Lunchboxes

As the school buses start rumbling down our streets, I wanted to pass along this packaging recommendation that will hopefully inspire you as you pack up your children’s vittles (in addition to being eco-friendly). Most of you already own an insulated lunch box of some sort. At the start of summer, I went to the Container Store and purchased a bunch of small food containers that I could mix and match for a bunch of different lunch offerings. They key is to get the containers small enough that you can fit at least 4 in the lunch box, and to have the lids easy for the children to open. Here are a couple of my favorites, with links so you can buy them online if you’d like:

Klip-It Snack Box (comes in a package of 3, and is small enough that it doesn't take up a ton of space, but it's very deep): great for bulkier things like cut up veggies (carrots, celery sticks, bell peppers slices, broccoli "trees"...), a pasta salad, crackers, pinwheel wraps or a bunch of grapes.

Small Food Keepers come in a variety of sizes, but I have 3 favorites. I recommend stocking up on two or three of the 4 oz ones per child because they are perfect for yogurt dips, hummus, little pieces of cheese, and dried or sliced fruit. Then you’ll probably want one 12.5 oz one per lunch box, as this is a square one, perfect for a sandwich, sliced chicken breast, or other large item. The 9 oz one is rectangular, so it works well for sandwiches too, but I found I used it less often. I shy away from the “divided” ones they sell because I prefer the flexibility of individual ones.

When packing a lunch, it’s helpful to keep the “rainbow” concept as a visual. Aim for at least one color per container. If you get at least 4 different colors into their lunch, chances are you’ve included a variety of foods, including fruits or veggies.

Happy packing!