But if it is all one container with compartments, they won't lose it.

Assuming they don't lose the container.

Anonymous wrote:K teacher here...
Don't waste your money. Kids either leave them, lose them, or accidentally throw them away. I have a little one, so I'm sympathetic to parents who are understandably upset, but with 18 kids it's hard to keep track of where their lunch boxes are. Plus, there lunch period is my planning period, so I'm not around to double check.

Ziploc bags may seem wasteful, but I can't tell you how many reusable containers my DC has lost.

But if it is all one container with compartments, they won't lose it.

K teacher here...
Don't waste your money. Kids either leave them, lose them, or accidentally throw them away. I have a little one, so I'm sympathetic to parents who are understandably upset, but with 18 kids it's hard to keep track of where their lunch boxes are. Plus, there lunch period is my planning period, so I'm not around to double check.

Ziploc bags may seem wasteful, but I can't tell you how many reusable containers my DC has lost.

I just use a regular lunch box (bag, with ninja turtles or whatever) and the plain old plastic gladware mini rounds - one with a veggie, on pe with fruit, and one with a cookie or mini brownie. That plus a sandwich and milk box works for my K boy. I think the specialized bento box lunch boxes are more about the moms than the kids. No need to spend money or get too creative. The stuff gets lost, forgotten over the weekend. Whatever. I have a billion mini round containers for 2 kids.

I liked this Yum Box for my Kindergartner: http://www.yumboxlunch.com/product-category/yumbox/

The portions are just enough and has a place for dips/sauces for veggies. Also, the food does not spill into the other compartments unless it's a liquid. Yogurt is fine & thick salad dressings are fine too. With clean up, you only have to wash the tray vs. a whole bunch of little containers.

But now that my kid is in first grade and eats more, I need to get the 4 tray instead of the 6.

We love our Laptop Lunch system, which looks similar to the planet lunch box. They last forever, my daughter is in 4th grade and has been using the same box since preK.

http://www.laptoplunches.com

Anonymous wrote:Ziplock makes a 'disposable' bento box with 3 compartments. They fit into the wide, flat lunch boxes sold at the Container Store. Work great for old and young kids, cheap enough to have a stack, don't leak.

They stopped making these last September. Not sure why. I know lots of parents were upset. The other similar option -easy lunch box I think is not leak proof.

We use the planet box. I love that it is easy to pack. We put it in the dishwasher each night and pull it out, dry it off and pack it right before we go to bed. It is easy for a 5yo to open by himself. Lunch is short enough. If the cafeteria aid has to open every lunch there is less time to eat. We are on our second year and the metal part looks great. The bag is a little more beat up but still usable. My child has only left it in his classroom once but it has never been lost. My SIL has one for her 5yo and swears she eats so much more than she did in her regular lunch box with ziplok bags.

There were lots of threads about this last year. Try searching for those as well.

ps. Be sure your child can also zip it back up and put it back together. Frankly, I'm in the ziplock camp.

K teacher here.

I absolutely agree with the 1 thing to open rule, or at most 2. This is especially true if lid on the packaging isn't clear. Lots of little containers to take out of the bento box, figure out how to arrange on the table, and get reassembled and back in the lunch box, takes up a lot of time that could be spent eating.

After 3 kids, and lots of money spent, I have perfected my lunches for the kids.

I use the 3 compartment ziplock containers but they are discontinued now. Once they run out (they each last a few months) then I will go to the other one on this page below. The zip locks are 100% leak proof. I have used yogurt, cottage cheese, fruits, applesauce, etc... and they do not leak in-between the other compartments.

http://www.easylunchboxes.com/blog/how-do-ziploc-3-compartment-lunch-containers-compare-to-easylunchboxes/

I use that and a thermos Funtainer bottle for a drink.

http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-12-Ounce-Funtainer-Bottle-Blue/dp/B00DAPQV0K/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1421620614&sr=1-1&keywords=thermos+funtainer

and they both fit inside a Lands End lunchbox that is machine washable.

http://www.landsend.com/products/solid-classmate-soft-sided-lunch-box/id_269655

I also use Thermos Funtainer Food Jars for soups, reheated dinners like mac n cheese, spaghetti, casseroles ect... When I use that, I usually add a small rubbermaid container with fruit and the thermos bottle for a drink.

The key for young kids is that they should only have to open one item. Don't mess with lots of containers or drink boxes. Don't add a bunch of food. They have 20 minutes tops to eat and that is with talking to all of their friends. I do one major item, one fruit, one other item. All healthy but things they will eat.

My one rule is to NEVER throw anything away. I even want to see crusts. It isn't to get mad at them. It is know that they are truly eating, if I am under packing, over packing, etc... It works.

Just looking at all of the suggestions... packing lunch for kids has become quite the industry. Who would have guessed?

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for so many helpful responses. My follow-up question, do these various types of systems like Rubbermaid, Sistema, and the others fit in other-brand lunchboxes or do have to experiment with what fits best? Is there fairly standard sizing?

I'm one of the Sistema posters. My son uses an LL Bean insulated lunch box, which I think is fairly standard sized. It fits a ton of the Sistema containers.

These are the ones I use the most:


For veggies, turkey pepperoni, fruit, fig newtons, other treat:

http://www.soap.com/p/sistema-klip-it-200-ml-6-7-oz-0-8-cups-3-pk-564841?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_S&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=GooglePLA&site=CA&sku=FPS-65283&ca_sku=FPS-65283&ca_gpa=pla&CAWELAID=500001850000516126&kpid=FPS-65283


For sandwiches:

http://www.containerstore.com/category/sistema?productId=10033046


For morning snacks or divided fruit/veggies:

http://www.containerstore.com/category/sistema?productId=10021675

For pita pizza:

http://sistemaplastics.com/products/klip-it-round/640ml-round

For grapes, other fruit, small serving of chips:

http://sistemaplastics.com/products/klip-it-round/300ml-round


I could easily get four of these in the lunchbox together, plus a drink.

OP here. Thanks for so many helpful responses. My follow-up question, do these various types of systems like Rubbermaid, Sistema, and the others fit in other-brand lunchboxes or do have to experiment with what fits best? Is there fairly standard sizing?

I have the big bento box from PB, but the kids don't like because it doesn't leave room for their water bottle in their lunch box. The individual boxes from PB work really well for us. I bought two sets when my son was in K and he is now in 2nd grade and the have held up really well.

Anonymous wrote:I would not use a disposable container for my kid's lunch ever day -- seems very wasteful.

My kid uses a neoprene lunch bag (http://www.amazon.com/BYO-Neoprene-Lunch-Monster-Mash-up/dp/B00F4AN9AO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421527335&sr=8-2&keywords=neoprene+lunch+sack).

Into the bag goes some combination of the following:

Rubbermaid LunchBlox sandwich kit -- it has a box that fits a sandwich, an icepack, and two smaller boxes. They all fit together.

or on cold days he sometimes gets a thermos with hot lunch.

Plus also kids' silverware. Which isn't entirely necessary, but the plastic-handled stuff is easy to write names on with sharpie.

Whatever you end up getting, I recommend getting at least two sets, so that set one goes in the dishwasher while set two is in use.

Oh good grief. They're from the disposable line that the commercials used to say "Reuse and reuse, but don't be afraid to lose." They're around $6 each; the kids don't throw them away every day! Actually the several in our rotation have been in use for 2-3 years.