The Lunch Supplies You Need for Back To School Success

School is right around the corner and we are getting into the spirit over here! Back to school time always feels like Christmas to me. Although I’m not actually getting anything for myself, I just love the arrival of everything school.

Today’s post focuses on the lunch aspect of school. Many kiddos choose to buy lunch at school, but even more, typically, bring their own from home. Throughout my years in the classroom, and prepping lunches for my own kiddos, I have seen just about everything when it comes styles, sizes, and types of lunch boxes.

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Lunch Box Categories:

There are really 2 main categories when it comes to bringing a lunch from home. The Traditional Lunch Box and The Bento Box.

Traditional Lunch Box

A traditional Lunch Box is typically a zipper case with a wipeable interior. They come in all shapes, sizes, and designs. There usually aren’t any containers or separators inside and can be filled with disposable bags or reusable containers of your own. Let’s talk through the pros and cons of this option.

Pros:

• You can fill it however you see fit since there are no separators inside.
• There is a huge range of designs for your little to choose from.
• They come in a variety of sizes, so you can find one that fits your backpack perfectly.
• You can put just about anything inside.
• Use disposable bags or reusable containers inside.
• A wipeable interior makes clean up easier.

Cons:

• These boxes typically encourage more waste since disposable bags or often used inside.
• It is not waterproof, so if there is a spill, it will leak out.
• The lack of structure can make packing a lunch more stressful.
• Zippers can get stuck or be tricky for some kiddos.
• They are soft sided, so food can get smashed.

Bento Box

A Bento Box is a lunch box that has become popular in the past few years. They have very typically been used for adult lunches, and have recently gained traction in the school setting. These boxes are hard and contain interior compartments. They snap shut and are reusable.

Pros:

• These boxes are reusable.
• The interior compartments make it easy to separate food.
• Many are leak proof or include leak proof containers inside.
• Waste is dramatically decreased since there are no disposable parts.
• The hard exterior eliminates food getting squished.
• You can wash them by hand or in the dishwasher.
• With the increase in popularity, design options have expanded in a huge way.

Cons:

• Sizes and designs are limited if you are looking for characters.
• The hard exterior means you can’t squeeze in extra food.
• Many can be too small for a full lunch for the elementary kiddo and beyond.
• The hard shell means it may not fit inside your favorite soft lunch box.
• You have to plan ahead and wash these every night.
• Most do not contain a space for a drink.

What Our Lunches Look Like

This year, I will have a 3rd grader, 1st grader, and Kindergartener. We have used both soft sided traditional boxes as well as Bento Boxes, so I’ll share my experience with both.

Traditional Boxes:

We used a simple traditional box for my two older kiddos two years ago for lunches. I really enjoyed the flexibility the traditional box allowed and the fact that I could fit their milk cups inside. They enjoyed picking out their designs and I was even able to match them to the backpacks.

The two largest reasons that I decided to move away from simply using a traditional lunch box were for no-brainer packing (I’ll explain in a minute) and to cut back on disposable items.

When I say no-brainer packing, I mean that the traditional lunch box was too open ended for me. You might prefer having no boundaries, which would make this box a great choice for you! However, I like having compartments to fill. It helps to rally in my ever creative mind.

When I have a blank box, the possibilities are limitless! Normally, that would be a great thing. But, when I’m trying to pack quick, easy, and nutritious lunches, the open-endedness can get the better of me. The compartments allow me to plan an item or food group for each space. When the space runs out, I’m done packing!

Another thing that I noticed was that we were using exponentially more plastic bags and disposable items in our traditional boxes. I tried using reusable containers as much as possible, but it added a whole extra load of dishes due to all of the pieces.

Plus, I couldn’t fit the same amount of food inside when everything was in a hard container as opposed to a disposable bag.

We will probably still end up using the traditional lunch boxes occasionally this year. Especially when we are running behind on dishes or need to pack some extra food.

Bento Boxes:

When I was homeschooling Preschool during the beginning of Covid, I decided that it would be beneficial to have lunches prepped the night before to help the day run more smoothly.

That is when I decided to purchase 3 of these bentgo boxes. I absolutely love them! However, I realized quickly that they wouldn’t hold enough food to feed any of my kiddos above the age of 4. They are perfect for park days, zoo trips, and picnics outside. We still use them throughout the summer, but I usually have to fill them 2 times before my kiddos are full. They are definitely a great option for the younger kiddo, or for big kid snacks. And like I mentioned, they are perfect on the go!

When approaching this past school year, I knew that we wanted to try bento boxes again, so I did some research to figure out what box would be large enough for the ever-growing children.

I was picky and was looking for something that was leak proof (not just resistant), dishwasher safe, fit inside a traditional lunch box, and had a one piece case (meaning, the lid did not separate). I know some people enjoy when the lid comes off completely, but when it comes to a school lunch table, the less moving pieces, the better!

I can only imagine the lid getting dropped on the floor or completely lost. Plus, for my kiddo with food allergies, everything needs to remain contained. I don’t want there to be any chance of his lid touching someone else’s food.

All of my research led me to one brand (we are kind of obsessed) with two different options. This bento box is the larger of the two and contains a removable divider so you can add a section or pack a larger sandwich. This bento box is a bit smaller than the first, but includes a build in ice pack tray that you can put directly in the freezer.

We ended up going with the larger box for my 3rd grader and the ice pack box for my 1st grader. The reason I stuck with the ice pack box for my middle kiddo is not actually because of the ice pack. It is because that box still offers a rubberized perimeter around the box like their smaller containers. When my kiddo inevitably drops the box on the ground, that rubberized edge will help to prevent it from breaking. While the larger box is perfect for my 3rd grader who will, hopefully, not drop his lunch box, I wanted that cushion for my 1st grader still.

The Combo:

So, what are we doing this year? Well, both, actually! I know, I know, that doesn’t make sense! Let me explain my thinking. What I decided to do, was take the pieces that I loved about both lunch options and mash them together to work for us!

I found a large Traditional Lunch Box (8×10 to be exact) that would fit the Bento Box as well as a milk cup in the side.

The wonderful thing about a lunch box this size, is that I can add an ice pack and even more food outside of the Bento Box if needed. This also allows my children to grab one bag containing everything for lunch instead of carrying multiple pieces

Double check your backpacks before buying a lunch box this size. Our 17 inch backpack has plenty of room for it, but smaller backpacks may be a tighter fit.

I also found this Traditional Lunch Box that fits our Bento Box with a cool design. The milk cup has to go in the outside pocket, which is fine since it stands upright in the backpack. My younger kiddo doesn’t eat as much, so this lunch box combination will be perfect for him.

By using both traditional and bento boxes, we are able to keep everything in one container, add more food as necessary, keep our dishwasher loads lighter, and cut back on waste from plastic bags. It is the perfect combination for us!

Enjoy your Lunch Packing!

No matter how you choose to pack your child’s lunch, enjoy it! I know that I, occasionally, get frustrated and wish that they would just pack their own lunches already! But, then I remember that they are already growing up way too fast and I will pack their lunches for as long as I can to stay involved in their schooling journeys.

Thank you so much for reading, sweet friend! As always, you can check out more on Pinterest and connect with us on Instagram.

Looking for Back to School Supply ideas? Get them here! Happy Back to School Season everyone!