Have you started your Back to School Countdown yet?
Today is our First Day of School! I said goodbye to my kindergartner today as he got on the school bus. He said he isn’t really a kindergartner until he does some kindergarten work.
We have been prepping for this day for weeks (and months in some ways). You know you have to buy school supplies, potentially get new clothes or shoes, and if your child has food allergies talk to the school about keeping your child safe.
I’ll be writing a lot about packing lunches this month but today I want to tell you about my Lunch Box Essentials!
1. Lunch Boxes
There are many different kinds of lunch boxes. I recommend you read some reviews to find out which lunch boxes are going to hold up for at least a year. Some lunch boxes may be insulated while others require an Insulated Bag
2. Small Containers and Dividers
Depending on the style of lunch box you use small containers to hold crackers, hummus, salsa or other foods may come in handy. I use “Mini-Dippers”
3. Sunbutter and WOW Butter
Even though my kindergartner isn’t allergic to peanut butter our preschooler is. We won’t be serving peanut products. We buy SunButter Natural Sunflower Seed Spread
and WOWBUTTER 2 x 4.4 lbs
4. Extras
I’ve bought a few extra’s too. Ice Packs
You can see more great Lunch Box Ideas by following me on Pinterest! Don’t forget! You can become a contributor of my Back to School with My Plant-Based Family Board!
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We have the EasyLunch boxes that you have with the 3 compartments- I love them except there is one thing they lack: they are not leak proof! We’ve used them for so long, I’d had to replace a few with Ziploc’s version which claims to not leak. We’ll be testing these out come next Tues when school starts! I love using the silicone baking cups to place little items in!
Hi Kristen,
The leaking seems to be the only drawback of the EasyLunch Boxes. I read a lot of reviews in Amazon when I was trying to decide which lunch boxes to pick. It seems they are made that way intentionally so it is easier for small hands to open.
I just purchased the “mini dippers” to use for the “wet” ingredients. I’ll let you know how they work once I give them a thorough testing. They aren’t leak proof but are “leak resistant” so we will see. I’ve heard the ziplock version aren’t as sturdy so I stayed away from those. I hope they work for you. I bet if you hand wash them they will last longer.
You should join my Back To School community board! I’m posting lots of fun back to school stuff and will add lots of bento lunch box ideas.
Ha, I have another month till mine head off!
Any thoughts on the soy protein isolate in zbars? My kids were eating them so often, I started to worry about it.
Hi Michele,
The z-bars are a special treat in our house so my son gets 2-3 per week. He also only gets them at school so I’m confident what I pack is better than what he would get there. Once the weather cools off (we are having heat advisories here in Arizona) I’ll use more homemade goods.
I also want him to actually eat something during lunch instead of play so I’m willing to make some less than perfect choices. I know he will be eating whole food, plant-based the other two meals at home.
Also, because of my other son’s multiple food allergies I can’t buy some of the “healthier” bars that contain nuts.
This compromise works for us but I too share your concern for soy protein isolate, I just limit it for now.
Thanks for bringing it up!