Lunch Bag Round-Up

Great picks for school lunches.

Back to school means back to lunches! And packing lunches can be easy if you enlist the help of your children and have a lunch bag that is fit for the job. The selection this year is bigger than ever – so we’ve hit the streets looking for bags and containers that stand out! Here’s what we found.

Thermos®

Thermos® is a name we have all come to know and trust. This year’s lineup includes something for everyone including some fun lunch and drink containers. The stainless steel design means food stays hot, drinks stay cold and the containers hold up when used by kids! Thermos® has an amazing line-up of containers – the lunch kits and FUNtainers™ come in a variety of fun kid friendly designs. The bags are colourful and spacious including tween friendly purse style lunch bags. For those looking for a simple design they have that too.
http://thermosbrand.ca/

Lands' End

When we talked to parents of school aged kids they all pointed to Lands' End for lunchbags. The company quarantee makes their lunchbags worth investing in! This years designs are very green friendly with lots of space for containers. The ThermaCool Lunch Box has a space in the top for a bottle of water or beverage container and the bottom has enough room for lots of lunch containers and fruit too! The interior can be wiped clean daily and the outside canvas washes easily too.
http://www.landsend.com/

Bento

If you haven’t heard of a bento box you don’t know what you are missing. The concept originated in Japan but the “bento-craze” has hit North America by storm. In a nutshell the bento is made up of sections and you fill it with a variety of food. The inside containers stack up vertically and are all held inside the main container. Pack your child's favourite fruit, sandwiches, sweets, veggies - the sky's the limit. Two bento boxes that stood out were Mr Bento or Ms Bento. Not only do they offer up a lot of space for snacks and lunch foods but they are easy for kids to use, compact and dishwasher safe.
http://www.zojirushi.com/

Balance Day Lunch Bag

If your child’s school is on or is about to move towards the balanced day you will want to check out these bags. Invented by two Canadian moms – this bag features two sides – side “1” for first nutrition break and side “2” for second nutrition break. The bags are spacious (we got drinks, sandwich containers, a thermal container and small containers into one bag!) and can be wiped clean, very easily. The bags come in a variety of colors and designs.
http://www.balanceddaylunchkit.com/

Hydration Bottles

Kids often keep water bottles at their desk to keep hydrated during the school day. Instead of sending “plastic” consider a “Hydration” Bottle – or Stainless Steel Bottle. We took a look at a number of bottles, and while many hold up to busy kids, not all maintain the temperature or are easy to drink from. Our favourites include: 27oz sportcap by Klean Kanteen, all of the Stainless Steel Hydration Bottles and Funtainers™ by Thermos® and the Cool Bottle by zojirushi.

Go Green – say no to throw away packaging!

Before you head out to buy a lunch bag consider what you will pack in the bag. Locate or purchase the containers first and then bring them to the store to see what fits. In addition to Thermos – we found two other containers that are a perfect fit for any lunch bag.

Klean Kanteen – 12oz.

This small size stainless steel bottle is a perfect beverage container for school lunches. Klean Kanteen just released a line of cool and colourful "kanteens" and some great “skins” to keep the bottles insulated. This small size holds milk, juice and water – the stainless steel means no funny taste! This small bottle will replace the throw away milk containers many kids get at school. Be sure to fill the night before to ensure the bottle is cold when you send it to school.
http://www.kleankanteen.com/

Lock & Lock Snap containers

These handy containers wash up quickly and come in a wide variety of sizes. You will find a container for almost everything you want to pack. Lunch, snacks, and divided are just a few of the sizes available. By Starfrit