Oiled goatskin lunch boxes?

Lunch boxes have certainly come a long way! We went from using oiled goatskins, to being able to buy accessories for lunch boxes! Actually, it is not proven that oiled goatskins were used as lunch boxes. However, it is a little known (but well documented) fact that they were used by the Persians as early as 3000 BC. C. as water carriers. It is quite possible that, at one time, they could have been used as lunch boxes.

What about lunch boxes anyway? In the 1800s, it wasn’t a sign, as it is today, of showcasing favorite TV characters, comic book heroes, or pop idols. It was literally a sign of poverty. Those who brought lunch boxes demonstrated that they simply did not have the money for a hot, hearty meal.

Is this true? That just because they carried a lunch box, they didn’t have copious meals? Cold food for sure. However, just because it came out of a box and came with cold food doesn’t mean it can’t be plentiful. Even in the 1800’s this would be true. Today, there are so many options. We don’t even have to use bread anymore! There are options of tortilla wraps, assorted sandwich rolls like hoagie, pita sandwiches, or even meat wrapped with lettuce.

In the 1800s, what options did they have for those hearty meals? Milk, cheese, fruit, meat and bread. It doesn’t sound very different from ours. It was actually a world of difference.

What made your lunches better than ours? Many things contribute to this. First, they had homemade bread. It was heavy, mainly because the actual nutrients were not extracted from the wheat before it was baked. The bread itself was a substantial meal. The meat was fresh, fresh, since they killed the animal themselves, and no preservatives were added. The fruit was most likely collected on the way to work or at the workplace itself. Therefore, no chemicals were added. The milk came fresh from the cows or goats that morning, and the cheeses were made right there on the farm or bought from a nearby neighbor.

Oh yeah. So many things made his meals not only more substantial, but also healthier than ours. While they definitely had their share of illnesses from being too cool (like the salmonella-related deaths and illnesses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries before milk processing laws were put in place), I still think that, in Overall, hers was a healthier and more filling meal.

Many healthy things can be packed in those lunch boxes that we now have. Above all, we must ensure that they are filled with love, care, tenderness and care. You can even buy lunch box accessories if you want! I have seen items like folding cutlery sets, hard plastic sandwich containers, cloth napkin sets, containers that hold ice and have dividers.

Lunch boxes are no longer a sign of wealth, or lack thereof. We really have come a long way from oiled goatskin water carriers!