Everything you need for school lunch packing
Are you getting ready for back to school and need to figure out how to pack lunch and what lunch packing products to buy? I'm here to help!
I've been packing school lunches for over 10 years now and I've pretty much tried it all.
This post is my complete list of everything you need for easy school lunch packing.
If you want to save some time - instead of reading the whole post you can find all of my favorite picks over in my custom Amazon Storefront.
I think one of the most important aspects of easy lunch packing is to have the right tools for the job: products and containers that are consistent and reliable.
While it is fun to have a nice variety of accessories, if you want to be quick and efficient in your lunch packing, choosing a reliable set of stuff that you can use day in and day out is going to be your best bet.
The containers and other products here are all tried and true - I've used these things for years and absolutely stand by them.
I have a few important criteria for choosing the products I use to pack lunches:
1. They need to be durable.
The stuff we use gets put through its paces, so it has to hold up and last through daily usage and daily trips through the dishwasher.
2. They have to be dishwasher safe.
I am NOT hand washing lunch boxes every day.
3. They need to be a reasonable price,
Or a least what I consider to be a good value for the money. I'm willing to pay a little more for quality, I am a big believer that you get what you pay for. But I don't want to spend my money on unnecessary extras, or features I won't use, or a fancy brand name.
4. They need to be easy to store.
We have a lot of stuff and a small amount of space. Containers that nest and store together have a big advantage in my book.
5. Containers need to be easy to open.
I have one child with fine motor delays, so easy to open containers are important for him to have independence at lunch time. And trust me when I tell you that teachers will thank you for not sending things that little fingers can’t open on their own.
6. They need to have color options.
A final, not mandatory, but very nice to have, feature for us is if they come in different colors. I know this sounds like a silly extra, but for us it's not. With four kids it is much easier for me if I can have similar items but color coded for each kid. It just adds to the efficiency of my system, if I pack slightly different contents, it's easy to know which container to put in which bag, and it makes it easy for the kids to just grab their packed lunch.
If you are looking for the best lunch packing products that will stand the test of time, I've got the list for you.
If you look at any of my lunch posts, these are the items you will see the most often, they are the things I use over and over again.
The Basics
If you are just getting started, here is my list of the top 5 essential items you need for packing school lunch:
The lunch container:
A durable bento style reusable lunch container. If you are on a budget, these containers can't be beat. They have been my favorite for many years. If you want a container that will not leak, then these guys are amazing and have recently become my one of my new favorites. If you prefer to avoid plastic, this one is my favorite metal container.
2. Small containers.
A few smaller leak proof containers that fit inside your lunch container are very hand to have and I use them all the time. There are lots of plastic options available, or these ones are metal.
3. Silicone cups.
A few silicone cups are a must have for me, for dividing the sections. Square works best for most uses, but I also have a set of heart cups that I use all the time, and I am loving these jumbo muffin cups.
4. A leak proof water bottle.
We need to keep those kids hydrated and nobody wants to clean up a leaky mess.
5. An insulated lunch bag.
An insulated bag to carry it all in is really handy to have. There are lots of sizes available and plenty of fun prints. I like to have bags that hold a little extra, because kids often have long days.
The Extras
If you want a bit more flexibility or just a few more options, the things I would get are:
An insulated food container for sending hot or cold foods
An insulated drink bottle - great for sending smoothies, milk, etc.
A few extra snack sized containers, for those days when you want to send a little extra.
A few small cups for dips and sauces.
The fun stuff
And finally, if you want some extras to add fun little touches or get a little creative, these are the items I use the most:
A couple basic sets of cute picks
Bamboo skewers for making sticks of bite sized things
Some mini cutters for cutting small letters, numbers, and shapes.
A few bigger cutters for making fun sandwich shapes.
That’s it!
That’s everything I think you could possibly need. Be sure to visit my Amazon Store for links to all of these products and more.
Happy lunch packing.