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Put your coworkers’ beat-up plastic bags to shame with these modern, candy-colored containers, which are small enough to throw in your workbag but smartly equipped with a deep well and a removable divider. Available at leifshop.com. $32.
These Brooklyn-made small-batch dressings—in flavors like garlicky ramp and sweet-meets-smoky heirloom tomato—will add zip to even the simplest salad. Available at Dépanneur, 242 Wythe Ave at North 3rd St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (347-227-8424, depanneurbklyn.com). 6oz bottle $16.
Add a pop of color to your seemingly never-ending workday with this cherry-red polypropylene carafe. Designed by Czech artist Ole Palsby, the pot can keep beverages hot or cold for up to 14 hours, thanks to a vacuum-sealed hard glass liner. Available at MoMA Store, 11 West 53 St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-708-9700, momastore.org). $42.
HR can rest easy—though these spiked kernels brim with the familiar flavors of a classic dark and stormy (Gosling’s dark rum, lime zest, fresh ginger), most of the alcohol’s been cooked out. Available at shop.butterandscotch.com. 8oz bag $8.
Take your favorite drinks to go, sans metallic or plastic aftertaste with these eco-friendly glass bottles. Each slim vessel sports a silicone sleeve, to protect the glass if dropped, and a handy see-through window to gauge when you need to hit the watercooler. Available at takeyausa.com. 16oz bottle $15.99, 18oz bottle $17.99.
A trio of fresh-out-of-college Long Islanders are behind this artisanal nut-butter operation, churning out creamy spreads like this salted-caramel flavor—a sticky, indulgent blend of homemade caramel, agave nectar and coarse sea salt. Available at Foragers City Grocer, 56 Adam St at Front St, DUMBO, Brooklyn (718-801-8400, foragerscitygrocer.com). 8oz jar $7.99.
Fittingly made in the kitchen of a Pennsylvania firehouse, this fiery raspberry jam is bolstered with Hinkelhatz hot peppers and a touch of chocolate. The widemouthed Weck jar makes dipping easy, while metal fastening clamps ensure no desk spillages. Available at littleislandkitchen.com. 9oz jar $10.
Stop hoarding sushi-bar chopsticks and plastic forks in your desk and invest in these multipurpose utensils. Bridging the East-West divide, the colorful fork and knife lock together to form easy-to-use chopsticks. Available at lekueusa.com. $10.
Late at the office while your coworkers are hitting the bar? Take solace in this chewy-crisp bar, made with good-for-you grub like pumpkinseeds, organic dates, dried apples and the very same barley malt that goes into those Kelso pints they’re throwing back at the pub. Available at Brooklyn Victory Garden, 920 Fulton St between Washinton Ave and St. James Pl, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn (718-643-0606, brooklynvictorygarden.com). $2.99.
Keep your soups, stews and porridges toasty during your commute with this stainless-steel food flask, which comes with a clever magnetic spoon and utilizes a vacuum seal to keep food hot for up to six hours. Available at Whisk, 933 Broadway between 21st and 22nd Sts (212-477-8680, whisknyc.com). $42.
These spicy toasted nuts are an addictive blend of savory and sweet, candied in a mix of thyme, maple syrup and cayenne. Available at Ovenly, 31 Greenpoint Ave at West St, Greenpoint, Brooklyn (347-689-3608, oven.ly). 2.5oz bag $6.
This lightweight, laminated tray allows you to easily haul meal from the office kitchen to your desk without spilling all over your button-down. Part of Alvar Aalto’s abc Collection, the poppy plywood carrier is adorned with his iconic 1954 Siena print, sure to a few of your cubiclemates’ heads. Available at shophorne.com. Small $29, large $55.
Prettier than paper, this elegant Todd Oldham–designed dish features the 1950s illustrations of American Modernist Charley Harper. Made of high-fired ceramic, it’s both microwave- and dishwasher-friendly. Available at Fishs Eddy, 889 Broadway at 19th St (877-347-4733, fishseddy.com). $26.95.
Can’t make it outside between 9 and 5? Bring wildlife in with this Oldham-designed glass tumbler, adorned with Harper’s mid-20th-century bird illustration. Available at Fishs Eddy, 889 Broadway at 19th St (877-347-4733, fishseddy.com). $8.50.
Back away from the vending machine—instead of greasy chip bags for a midafternoon snack, keep an energy-boosting bag of trail mix on hand, featuring crunchy roasted chickpeas coated in coconut sugar, along with chewy pineapple and papaya chips. Available at pulseroastedchickpeas.com. 4oz bag $8.
Do you have a mess of takeout napkins piled on your desk? Make the switch to a reusable towel like this highly absorbent cloth, made with eight layers of compacted mosquito net. Available at Kiosk, 95 Spring St between Broadway and Mercer St (212-226-8601, kioskkiosk.com). $15.
Brown-bagging lunch just got leagues more convenient—this smart container is equipped with a removable food compartment, a separate sauce container, and a lockable lid rigged with a utensil strap and a dipping divet. Available at Whisk, 933 Broadway between 21st and 22nd Sts (212-477-8680, whisknyc.com). $24.
Made entirely of sustainable bamboo, this lightweight serrated knife is a good thing to have on hand at the office, for slicing hefty lunchtime subs, or for keeping interns in check. Available at MoMA Store, 11 West 53 St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-708-9700, momastore.org). $12.
Crunching numbers might not be the work of an artiste, but you can add Pop Art flair to your workweek with this coffee cup, inspired by Andy Warhol’s iconic Campbell’s Soup Cans print. Available at MoMA Store, 11 West 53 St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-708-9700, momastore.org). $25.
Forget dining à la vending machine—this fall, revamp your lunch with sleek adult lunchboxes, artisanal snacks and handy accessories for the office.
School’s back in session, but that doesn’t mean young’uns are the only ones who can trick out their lunch with brand-new gear and goodies. This fall, build an adult-friendly lunch with stylish lunchboxes, small-batch snacks and clever utensils. And for food-obsessed folk (guilty!), we’re stocking your desk drawers with salts, spices and sauces for the ultimate at-work pantry.
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