Insulated lunch tray for older kids?

[Anonymous]

OP, just to be clear: you are looking for something like those insulated Bentgo boxes that a lot of younger kids use, but larger for bigger kids?

Are you looking to keep foods hot, cold, or both?

If both, I feel like the funtainers are your best option. If just one or the other, I think the key is to get a good bento you like and then find a good insulated container to put it in. Wrapping things in foil will also help, if you have a non-liquid item you want to keep hot.

[Anonymous]

OP, I've been looking for the same thing, with the same problems. The other issue I have is that I don't really want to put fruit or any melty sweet (like a hershey kiss, which our dentist recommends over cookies) into a tray type container when I want the other compartments to stay hot. So, my solution is not idea, but sharing anyway:

My DD eats rice or GF pasta and a protein (almost always chicken) everyday. I pour hot water into a thermos while I heat up her rice. Wipe out the water, put rice in the bottom of the thermos. Then I heat up a leftover protein and put it on top of the rice. If it's a day when food can't touch (she has ASD), I separate the rice from the protein with a small square of aluminum foil.

I put the thermos in an insulated lunch bag with the fruit and sweet separate. I also put in the plastic dinosaur plate we've had since her brother was a baby (13 years). It's from target and about 7 inches in diameter. But any small plate or a paper plate would do.

When she eats lunch, she just dumps the thermos onto the plate. On good days, she eats it all, puts the lid back on the thermos, and brings it all back in the bag - no mess. On other days, some mess to shake out of the bag, but at least she eats. And she doesn't do sauces/curries -- if you do, then I'd use a paper plate and have your kid throw it away at school rather than put it back in the bag.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does such a thing exist? I do a lot of hot lunches in a Thermos funtainer. I am looking for a stainless insulated tray where multiple dishes can be put in compartments and that resembles a plate or tray. Googling has not turned up anything.

This seems like a terrible idea - the tray would get upended in their lunch bag and food would be everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Omg. Just send a PB&J or another sandwich of choice and some heathy side like a normal person. You cook dinner, right? Probably breakfast too? They can find things to eat for lunch that don’t require special containers, prep, heating water first, etc etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Omg. Just send a PB&J or another sandwich of choice and some heathy side like a normal person. You cook dinner, right? Probably breakfast too? They can find things to eat for lunch that don’t require special containers, prep, heating water first, etc etc.

Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, just to be clear: you are looking for something like those insulated Bentgo boxes that a lot of younger kids use, but larger for bigger kids?
.
Are you looking to keep foods hot, cold, or both?

If both, I feel like the funtainers are your best option. If just one or the other, I think the key is to get a good bento you like and then find a good insulated container to put it in. Wrapping things in foil will also help, if you have a non-liquid item you want to keep hot.

OP here. Yes. SOme days are cold days and I use Easy Lunch Boxes for that along with an ice pack. Other days are hot days where I do fajitas or pizza. I would love to find the equivalent of a Funtainer but a plate or box shape.

[Anonymous]

Search for hot or heated bento boxes. Those will be your best bet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you put a pair of Hot Hands in the lunch box to keep food warm/hot?

Wouldn’t this still release heat from the hot food but keep it warm - right in the range of bacteria growth or whatever? I know food is not safe to keep at very warm temps for hours. Should be either cold/cool or reasonably hot.

It's not clear if Op is wanting to put hot fajitas in the kid's lunch box and expect it to stay piping hot until lunch time (for app4 hours later)?

Even the best insulated bag or tray isn't going to keep food at a safe temp until lunch. Sure, hardy dishes like soup will still be ok in a thermos, but noodles with alfredo or the like won't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, just to be clear: you are looking for something like those insulated Bentgo boxes that a lot of younger kids use, but larger for bigger kids?
.
Are you looking to keep foods hot, cold, or both?

If both, I feel like the funtainers are your best option. If just one or the other, I think the key is to get a good bento you like and then find a good insulated container to put it in. Wrapping things in foil will also help, if you have a non-liquid item you want to keep hot.

OP here. Yes. SOme days are cold days and I use Easy Lunch Boxes for that along with an ice pack. Other days are hot days where I do fajitas or pizza. I would love to find the equivalent of a Funtainer but a plate or box shape.

Stuff the pizza, ir whatever hot meal, into a thermos. It's the only thing that will truly keep it hot enough to not breed bacteria. Unconventional, sure. But it would work.

[Anonymous]

You must have picky kids. I just put leftovers from the frig into containers and place in their lunch bag.