Lunch box question

What does everyone use for lunch boxes? And how to you keep it cool? I've never used any in my life so I'm clueless... I know I just want something that stays cool and that isn't full of toxic plastic (BPA free is fine).

 

My oldest DS used a Thermos brand lunch box with Ziploc BPA free containers holding his fruit, cheese, salami, etc. We also use a BPA-free sandwich container for the days he takes a sandwich. We toss in a few ice packs to keep things cold.

 

I got my kids ones from either LL Bean or Lands End, can't remember which. Whichever had a sale going at the time :lol: I also toss freezer packs in to keep things cold until lunch. And I use ziploc bags or small rubbermaid type containers for everything.

 

yep. We have a Pottery Barn Kids one and one from Target. You can get cool freeze packs at the grocery store like a football or a puppy and I put one in and put all the food in ziplock bags.

 

My kids have neoprene lunch bags from REI and we all love. I forget the brand (and they're at camp right now so I can't check!). I've never bothered to put in ice packs to keep things cool - we just pack foods that can warm up a bit like almond butter and jelly sandwiches or leftover macaroni and cheese.

 

Yup, I prefer to pack things that don't require refrigeration, and besides, refrigerating bananas turns them UGLY! And then they won't see my cute drawings!

 

we use these http://www.easylunchboxes.com/, which are 3-section toppable containers and then a regtangular bag to pack them in. the bags and containers come in lots of colors, which is nice. the bags last a year or so, even w/my brutes. we put a flat ice pack underneath the lunch and then if there's anything i don't want kept cool (sea weed, bananas, etc) i pack that on top, along w/their water bottles. it's all easily opened by kids, which also like.

jl

 

My son uses the lunch box we found at costco. We usually put the freezy pack in because warm yogurt is gross. We pack everything in small baggies, original packaging (gogurts) or the smaller gladlock containers.

Edit to add that for field trips, I will freeze his juice pouch and that acts as a second ice pack.

 

I was looking at those, I'm confused though... what bag do you put them in? I can't find it on the site... just the big coolers. It's my main issue really. The boxes are easy to find, I'm just not sure what to put them in or where to put a cooler pack to keep it cool.

 

We also use the easy lunch boxes that a previous poster mentioned. The cooler bags (they are on the front for $7.95) fit the 3 compartment lunch box and then we bought the ice packs that fit inside. The cooler bag is not a cute as some of course, but we decorated it and I like it because you can fit a water bottle or other items on top of the container. They are also easy to unzip and since there is an obvious top the kiddos don't topple them over when opening. For inside the compartment if we need even more separation we might use a baggy but most of the time we use silicon cupcake holders to add nuts or raisins or whatever to their lunch. These were way more economical then the bento boxes I really wanted and they can get the lids off all by themselves. Good luck!

 

Oh, and there is not slot for the ice pack - you just lay it inside. We used the ice mats - don't remember what size exactly, just picked the one that was almost as big as the box. Here is a link although there are several kinds out there.

 

Oh the cooler bags are the big things? They just seem so huge...