TPM Tidbit: Preparing for Kindergarten (Part 3)
August 7, 2012 in TPM Tidbits
Only SIX more days until my oldest daughter starts kindergarten! While my daughter has started vibrating with excitement, I am still in full preparation mode, hoping to make the transitions as smooth as possible for the whole family. I have been very focussed on finding healthy foods my daughter likes to pack in her lunch because we will not be participating in the school lunch program. I have also been focussed on exactly what to pack her lunch in!
I started my lunch box research several months ago, read reviews, asked friends, went to stores and played with them. There are some amazing options out there, many for pretty amazing prices. I absolutely love love love the PlanetBox lunchboxes. I want one for my daughter desperately. But, it is just plain old too expensive for our budget (maybe Santa will bring us one). So, I found a much less expensive option: EasyLunchBoxes. These are a bento box-sandwich container hybrid, made of BPA-free plastic, with lids that seem to stay on but are easy enough for my daughter to open on her own. Compared to the $60 price tag for PlanetBox, EasyLunchBoxescost $14 for three. There are three compartments, which I plan to fill with fruit and veggies in the large compartment, and nuts or olives and meat in each of the small compartments. EasyLunchBoxesmakes special insulated containers for their lunchboxes but I found one that fits perfectly at Target that also has a pocket for a water bottle. I also bought some cheap icepacks to keep the food cold. I have been playing with these EasyLunchBoxes for a couple of months, using every opportunity to try them out. I’m quite impressed. I don’t know how well they will hold up to repeated use (although reviews on Amazon say they last very well), but for now they are just perfect.
Thank you for this post! I have been wanting to buy something like this for my kids but was having the same dilemma with the prices….I clicked through to Amazon from your site to buy these so I hope you get credit for it. Thank you for doing my research for me
Thank you so much for linking through my site. Since I don’t have sponsors or external advertisers, this is the only way that I recover any expenses related to the blog.
Okay trying again to post… this is the lunchbox I am considering for my boys this year http://www.gogreenlunchbox.com/products/products.html – it is in the middle of the two above options as far as price goes. I have had the 2nd option and found for me that after a while it leaks due to a warping of the plastic. Just wanted to show you there was another choice…
Those look awesome! Let me know how they hold up if you do buy them.
Just sent my four-year-old off to camp with one of these. He loves it, it’s easy to clean, and has held up really well. It’s a great compromise lunch system for us.
Yes! Thank you for this, I have been considering my options for my boys going back to school, and was not thrilled with the idea of another year of lots of little containers flopping around in their lunch bags. This should help me considerably in that department!
EasyLunchBoxes look extremely similar to an even less expensive Ziploc product I found at the grocery store, in the aisle with ziploc bags and disposable food containers. I love them for mine and my kids’ lunches, and have been using and re-using them for months.
I have used our Easy Lunch Boxes for over a year and they are very good quality. The only defect over time has been the corner opening tab. After a lot of dishwasher runs, some have gotten brittle and snapped off. Otherwise they are great. They hold a good amount of food and keep things separate. You can use them for things like yogurt and applesauce and other wet foods if you can be sure the box will stay mostly flat all day until time to eat. Some times I have added a large rubber band (or bento box strap) to hold the lid a little tighter. I have had four sets of these because I pack food for 6 quite often. They will fit in most insulated lunch boxes or you can tie them up in a bandana cloth with a blue ice pack and include a fork or spoon in the knot. We love the ELBs but we are also giving the Goodbyn Bynto boxes a try this year but they haven’t arrived yet. They seem a little smaller and fit a reusable juice bottle.
We have loved the Easy Lunch Boxes this past school year for my son. One of them cracked early on, but still hold non-wet foods just fine. Glad to not use all the baggies, etc!