http://www.anotherlunch.com/ She hasn't posted since May, previously her blog was really active, many cute ideas! (and she uses a variety of lunch supplies, it's nice to see real life pictures!
http://www.laptoplunches.com/bento-menus-season/Summer/ Seasonal Menus, in TX it just seems to always be Summer, so I selected that one!
My son takes leftovers, salad, or a sandwich as his main dish, with at least 1 fruit and a side of veggies (most often baby carrots or red pepper slices). I like that the Goodbyn can fit a whole banana in the top section. Also, if I want to keep it all cold, I freeze the water bottle, and it fits in the middle bento section. When he takes a hot lunch he puts it in a food jar, and uses little tupperware containers or reusable sandwich bags for any sides, in a cloth lunch bag (which is insulated and was like $2 at Whole Foods).
Our charter elementary school has an awesome Edible Schoolyard and farmer's market lunch program, supplied by one of the local farmer's market cooperatives. Yeah! Kids are required to join it and it isn't cheap but the food is great.
But I still pack a lunch a few times a week for preschool. DS doesn't like sandwiches much and will eat a pb&j if really hungry. (Shocking that it is allowed, no serious peanut allergies at the school) We have a foogo hot lunch container that works pretty well. I always add some type of fruit and usually another source of protein (small container or beans or a cheese) because he is a big lunch eater. No sweets or things like yogurt in a tube allowed.
We've had http://www.easylunchboxes.com/ for a year, maybe longer.
We also have some stainless options lunchbots for days when I am packing something warm.http://www.lunchbots.com/
2 questions......
1.Are the Easy Lunchboxes a thicker material/better than the ziploc reusable containers that you might would send leftovers home in?
2. Do you find your Lunchbots leak?? Why do you not use those everyday?
Sorry to be nosy.....but these are two of the options I'm looking at.
2 questions......
1.Are the Easy Lunchboxes a thicker material/better than the ziploc reusable containers that you might would send leftovers home in?
2. Do you find your Lunchbots leak?? Why do you not use those everyday?
Sorry to be nosy.....but these are two of the options I'm looking at.
1. Yes, they are much thicker. I only wash in the dishwasher and they still look great, none of the discolorations I've seen on ziploc containers.
2. I honestly don't know, I've never put anything leakable in the Lunchbots. The ones we have are simply too big to put yogurt or anything else runny in. The company does have a leakproof round option that I've heard are great.
Honestly, to get enough food for my son I'd use several containers, more to clean up later! (and my husband likes them and snags one for his lunch) :) It's kinda perfect to pack one Easy tray and an extra lunchbots uno with lots of grapes or clementines or something warm like hot dogs or a breakfast taco.
I think they are both great and can work well with one another. I honestly couldn't pick one I like over the other. I use the Easy more because the tray is *so* convenient, I like the stainless a lot too.
I'm no help. sorry.
My oldest is entering kindergarten this fall and I will be packing his lunch each day. (Unfortunately the school lunches are awful. He is a picky eater anyway so he wants a lunch from home.) I just ordered him this soft lunch box: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/boys-mackenzie-retro-lunch-bag-bts2011/?cm_src=rel
I also ordered the stainless steel water bottle and hot/cold container for soups. I'm just not sure what containers to use for the lunch box yet. As far as lunch ideas go we have a few basic ideas like:
-soups (I makes big batches of homemade and freeze them, I plan to thaw them the night before and just warm them before pouring them into our insulated stainless steel containers)
-sandwiches (organic peanut butter and jelly, leftover chicken from the previous night's dinner, cheese)
-leftover whole wheat pizza (cold)
-pasta with basil pesto
-organic deli meats rolled up with cheese
-rice, beans and cheese
Looking forward to hearing everyone else's ideas!
I just ordered the retro bag and thermos for DS also!!
He's very excited.
He loves mac and cheese (with or without sliced hot dogs in there!) and soups. Especially Tomato soup!
I've also made mini "pizza puffs" for lunch. I bought a can of ready made biscuits, tore in half, smooshed one half in a mini muffin pan, topped w/tom. sauce, cheese and a meat (lunchmeat, hot dog...etc) and pushed the other half to make a top. And bake according to package directions. I have a kids lunch blog, you can check the link in my profile. I need to get back to it!
Anyone who uses the easy lunch boxes, do the coolers fit ok in the kids backpacks?
Do those of you who use easylunches or lunchbots use an additional "lunch box" or do you just put those straight into the backpack?
We use tupperware snack containers and a thermos. I drool over some of those lunch boxes, but I just can't justify it now.
We will be using the planetbox for the 3rd year this coming school year. Worth it? Absolutely!! However, we have other "systems" that we use, including a Thermos for hot lunches packed in a BuiltNY neoprene lunch bag. We have Bento Boxes and also an organic cloth lunch sack with stainless steel KidsKonserve containers. Having just one system doesn't work for us. I use the planetbox the most, but love all of our systems and they all serve their purposes.
Subbing! I can always use new ideas for lunches! DS doesn't eat much in the day, and doesn't like sandwiches, though I make him eat them anyway since they're easy to send. But maybe with a new "lunch system" he'll eat more variety, if I can keep up with coming up with new ideas.
What type of container do I need for hot food? Thanks in advance for the help:)
I found vintage Thermoses at Goodwill for like two bucks! Like this, or similar: http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-7-1-2-Glass-Thermos-Pint-Size-1970-/380360296475?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588f3d881b
The ones I found are actually I think vintage 70s because they're avocado and golden colored, respectively 
But those old-style glass inserts; there's nothing like them for keeping food HOT for hours! I find that any of the newer ones just do not keep food even warm, let alone hot.
I'm hoping ds's Nana will come through with the lunch box!
The PlanetBox looks so awesome! Except that magnets attach to it...meaning it has a higher content of magnetic metal and is not truly stainless steel. Do I have to worry about strawberries and oranges leeching metals?
I have been packing my son's kinder snack in a glass container (either a small Pyrex or a small rectangular container with a snapping lid that came in a set from Costco). I did a Bento once and packed too much food...well, not too much really...but they only get 19 minutes for snack, recess, and potty break. So he needs to eat something high protein and nutritious in a small amount of food. Some examples are: 4 pieces of falafel and sour cream to dip; 4 pieces of crab sushi and wasabi soy sauce to dip; 2 pieces of rice cake and edamame; sliced nitrate free deli meat w/ gorganzola cheese and olives. He's a fancy kid ;) I am trying to avoid the wheat-meat-n-dairy trap and keep it fun for him.
The PlanetBox looks so awesome! Except that magnets attach to it...meaning it has a higher content of magnetic metal and is not truly stainless steel. Do I have to worry about strawberries and oranges leeching metals?
Steel is typically ferromagnetic because of the process used to make it. I'm not sure what you mean by "magnetic metal".
The easy lunch containers fit in the lunch bag we bought with them. We live in TX, so it would almost never be wise to pack a lunch w/o ice packs! If you live in a better climate/are packing non spoiling foods, I would think wrapping a rubber band around it to really hold it together in a backpack would be fine. I plan on my son having to carry his lunch bag separate from his backpack. (not sure a pack for a 5 year old would be roomy enough to hold a lunch bag!) (Our Natural Grocer gave us a Horizon "koozie" lunchbag that also holds the easy containers, and carries them upright, which really helps keeping everything in it's place!)
I'm with velochic, I like options!
My 5 year old also is struggling getting the Goodbyn to close.
We taught her to sit on it. Im not sure if this will work once we get going in school but it seemed to work at home during practice. She sits it on a flat surface - sits down and it closes. This wouldnt work if she was 100 lbs but by the time she gets bigger -her fine motor skills will catch up.
We have had a REALLY hard time with containers. She can't get them open reliably so I've been told to send her with zip loc bags. I'm now checking Etsy for good reusable bags and a better insulated lunch box (shes already lost one lunch box, one $12 Thermos, two cold packs, and a hand embroidered - by me - cloth napkin. Second week!).
I am CERTAIN I once saw a link here for a lunch box with two insulated compartments side by side. I can not remember the details and it was ages ago. I think it was part of some "system" or a whole snack and lunch philosophy or something. If I could find it, that would be great. We're having a hard time finding stuff she'll eat at school.
I've been packing my son's lunch in a soft sided insulated bag with a zipper, got it from Old Navy. I give him a wrap or sandwich or salad, some fruit or veggies, and sometimes juice gelatin or a cookie. Also picked up a stainless steel water bottle he brings every day. He only bought the flavored milk the first day now he knows better. For snacktime I put a couple nonperishable fruits, crackers, or dry fruit in a brown paper bag, sometimes with a watered down fruit and veggie juice box. He forgot to bring it home the first day but not since then. Says he doesn't have time to eat all his food (or to write his name on worksheets, needs to step up his speed all around I think).
We have had a REALLY hard time with containers. She can't get them open reliably so I've been told to send her with zip loc bags. I'm now checking Etsy for good reusable bags and a better insulated lunch box (shes already lost one lunch box, one $12 Thermos, two cold packs, and a hand embroidered - by me - cloth napkin. Second week!).
I am CERTAIN I once saw a link here for a lunch box with two insulated compartments side by side. I can not remember the details and it was ages ago. I think it was part of some "system" or a whole snack and lunch philosophy or something. If I could find it, that would be great. We're having a hard time finding stuff she'll eat at school.
I bought a few of these at an Earth fair last year and they are pretty cool and dishwasher safe.
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