2011-2012 School Year Lunchbox Thread... - Page 3

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by whatsnextmom I bought a few of these at an Earth fair last year and they are pretty cool and dishwasher safe.http://www.re-pacbags.com/

Which EarthFare? We have two of them here in Asheville. You must be near me somewhere!

We got the Goodbyn. My mom bought it for my son and he loves it. He's 10, so doesn't have a problem closing it. He's not a big eater in the day, because he's on ADHD meds, but since the Goodbyn, he's actually eating And I am getting pretty creative about fixing lunches. I found this awhile ago and I'm kind of copying her: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mslil65/1270291708/in/set-72157601755804789/

[Jenni1894]

Here's my DD's preschool snack. 

And here's a lunch for my big guy.  I did hearts b/c of the book the kissing hand.  I put a heart on his hand the first day of kindy to remind him of me.  1st grade I drew a heart on a piece of paper.   This year the hearts...

[griffin2004]

We are diehard Laptop Lunchers.  I bought 2 when my daugher was in kinde.  I used them 4 days a week for 3 years and they are still going strong.  The fork/spoon in one set broke, but that may have been a user issue  rather than a problem with the product.  She is starting 3rd grade next week  and I plan to keep using the boxes.  I wrap them in a bandana that she uses for a napkin. 

Her new school has a daily hot lunch program.  The menus are ho-hum but not as bad as some I've seen.  It's $3.50/day so I'm letting her choose 2 hot lunches a week.  I can pack her a better lunch for much less than that, so this seemed like a decent compromise.

[mommyabroad]

Oh my gosh, where do you live????  The schools sounds fabulous.

 

Originally Posted by JudiAU 

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.

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by mommyabroad Oh my gosh, where do you live????  The schools sounds fabulous.

It does, doesn't it?

I like the way they do it at my son's school, too-- no food at all is served there.. You have to pack lunch from home. All the way from K through 8th And they do have vending machines, but only "healthy" versions of things. No HFCS in the sodas, and such.

[karne]

We've had good success with the laptop lunch.  DS would really love the Tiffin system, but when we tried it, it was hard for him to open the latches.  Did anyone else find this?  

Planet Box is on back order until Sept. 1st!

[Mylie]

I wish our schools were...I have heart palpitations thinking my L gets any of her schools food..I send a lunch now but worry that later she will want what they are serving..right now she is having problems with a little boy taking things out of her lunch..Today it was her corn on the cob..Guess he thought her lunch looked better than his..I have asked the preschool teacher to sit her next to someone else cause this keeps happening and with L's allergies and it being her food that is snatched there is no replacement for her.
 

Originally Posted by NatureMom2Two 

My daughter's school is serviced through Revolution Foods, which uses only non-processed, fresh ingredients and whole foods. Their suppliers must meet Whole Foods (the company's) food standards to qualify, and all the dairy is organic. Nothing is prepared in a microwave. The food quality is quite good. In addition, they have an on-site organic garden, are served by a local organic farm and raise their own chickens. Still, she prefers a packed lunch. It's nice, however, to be able to allow her to eat a hot lunch (those nights where I get in late from the office and have no time to make a lunch) and know the nutrition and food quality is something with which we would be comfortable. My son's lunch program is terrible...though they, too, are switching to Revolution in 2012.

[ekbreaux]

After looking at Laptop lunchbox's I decided it was just too much to spend on my three kids lunch box...so I pulled out all the nice glass and bpa-free tupperware we had here at home, and decided to make my own bento-style lunch kit.  The boys have pretty big insulated lunch bags, because they eat a lot at lunch.  We also have their Siggs water bottles from last year.  All in all, I think i was caught up in the beautiful pictures I saw of Laptop lunches.  I saved a lot of money using what we have, and I can still make beautiful healthy lunches without spending more and buying more.  

[NatalieMS]

There are quite a few healthy lunch resources listed here, along with a program to raise money for your school while promoting eco-friendly lunches. The Healthy Lunchbox is one of the resources listed, it's a good one!

[Jenni1894]

Originally Posted by ekbreaux 

After looking at Laptop lunchbox's I decided it was just too much to spend on my three kids lunch box...so I pulled out all the nice glass and bpa-free tupperware we had here at home, and decided to make my own bento-style lunch kit.  The boys have pretty big insulated lunch bags, because they eat a lot at lunch.  We also have their Siggs water bottles from last year.  All in all, I think i was caught up in the beautiful pictures I saw of Laptop lunches.  I saved a lot of money using what we have, and I can still make beautiful healthy lunches without spending more and buying more.  

My biggest splurge was a bento box from Pottery Barn Kids.  It was $14 w.free ship so cheap in comparison to the laptop lunches.  lol  I use sectioned gladware and little sandwich containers and cocktail swords and skewers and silicone or paper baking cups that double as baking wear also.  lol  

[Milly_P]

Joining in. I never would have bought it if I hadn't had a Pottery Barn gift card, but I ended up buying the Planet Box lunchbox. It's not made by PB, but they sell it. I am SO SO glad we got it, because it has been fabulous!! We are already in the 4th week of school. My son loves it! Says the kids (and lunchroom attendants) are in awe of his lunches, lol! After searching and searching and searching for the right system for his lunches, I decided on the planet box setup for several reasons. My number one criteria was that it not have many pieces to lose. Last year we were always losing lids, bottoms, etc. With the planet box, the lunch box part is all in one, so you can't lose it unless you lose the entire thing. Then there are two optional containers for wet foods that fit inside the planet box. The nice thing is that the planet box is a very noticeable, stainless steel, lunch kit, so even if your child DOES happen to misplace a piece, it's very unlikely that someone wouldn't know exactly which child it belonged to. The other nice thing (totally unnecessary, but my son loves it) is that there is so very little work in making it look pretty! Just toss the food in their compartments and it looks like a piece of art! Also, haven't read all the other posts so maybe others already said it, but the number one most favorite "tool" I've found for packing lunches has been those silicone baking cups! They are so great! Easy to use, easy to clean, adds color to the lunch, and kid love having their food separated!

[Milly_P]

from the planetbox.com website:

"How do the magnets stick to the stainless steel? Magnets don't stick to my stainless steel refrigerator...

Even though magnets do not stick to all stainless steel surfaces, all stainless steels will have some small degree of ferromagnetism (magnets stick to them). The degree to which they do depends on nickel content as relates to the other materials in the alloy. We have chosen 300 series stainless steel for the tray of our lunchbox and 400 series for the lid. The 400 series has slightly less nickel content which makes it better suited to holding the magnets. 400 series is somewhat hard to work with though so it is not well suited to the lower tray of the PlanetBox assembly because of the deep pockets we form in the sheet material. For the tray we use the 300 series material which has very good workability properties. Both materials are highly corrosion resistant and completely food safe."

Originally Posted by velochic 

Steel is typically ferromagnetic because of the process used to make it.  I'm not sure what you mean by "magnetic metal".

[IdentityCrisisMama]

Subbing - LOVE those planet box kits.  Tell me, how do those do for fruits like watermelon and etc. for kid who wouldn't want juice on her sandwich?  Also, does the sauce, peanut butter and etc. get on the lid and make a mess when you open it?  Also, also...do you feel you need the bag it comes in?  About what are the dimensions?  How many do you feel you need/child if you don't want to wash one every day, forget them at school and etc?  Thanks!!  

[FarmerBeth]

Wow!  There's some very pretty pictures in those lunch box kits!  We usually make fresh bread in the breadmaker daily for lunches and pack it along with cheese and fresh veggies and fruit.  Not nearly so pretty (I've packed many a whole carrot or even parsnip) but it works!  Sometimes leftovers, too.  Our school cafeteria lunches are actually very healthy and home-made (our kids were kind of confused when they found out some schools are different), but with three kids it has to be a very occasional indulgence over cost.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by IdentityCrisisMama 

Subbing - LOVE those planet box kits.  Tell me, how do those do for fruits like watermelon and etc. for kid who wouldn't want juice on her sandwich?  Also, does the sauce, peanut butter and etc. get on the lid and make a mess when you open it?  Also, also...do you feel you need the bag it comes in?  About what are the dimensions?  How many do you feel you need/child if you don't want to wash one every day, forget them at school and etc?  Thanks!!  

I don't have a planetbox (I have Laptop), but I have a full second set for each child in case they forget or I don't clean it.

Milly_P

Then there are two optional containers for wet foods that fit inside the planet box.

[Milly_P]

Originally Posted by IdentityCrisisMama 

Subbing - LOVE those planet box kits.  Tell me, how do those do for fruits like watermelon and etc. for kid who wouldn't want juice on her sandwich?  Also, does the sauce, peanut butter and etc. get on the lid and make a mess when you open it?  Also, also...do you feel you need the bag it comes in?  About what are the dimensions?  How many do you feel you need/child if you don't want to wash one every day, forget them at school and etc?  Thanks!!  

When I pack fruits or veggies that are semi-moist, like apples, baby carrots, washed grapes, strawberries, etc., I usually just plop them right in the box and it doesn't mix with the other foods AT ALL. That's one of the things I love so much about it! When I packed watermelon the other day I had cut them in little balls and then put them in one of the two optional small containers that fit inside the planet box to keep wet foods wet, and dry foods dry. It worked great! I soaked pre-cut apples in salt water for a few seconds the other day so they wouldn't turn brown and when I took them out of the salt water I laid them on a paper towel for just a couple seconds before sticking them in the planet box. that took any extra moisture they might have had.

When I pack dipping sauces I *usually* put it in the small "wet container" that has it's own lid (but still fits right inside the planet box) so there's never a mess.  I do think the planet box definitely needs a bag of some sort, mostly for insulating the food. I put a couple ice packs in the bag first, then put the planet box on top of the ice packs and then close the bag. That way the food stays at a safe temperature throughout the day. Also, even though it is SO SUPER EASY for kids to close securely (one of the absolute BEST things about the planet box), the bag is a nice safety net just in case you had a younger child who forgot to close it- less chance for food to spill into the backpack. Also, the case it comes with makes it easier to carry. I have heard of some people buying the planet box and then getting or making their own case for it, but the case wasn't any more expensive than the lunch bags at target that my son liked so it was much more convenient to get the one from planet box.

I was a little nervous about only having one planet box for my son, but it hasn't been a problem at all. We do a load of dishes a day anyway, so I just stick the planet box in with the dishes we do at night and it's clean and dry in the morning. One night I was really sick and DH didn't have time to do a load of dishes, so he just very quickly hand washed it. Because it's stainless steel, and wider than it is deep, it is very easy to clean by hand. So even if you forgot to wash the night before, it wouldn't take but just a minute to wash and dry it.

I already sent it to school with my son so I can't get the dimensions right now, but I found this on their website:

Is the PlanetBox heavy to carry? How big is it?

PlanetBox is lighter than it looks. It weighs 19 oz – less than most Harry Potter books! It measures 10 inches x 7.5 inches x 1.5 inches, making it smaller than a typical 3 ring binder. The approximate dimensions of the inside compartments are as follows, in inches: main: 4x4x1.5, long: 6x1.5x1.5, veggie: 2x3.5x1.5, fruit: 4x2x1.5, treat: 1.5x1.5x.5. The Big Dipper has a 4 inch diameter and is 1.5 inches high, and holds a volume of about 1 cup of food. The little dipper has a 2 inch diameter and is 1.5 inches high, and holds a volume of about 1/3 cups of food.

What size is the Carry Bag?

Our bag measures 11.5 by 9.5 by 2 inches. The "snack" pocket on the outside measures about 5 by 6 inches, and stretches to about 3 inches deep.

Hope this helps! I know it's obviously a lot more expensive than other lunch systems, and if I hadn't had a gift card for it I would have had do some serious "beans and rice weeks" in order to justify purchasing it, lol!! However, I am SO glad we got it. That was one thing that really made me feel good about getting it- every single review I read was from people saying it was well worth the purchase, lasts for years, etc. There just weren't any mixed reviews and I know that as my other kiddos get older, they'll be able to use this same planet box years from now. Here's today's lunch:

"Mr.wheat" pb&honey sandwich, grapes, carrots and dip, mini vanilla rice cakes, back to nature juice pack, and pistachios for lunch. Sundrops and a "joke of the day" (outside the lunch box) for having great manners and a good attitude this morning!

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by Milly_P 

These are gorgeous! Mind sharing what's in them? What dip do you use for the carrots?

I also splurged (almost $9 for only half a dozen! ) of those silicone baking cups. I will not be using them for baking, as I don't trust them-- flexible plastic to bake in? Ew-- but I love the way they not only fit in the box, but squish to fit. We have the Goodbyn, the smaller one. I don't use the drink bottle that came with; I use the extra space for more food, but if I put a sandwich or something "bigger", I will put the drink box in. My ds is on ADHD meds and is not hungry in the day, but I have to feed him anyway, at school so I try to make it interesting.

Originally Posted by Milly_P 

"Mr.wheat" pb&honey sandwich, grapes, carrots and dip, mini vanilla rice cakes, back to nature juice pack, and pistachios for lunch. Sundrops and a "joke of the day" (outside the lunch box) for having great manners and a good attitude this morning!

Oh, joke of the day? Really? Do share! That's brilliant! Where do you get the jokes? Can I steal? What is "Mr.Wheat"?

For those of you who don't have this Planet Box-- what do you use for things like dip, or salad dressing, that may need a lid? I can't find something to fit the Goodbyn. I have ONE 2oz Solo cup that I kept from a side of dressing at a restaurant. I sure wish I had more. Went to the kitchen store and they have nothing, can you believe it. Nothing that size that comes with a lid. GRRR.

I shall try to post pix of some of our lunches on here. How do you do it? I have the pix. Just don't know how to upload them.
 

[Milly_P]

Thanks! I was pretty intimidated, at first, when looking at blogs for bento lunches, but the planet box's separate containers, the silicone baking cups (that I also don't think I could ever bake in, for the same "ew factor", lol), and looking at blogs for innovative lunch ideas makes it truly very easy...and fun! Oh, and yes, the baking cups were a splurge, but, kind of like the planet box, it's something we can use over and over, and it really does make a huge difference in the ease of preparing, and the appearance of the lunch!

I wanted to answer your question with my own findings for sauce/dip containers. I see a lot of moms who do bento lunches have things like this: http://www.jbox.com/product/ZK003

You can find them on amazon.com and a bunch of other sites, as well. I've never used them myself, but I have read of many parents using them. They come in all different shapes, too, so it can be another creative/fun aspect of lunch making.

The "joke of the day" thing came from a blog I read sometime (no clue where!). It seemed like such a great idea! I used to try and put sweet little notes in my kiddo's lunch, but besides special occasions (like the first day of school), he's getting a bit old for my notes. He likes things like that at home, but I don't want to embarrass him at school, lol. So when I saw joke of the day ideas I thought it sounded like a great way for my comedian son to get a little note from Mom that would be fun and maybe even- gasp!- cool to his friends! I get them just by going to google.com and typing in "jokes for kids" (that way I have a better chance of finding short, simple, easy to understand, and CLEAN jokes). For example, today's joke was, "What kind of animal do you NOT want to play games with? A cheetah!". Very age appropriate and I smile thinking it might brighten my son's day just a bit  : )   Oh, and I just hand write them on scrap card stock or construction paper, but I'm thinking I may start printing off a bunch a week or two ahead of time, cut in strips, and then pull one out in the morning to stick in his lunch bag in the morning. Less chance of forgetting or running out of time.

I really wanted to get/like the Goodbyn lunch kit, but after reading some reviews, I was not confident enough in my son's ability (ok, desire) to close the box securely enough after lunch and was concerned about spillage. Plus I wasn't sure if we'd be able to get enough food in there, although it does seem like the larger of many options.

Mr. Wheat is this really cool thing I found at our local grocery store. http://www.mrwheat.com/sitefiles2/index.asp The ingredients are simple, natural, and low in sugar. The honey ones, pictured in the planet box, are sweetened with stevia, which I love! My kids love the texture. My "littles" eat it broken up like crackers and dip it in peanut butter. My oldest eats it like a sandwich. It's a fun and easy alternative to having bread all the time.

Oh, for the carrots right now I'm just using ranch dressing. I'm trying to get my oldest to branch out with other things like hummus, but right now I'm lucky to have him eat the carrots with ranch, so I don't push it too hard, lol.

Mothering.com has made posting pictures a lot easier than it used to be! When you are posting a message, look up in the editing bar, towards the middle. You'll see some little "images" (not to great on technical terms here!). There are right and left arrow buttons, and just to the right of that is a tiny picture of a house/grass/sunshine scene. Click on that picture and it will lead you through the (easy) process of uploading a picture. You might have to resize your picture to make it smaller first, though.

Originally Posted by Maiasaura 

These are gorgeous! Mind sharing what's in them? What dip do you use for the carrots?

I also splurged (almost $9 for only half a dozen! ) of those silicone baking cups. I will not be using them for baking, as I don't trust them-- flexible plastic to bake in? Ew-- but I love the way they not only fit in the box, but squish to fit. We have the Goodbyn, the smaller one. I don't use the drink bottle that came with; I use the extra space for more food, but if I put a sandwich or something "bigger", I will put the drink box in. My ds is on ADHD meds and is not hungry in the day, but I have to feed him anyway, at school so I try to make it interesting.

Oh, joke of the day? Really? Do share! That's brilliant! Where do you get the jokes? Can I steal? What is "Mr.Wheat"?

For those of you who don't have this Planet Box-- what do you use for things like dip, or salad dressing, that may need a lid? I can't find something to fit the Goodbyn. I have ONE 2oz Solo cup that I kept from a side of dressing at a restaurant. I sure wish I had more. Went to the kitchen store and they have nothing, can you believe it. Nothing that size that comes with a lid. GRRR.

I shall try to post pix of some of our lunches on here. How do you do it? I have the pix. Just don't know how to upload them.
 

[Milly_P]

First:

Carrots and dip, cheese stick (obviously), pistachios in the middle, pb&j sandwich (cut using one from a set I bought on amazon), scrabble cheese-its, and a Fruitabu grape roll http://fruitabu.com/ProductsFruitaBu.aspx
 

Second:

Mr. Wheat pb&honey, carrots and dip, grapes, scrabble cheese-its, peanuts, and sundrops

Third:

Tuna fish sandwich (cut with my cutter from amazon), scrabble cheese-its, carrots, pistachios, apple dip, apple chunks (soaked for a few seconds in salt water...doesn't make them taste salty and keeps them from turning brown), and sundrops.

He gets a Back to Nature juice pack for lunch and always takes water in a reusable bottle.

It's a constant work in progress with trying to find healthier and healthier foods that my son will actually eat without me standing over him every "bite of the way", and have him actually like it, too! But we're getting there!

[LaughingHyena]

For dips, yoghurt etc I use the small plastic pots I bought to freeze baby food purée, hey I never ended up freezing purée in them so we need to use them for something!