Top 5: Litterless Lunch Containers

Many schools in Canada implement a Litterless Lunch Rule. The idea is that all of the food your children bring to school is in some variation of reusable container. They have to bring everything home with them, including apple cores! I LOVE this rule. We homeschool so obviously we practice a litterless lunch everyday, but since we still love going on adventures (I mean, all homeschoolers know that “home” is only one of the many places our children learn) it’s important for us to have good solid lunch containers. And as slightly responsible adults (ish) B brings his lunch to work in resusable containers as well.

Sometimes “school” gear can be tricky. There are things you need to consider when buying your containers. Will your small person be able to open and close it? Can it be used for a variety of foods/beverages? Does it actually keep food fresh/warm/cool/sealed? And the age old question, is it worth investing in? Here’s the thing, some things are worth the investment. If it’s good quality, it’s going to last, you’ll be saving money in the long run. A solid pair of winter boots that will keep their feet warm and their younger sibling can wear one day? Yes! A solid lunch bag that won’t rip at the seems? Sure! BUT if your kid is the forgetful type…..? You don’t want to break the bank on something they might lose two days into the school year. We have to keep that balance in mind.

We have quite a few bins, but here are the Top 5 you can find in my kitchen drawer!

Fluf Lunch Bags

Yellow is their signature colour which I don’t care for but I can’t even hold it against them (not that I really was, it’s very cheery) because they’re great. This is actually a B pick. I bought him this bag last year and he loves it. It’s nice and big so he can fit his Monbento MB Square and his water bottle, and whatever else he wants to bring. This one is also a nice simple design with handles at the top so he can easily throw things in as he’s running out the door. It’s also easy to throw in the wash or handwash in the kitchen sink because it’s all fabric. (click here for lunch bag!)

[Canada]

Drink In The Box

These are actually super fun. I bought them for our big road trip to Newfoundland and they came in handy. We always have water bottles on hand. The kids use them around the house (no spills, no 50000 cups out everywhere waiting to spill. I can’t!) but we didn’t really have anything for juice. That didn’t matter much before because we don’t general do juice. When we do get some it’s usually Green or Strawberry Banana Smoothie for days when we don’t make our own. I knew getting healthy stuff into the kids on our roadtrip was going to need planning, and when I saw these I knew they’d be prefect for our smoothies! (pro tip: open the lip before putting it on and keep your finger over the straw hole. This keeps the pressure from forming in the cup so that it doesn’t ever squirt your kids when they open it. Keeping your finger over just keeps it from squirting you! You know it got me good the first time!) (click here for drink in the box!)

[Canada]

Monbento MB Square

I bought this for my husband but then got one for myself when it was on sale because it’s awesome! All of the pieces fit together well and there are elastic bands included for extra security. B loves his, especially because he can put his bread in one container and the fixings in the one with the divider cup. (He’s a sandwich elitist and doesn’t like to the bread to be soggy in the slightest so he assembles it at work. Trust me, I’ve told him he’s ridiculous, he doesn’t care!) I like it because I can have one bin all salad, and then whatever I want in the other bin, and it all fits together nice and tidy. (click here for bento box!)

[France]

Goodbyn Bynto Box

We’ve been using these bins for about 3 years now. The lid may be a little harder for younger kids to snap back on (you have to press the middle lines to get the snap) but older kids can work it fine. They keep everything pretty fresh and I like that the 3 compartments snap closed individually so you can put a treat in one and not worry about it getting covered in salad dressing or sauce from one of the other compartments. That also makes packing dry and wet things together easier (like cheese and crackers without the cheese making the crackers stale). An extra bonus is that the bin is nice and deep. It works great on movie night to hold popcorn, a treat, and a drink on their laps! (’cause you know kids be spillin’ on our couches!) (click here for Byn!)

[USA]

Bumkins Nintendo Reusable Snack Bag

I have tried so many snack bags. SO. MANY. Some that dried everything out. Some that lasted 5 seconds. Some that seemed great, but were overly complicated and eventually got gross. These Bumkin bags are the real deal. They keep the snacks fresh (my husband said they even kept his chips fresh which is the height of all compliments. Har har har) They are thin and light so they wash and dry easily. Also, awesome Nintendo designs that the whole family loves. (click here for snack bag!)

[USA]

I purchased all of these containers at Well.ca over the years and you’re in luck because they’re having a sale right now!