There are so many products out at the moment for lunch boxes, lunch bags and drink bottles and it can be so confusing trying to figure out which ones are best. Everyone’s needs are different and a lunch box that is great for one child may not work for another child. Here are some tips in choosing a lunch box which we hope you will find helpful.
Have a structured container with separate sections so food does not get soggy and mixed up with other foods. This is handy as a lot of kids tend to throw their lunchboxes around and can get mixed up in their bags. The bento style lunchboxes can be really handy as they provide lots of variety of foods (especially good for picky eaters or kids that like to graze). They have capacity to hold a variety of foods such as pasta, sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, yoghurt, soups, crackers and dip all in the one lunchbox.
- Insulation: A good insulated lunch box and bag will keep your food as fresh as can be.
- Easy to clean: The best lunch boxes are easy to clean so you don’t spend a huge amount of time scrubbing food spills and smells. Make sure lunch boxes are dishwasher safe or wipe clean easily and a lunch bag that is machine washable.
- Airtight, leak proof, and easy to open and close:
- Size: How much does your child eat throughout the day? Choose a size that is right for your child. Don’t be disheartened if your child does not eat much at school. We do find that some kids do not each as much at school as they usually do at home. They get busy and distracted at school and want to hurry so they can go play with their friends. It is a good idea to look at buying a lunchbox that is bigger than what your child may currently eat, in order for the lunchbox to grow with your child.
Choosing a drink bottle!
Again, there are so many drink bottles on the market at the moment and choosing one that will suit your child can be a real challenge. We hope these tips help!
- Insulation: Whether it’s a warm or cold drink, it is important to consider an insulated drink bottle in order to keep drinks the same temperature as when you packed them that morning. If your drink bottle isn’t insulated, consider a drink bottle holder to keep it cooler for longer and holds any condensation.
- Leak proof: This is a no brainer. There is nothing worse than your child’s drink bottle leaking through their school bag through their books, laptop and lunchbox.
- Size: How much does your child drink throughout the day and what is their recommended daily intake? Choose a correct size of drink bottle considering the age, size and intake requirements of your child.
Another tip: A lot of kids will go through the day without drinking a lot of water particularly younger children. One suggestion is to buy a clear drink bottle and using a permanent marker , mark lines with times through the day for your child to drink to each line.
Lunch Boxes & Bags We Love!
In no particular order below are some products that we absolutely love
Munchbox
Munchbox have a unique silicone seal system that ensures the food within each compartment is kept separate, fresh and airtight when the lid is closed. They come in a range of colours and are easy for kids to use. Using a Maxi6 outerbox, there are 5 interchangeable trays (Mini4, Midi5, Maxi6, Mega3 and Mega4). Munchbox also have the Munchi Snack which are good for smaller eaters or if you wanted to purely use for just recess or morning tea.
- Sections: 3, 4, 5 or 6 compartment tray options available. Munchi Snack have 2 and 3 compartment trays available.
- Dimensions: Munchbox measures 22 cm x 16cm x 6cm, Munchi Snack measures 16cm x 11cm x 6cm
- Capacity: The Munchbox holds 5 cups of food. The Munchi Snack holds over 2 cups of food.
- Colours: Black, Jewel (aqua), Pink, Blue, Yellow, Red, Green, Purple, and Orange.
- Leakproof: Yes
- Dishwasher Safe: Dishwasher-safe (top rack only), hand washing the lid is highly recommended to prolong the longevity of the seal
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Lunch bag: Fridge to Go (Medium or My Family), Sachi, MontiiCo, Apple & Mint, Project 10. It should fit any standard/big size lunch bag. There are also some great ones at Kmart/Target that fit. If a lunch bag looks small, the Munchbox will more than likely not fit. Smiggle lunch bags do not comfortably fit the Munchbox.
Go Green
Go Green is one of the leading lunch box brands on the market. With it’s durability and turn ‘n lock technology, it is unique in the marketplace.The turn ‘n lock technology ensures food stays fresh, with silicone bands around each compartment to ensure a secure leak-proof seal for all four sections. Go Green come in medium and large size. The large Go Green comes with a drink bottle although can be easily removed to act as another compartment for food.
- Sections: 5 compartments.
- Dimensions: The large measures 30 cm x 19cm x 6.5cm. The medium measures 22.5cm x 18cm x 6cm
- Capacity: The large holds 8 cups of food. The medium holds over 6 cups of food.
- Colours: Blue, Green, Pink, Purple
- Leakproof: Yes
- Dishwasher Safe: The lunch box base is top shelf dishwasher safe (on normal heat settings not high), the lid is recommended to be hand washed so the heat from the dishwasher doesn’t effect the rubber hinges. If the lid is washed in the dishwasher the expected life is up to 12 months only. We recommend hand washing.
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Lunch bag: The large Go Green has its own lunch bag. The medium fits in most standard lunch bags including MonittCO, Sachi, Bentology, So Young, Fridge to Go (My Family).
Yumbox
The Yumbox is another very popular bento box at the moment. They have various sizes includind Yumbox Original, Yumbox Panino, Yumbox Tapas, Yumbox Minisnack. The table below outlines the features of the four Yumbox sizes.
- Leakproof: Yes
- Dishwasher Safe: No
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
Little Lunch box Co
Very impressed with the variety and size of these and have really fun designs. They are easy to clean and has a child friendly latch. The sizes available in Little Lunch Box Co is the Bento 2, Bento 3 and Bento 5. Pack a balanced meal with ease when using the Bento Five ,it has one compartment for each of the five food groups.
- Sections: 2, 3 or 5 compartments
- Dimensions: Bento 3 and 5 measures 17.5cm x 17.5cm x 5.6cm. The Bento 2 measures 12.3cm x 12.9cm x 5.6cm.
- Capacity: Bento 3 and 5 holds 980ml and the Bento 2 holds 500ml.
- Colours: A range of colours with cute designs on top for boys and girls. Designs include Batman, Space, Glitter, Unicorn, Superhero, Monster, Pineapple, Dinosaur, Flamingo, Mermaid, Black & White Crosses.
- Leakproof: Yes
- Dishwasher Safe: dishwasher safe (top rack – low temperature).
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Lunch bag: Apple & Mint, Sachi, Fridge to Go (My Family), Love Mae, Project 10, MontiiCo.
Love Mae lunch box
This bento style lunch box makes packing yummy, waste free and healthy lunches a super easy! And it fits a whole sandwich with crusts. They have really cute designs and hold a lot of food if needed.
- Sections: 4
- Dimensions: 30 cm x 14.5 cm x 5.5 cm
- Capacity:
- Colours: Pink, Green, Yellow and Blue
- Leakproof: Yes
- Dishwasher Safe: Yes
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Lunch bag: Love Mae have a cooler bag that fits the lunch box it in perfectly, although there will not be any room for any other containers in the lunch bag.
EasyLunchboxes
These are great for teenagers! The set includes 4 bento lunch box containers and 4 lids in fun colours. Each container has 3 compartments for each of your favorite food, including a sandwich and snacks. The EasyLunchboxes set are air tight but they are NOT leakproof.
- Sections: 3
- Dimensions: 23.82cm x 15.49cm x 5cm
- Capacity: Will hold 3 3/4 food
- Colours: Classic Set – Orange, Blue, Green and Dark Red. Brights set – Pink, Purple, Teal and Yellow
- Leakproof: No
- Dishwasher Safe: Yes, top rack only.
- Microwave Safe: Yes
- Freezer Safe: Yes
- Suitable Insulated Lunch bag: Apple & Mint, Sachi, Fridge to Go (My Family), Love Mae, Project 10, MontiiCo.
Omiebox
OmieBox is the very first insulated bento box that stores hot and cold food in one box. It has 2 temperature zones , your can keep your lunch warm while veggies and fruits stay cool. It has a built-in thermos food jar that will keep lunch warm for up to 4 hours. It is recommended to prewarm the compartment to ensure the food stays warm. You also have the option of removing the insulated container and use for sandwiches, wraps and rolls instead.
- Sections: 3
- Dimensions: 18.3cm x 18.3cm x 7.7cm
- Capacity: Will hold 6 1/4 cups of food without the insulated container. With the insulated container it holds 4 cups of food.
- Colours: Blue Sky, Meadow (green), Pink Berry, Purple Plum, Sunshine.
- Leakproof: Yes, although if you remove the insulated container, that particular section is not leak proof.
- Dishwasher Safe: No
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Insulated Lunch bag: Sachi, MontiiCo, Go Green, Fridge to Go (My family), Project 10.
Fridge to Go lunch bags are available online here
Apple & Mint, MontiiCo, Go Green and Love Mae lunch bags are available online here
