If you’re not yet familiar with Courtney Cook Bales, I would argue that your social media algorithm is leading you astray.
Since she began posting a little more than a year ago, the Georgia-based high school teacher turned food influencer has racked up nearly four million followers across Instagram and TikTok by sharing videos of the school lunches and meals she makes for herself and her family of six.
In a time where everyone is regularly posting the minutiae of their daily lives, Cook Bales has been able to break through the mold and attract a loyal following of fans. And that’s, in part, thanks to her obvious love for food and the way her expressive eyes and big smile make it clear when she’s enjoying a good homemade meal. And, of course, we can’t forget about her food combinations, which to many of her followers are far outside the realm of anything they’ve tried before. (Think tuna served atop a pineapple skewer or soup dumplings served nestled in raw onion cups.)
“I’m a nosy person, and I like to know what people have for lunch. As a teacher, sometimes we all eat together, and I’m always like, ‘What are you having for lunch?’” she previously told TODAY.com about why she began posting the videos. “It’s like an insight into someone’s day and someone’s personality, someone’s preferences.”
Since her viral fame all started because of nosiness, when we got the chance to chat with the foodie and social media star, we had to know about the essential items she keeps with her on the daily. Keep reading to see everything in her bag.
Shopping Diaries: Courtney Cook Bales
Her go-to-snack:
“Tuna has always been a pantry staple for me, and Snackers make it even easier to enjoy — whether I’m throwing together a quick lunch, making something for my fam, or grabbing a snack in between everything else going on,” says Cook Bales, who is partnered with Bumble Bee. The Thai Chili, specifically, is her favorite of the flavors.
Cook Bales calls the combo of a seaweed snack and tuna together “amazing.” This individual pack is perfectly purse-sized and super easy to take with you anywhere you go.
How she stays entertained while on-the-go:
As a teacher (though she’s currently taking a year sabbatical), we’re not surprised to learn that she has an educational way to pass the time. “I have done almost all of these,” she says about the puzzles included in this book. Of course, equally unsurprising, she has hers attached to a clipboard that she got at a dollar store. (Because, as she says, “You can’t be spending money on clipboards.”)
Some of Cook Bales’ earliest viral videos feature her sitting at her desk eating a roasted sweet potato stuffed with cheese for lunch. So it’s very fitting that she keeps some sweet potato merch in her bag. She has a pen from the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission, but they don’t have them available on the website. You can, however, get a notepad or even a shirt if you want to rep your love of sweet potatoes.
Her parenting must-have:
Cook Bales keeps socks in her bag, just to be prepared. Specifically, she says she has “gender neutral” ones, “because I have two boys and football. You gotta have socks.”
These cushioned crew socks are an editor-favorite, thanks to their built-in arch support.
Her beauty staple:
Cook Bales calls this “the best lip gloss of all time,” adding that she wears the Brown Sugar shade. Previously a Shop TODAY award-winner, the lip formula features ingredients like shea butter and murumuru seed butters to boost hydration.
Her secret for fresher breath:
She shares that she “obviously” has Ice Breakers in the bag. (We have a feeling that might have something to do with the tuna.) You’ll get eight individual tins in this pack, so you can stick one in every bag.
Her in-case-of-emergency must-have:
She also makes sure to keep what she calls “little baby scissors” in her bag. “Try to get the ones that aren’t scary, because you don’t want to scare anyone.” She adds, “[They] always come in handy.”
