steel Salad Bowl Kit. Not only is it made from the perfect material for keeping produce fresh, but it also has multiple components that make taking and eating salads on the go a breeze. And, it comes in a bunch of cute colors!

The first thing you’ll notice about this salad bowl is its fun design. It comes in two sizes and 14 prints and colors when you shop it on Amazon; I opted for the Teakwood print. More importantly, the bowl is made of thin, sturdy stainless steel and features a silicone and BPA-free plastic leakproof lid. When you lift the lid, you’re met with a shallow stainless steel tray and a 2-ounce dressing container, which has its own tight-fitting silicone lid. The tray is where your salad toppings go, which means you can keep them separated from the main salad base.

Under the tray, you have the main compartment for your leafy greens or grains, and because the bowl has an impressive 64-ounce capacity, you don’t have to worry about not having space for enough food to keep you sated until your next meal. The salad kit is not microwaveable, but it is dishwasher-safe. At nearly 8 inches tall and 4.5 inches wide, the container is not exactly compact, but if you have a flexible lunch box, you might be able to make it fit inside.

Although I still sometimes use plastic food storage containers, they’re not my favorite. They tend to absorb food colors and smells, and they usually warp over time. I don’t experience either of those problems with the S’well salad kit. Its stainless steel construction hasn’t acquired a single dent in the couple of months I’ve been using the bowl, and it releases food easily during washing. What I love the most, though, is that the stainless steel keeps lettuce cold and fresh all day, so my greens are never warm or wilting by the time lunch rolls around. Also, because my parents like to lecture me about the purported dangers of microplastics on a biweekly basis, I’ve become wary about eating out of plastic containers all the time. I do have slightly more peace of mind eating out of stainless steel, which is nice.

As for the kit’s other components, the toppings tray is also a game-changer. I usually cook some plant-based “chicken” to throw on top of the lettuce, but the idea of packing steaming-hot protein onto greens and letting them sit together like that for hours is mildly revolting. Also, I’ve been loving pomegranate seeds on my salads lately, but those can also make the lettuce soggy, so it’s super convenient to be able to store those ingredients separately. Of course, the dressing container is also a huge help. It has the perfect capacity, and I’m saying this as someone who likes a decent amount of dressing — to the point where the salad is just shy of being drenched. I’ve found that both the dressing container’s lid and the main bowl’s lid slip into place seamlessly and don’t budge. I’ve taken the kit along during my subway commute a handful of times and have never had problems with leaking or spillage.

Finally, I adore the look of this salad bowl kit. Most food storage containers aren’t particularly stylish, but the Teakwood print on this one makes it look so trendy. Since getting the kit, I’ve used it for meals beyond just salads. The size and material of the bowl make it great for storing a variety of foods, from pasta to a homemade Chipotle situation. I can’t recommend this kit enough, so be sure to select your favorite color and snag your own.