Oh my goodness, guys.  In a few weeks (or a few months, depending on COVID) all three of my girls will be sent off to school and daycare.  They are getting older!  As far as lunches though, go it doesn’t change a lot.  I’ve always packed their lunches for outings with their childcare provider. Or for trips to the park with me.

But I’m always on the lookout for the best lunch boxes for kids.

We still have our lunch boxes from last year (trying to save the planet over here!).   But because I get this question a lot with the families I coach or parents who follow me, I wanted to put this out there for you too.

Stay tuned for my roundup of the 6 best lunch boxes for kids in a sec…

I also wanted you to have this post I wrote two years ago with all my 8 survival strategies for back to school.  They might come in handy for you too 🙂

Here are photos of the girls from last year. It actually feels like it was eons ago because we haven’t been in so long!

As you might expect they both chose their outfits last year. Can’t wait to see what they decide wear in a few weeks (eek!).  Surprisingly they are both excited about wearing their masks in class.  We will see how long that lasts!

Then there’s my little Mackenzie who looks so young here!  Can’t believe she’ll off to Montessori school in just a few weeks.  We joke because this little one has the strongest personality of us all.  There’s a reason we call her “boss baby”!  Though she has a big mouth, she also has a big heart and gives the best hugs.  I will miss them but enjoy the quiet work days once she’s in school.

Ok, back to the best lunchboxes for kids…

What makes them the best lunch boxes for kids?

It should be:

• strong enough to withstand the beatings it will take from my kids.
• planet-friendly and toxin-free
• mess-proof (my kids eat a lot of messy foods so there can’t be any leaking)
• reasonably priced and not going to break the bank

A lot to ask for, I know!

I’ve been investigating, reviewing, and narrowing down my choices lately. And  I wanted to share my top contenders here for the best lunchboxes for kids.  While not all meet all of my criteria, they meet enough of them.

 

The 6 Best Lunch Boxes for Kids!

 

Planet Box:

Planet box is 100% one of our favourites lunchboxes for kids. If you check out their website, you’ll see why right away. Their stainless steel containers have a space theme to them, making them super fun for kids to eat from. The compartments also ensure we don’t forget to pack those veggie sticks!  And how cute are the lunchbox names: Rover, Launch and Shuttle?

The Downside: watery items leak within the container and it’s pricey.  But parents seem to love it!

Note: Price includes the Lunch Box, Big Dipper food container, Little Dipper and the Carrying Case.

• USD – Get it here: approx $85
• CDN – Get it here: approx $135

Yumbox:

Yumbox is a fun and simple lunch box that offers great portion control size compartments and is dishwasher friendly! Our top reasons for choosing Yumbox is that it is a leak proof lunch box (great for salad dressings and saucy snacks) and you can add additional stickers within each compartment which adds an educational piece on nutrition!

The Downside: it’s plastic, but if you keep it for years then I consider that planet-friendly-ish.

Pricing:

• USD – Get it here: approx $30
• CDN – Get it here: approx $50 and up

Bentgo Box:

Bentgo offers up great lunch boxes for kids and also for adults (nudge, nudge)!  It’s actually the one we’ve been using for a few years and have loved. The size is ideal meaning you can pack a full lunch in one hard-to-lose container.  The inner compartment is removable which makes it easy to wash, and that was a huge plus for us.  There is ZERO leakage both inside in between sections and outside as well.

The Downside: my kids are rough on their lunch boxes and broke part of the clasp.  If I could just replace the outer casing I would do that.  And it’s plastic.

Pricing:

• USD – Get it here : approx $30
• CDN – Get it here : approx $40

Go Green:

These are a new find!  Go Green Lunch Boxes are another bento style lunch and snack box for kids and adults.  They come in 3 Sizes with 4 or 5 compartments.  The have a LeakProof Technology with silicone seals which is always a plus!  So you can put yogurt, apple sauce, salad dressing, or other watery-foods directly in the compartments. Another bonus…they are larger than your average lunch box so your kids won’t go hungry!

The Downside: they don’t recommend washing in the dishwasher.

Pricing:

• USD:  approx $25
• CDN: approx $33

LunchBots:

One of my best friends is a huge fan of these and I can see why. The LunchBots Large Cinco Stainless Steel Lunch Container has 5 sections so it can hold a variety of foods without losing much space (as you find with the plastic varieties).  It’s 100% stainless steel (yay for planet-friendly), and easy to wash. Being made from the best quality stainless steel, they are also virtually indestructible.

Downsides:  it’s one of the pricey bento boxes out there and it’s recommended for leaky foods like sauces.

Pricing:

• USD: approx $40
• CAD: approx $60

Omie:

Omie is great if you love to send your kids off with hot meals. It has separate temperature zones in order to keep some food hot and others cold.  Cool right?  The lunch box comes in a really great compact size and we love that you can mix and match the colors. The best part, is that they created a labeling section where your kids can write their names and know which lunch box is theirs in the morning. Lastly the handle makes it super easy to grab and go!

The Downside:  Super pricey, on the heavy side, and some say there’s not enough space for snacks and sides when you using the thermos portion. Oh and it’s also plastic.

Pricing:

USD: $40

CDN: $90

 

 

I’d love to know which lunch box you chose.

Let me know in the comments!