Should I Buy School Lunch Containers?

This was my big dilema last year, should I get school lunch containers for my kids?  I went back and forth, looked up every pin I could find on pinterest and finally decided to take the plunge.  

OK, so before we jump right in let me give you a little background. When it comes to lunches, I am no super mom.  I don’t make faces on the kids sandwiches or create art with their vegetables.  I dread packing them, hope I have enough for them to eat and yes, my kids are pretty picky (which is partly my fault because I was that way too).  

But like everyone else, I want my kids to have a descent healthy meal to tide them over at school! So last year, I finally decided to give school lunch containers a shot and was pleasantly surprised.  Here is what I discovered using school lunch containers.  

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on or make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  I only recommend products I love and always appreciate your support!

What Type Of School Lunch Container?

The containers I found on many blogs were all different types of Bento Boxes.  Did you realize that Bento box is basically the same term as lunch box, but in Japanese?  All of these containers referred to as Bento boxes just describe a variety of food, colors and flavors inside one container. 

Some of the more popular bento boxes are Yumbox and Bentgo; which I have seen really good reviews on.  However, I opted to try a container that was a little less expensive to start, so went with Sistema bento boxes.  

I purchased six containers, so I would have two for each child. Side note…having two for each child was a lifesaver, you don’t want to have to wash them up every day! 

The lunch containers I bought had 3 sections with two trays and a small container.  I loved the flexibility of the trays…if you needed to add something, you could easily add a tray.  If you had too much space, just leave the trays off.  This container gives you a lot of flexibility with space.  The small containers are perfect for diced fruit or sauces and the best part is they never leaked.

SISTEMA CONTAINERS: Flexible with trays you can take in and out! (Click on the image to view)

        

YUM BOX: So many cute colors and patterns! (Click on the picture to view)

BENTGO: Fun Colors! (Click on the picture to view)

What I Loved About My School Lunch Containers!

OK, yes they look really pretty.  I love everything neatly organized and colorful…but let’s go beyond the looks and talk about the container.  Here is what I love:

• The small container for liquids: It made it so easy to add ranch, or pizza sauce or even fruit such as cantaloupe to the kids lunches.  
• Not using as many ziploc bags: Containers are more environmentally friendly, since you can reuse them.
• Containers are faster to pack: Instead of grabbing bags out for every separate thing…you simply pour in some crackers and move onto the next food.
• Creativity: OK, I know I said I don’t get real creative with my kids lunches and I don’t…however, these containers inspire you to try different things.  There are so many different bento lunch box ideas out there, you may just get more adventurous packing lunches!
• Containers are easy to use:  This is where different containers may vary, but the Sistema containers I bought were very easy even for my 5 year old (at the time) to open.  If you buy containers, make sure your little ones can actually open them. Especially the small container inside, if you put the lid on snug to keep it from spilling…make sure your child can still open it.

Adjustments I Had To Make Packing Container Lunches 

One of the biggest adjustments I had to make was figuring out how much food to pack.  I quickly found out that if I packed every section and tray in the container, my kids either didn’t have enough time to eat it all or it was just way too much food.  It took a week or so to adjust and figure out how much to pack.  I found it very easy to overpack when using containers.  

One other adjustment was the smells mixing.  I felt like if I packed green peppers or dill pickles the smell would get into everything else in the container.  So once in a while, if I had something really spicy or with a strong smell…I would put it in a ziploc and then put it in the container.  This also might vary on how picky your kids are with something like that.  In all honesty, my kids never complained about the smells mixing…so maybe it was just me.

Lastly, storage.  Having containers do take up more space. I cleared a small shelf close to where I pack lunches, so they were still easy to grab.  I also store all the trays and small containers separately.  I found that easier, because I don’t always use all the trays in the containers.

Our Favorite Meals To Pack In Our Bento Containers

I will give you links to a few blogs that have amazing bento box ideas…but before I do, here are a couple of our favorites!

Whole Grain DIY Pizza

If your kids love lunchables, they will love this lunch.  It is similar to the pizza lunchables, but without all the preservatives.  I buy multi-grain sandwich thins, and pull them apart.  You can decide if your child would need one or two pizzas.  Then add a container of pizza sauce, and a dish of mozzarella cheese.  Putting the cheese in a dish allows them to dump the cheese onto their crust without spilling (or at least that’s the idea!).  Sometimes we do just cheese pizza, and other times I will throw in a few pepperoni’s.  You could add fruit or dessert to your lunch and there you have it, your own DIY lunchable! *Remember to add a spoon to spread the sauce.

Salami Box

My youngest is not a huge sandwich eater, so for her lunches I normally get salami or beef sticks.  The bento boxes work perfect for these type of meals as well!  I don’t buy canned fruit that often, but it is much less expensive to buy large cans and put them in your own containers than buying the pre-packaged fruit cups.  Plus the pre-packed fruit cups always explode when my kids try to open them.  

I finished the lunch by adding a cheese stick, a mix which my kids love (cheese crackers or goldfish, raw almonds, pretzels and chocolate chips), and dessert.  

Here are a few sites that will inspire your kids lunches!

7 Awesome Lunches Your Kids Will Actually Eat by Lauren Greutman

Over 100 No Sandwich School Lunch Ideas by What Lisa Cooks

2 Weeks of No Sandwich Lunch Box Ideas Kids Will Love by The Pinning Mama

My answer is YES!  You should buy school lunch containers!

Now some blogs go over the top with crazy lunch ideas…many of which my kids would never eat and cold, not so much.  So balance the fun and creativity with what your children would actually like. A little trial and error never hurts.

I have found containers to be really helpful and easy to pack.  I am so glad I took the plunge and would highly recommend containers to anyone.  I even considered buying enough to pack an entire week at a time.  My only hesitation would be if I have enough space in the refrigerator.  I’ll post updates on my facebook group if I decide to pack entire weeks of lunches and let you know how it goes, CLICK HERE so you don’t miss out! 

Going into this venture, I was slightly skeptical.  However, I was won over with how easy the lunch containers are to pack and the added benefit is that my kids love using these containers as well! 

Have your own great lunch ideas?  We always need more inspiration…tell us about it below or post a picture in our facebook group!  

Thanks for checking out my post!