Open my kitchen cupboards and a pile of containers will probably come tumbling out. Over the years I’ve collected quite a collection of supplies to make sure that I don’t have to use plastic baggies in my kids lunches. Here are some of my top picks:
Snack Bags:
- Snack Taxis – These cloth bags are made with love in Massachusetts and come in a variety of fun fabrics. My fav is the groovy guitars!
- Lunchskins – Cute prints and dishwasher safe are the key benefits of these snack bags. I have not personally tried them but have heard rave reviews from other bloggers.
- Natural Value waxed paper bags – I keep these on hand for when all the snack bags are dirty (or lost – many snack bags have gone missing over the years unfortunately.)
Sandwich Boxes:
- LunchBots – We’ve been fans of these stainless steel lunch containers for years. They are easy to open and the colorful, non-VOC finish makes them bright and cheerful!
- ECOLunchBox – They call this a “seriously safe” lunch container and it is. Made from stainless steel with clips on the side, it is leakproof and chemical free.
- Klip It Lunch Cube – This 3-compartment plastic container has served us well. Put a sandwich in the large compartment and there’s room for fruit and snacks in the smaller sections.
- Laptop Lunch Bento Buddies – Buy a set of these durable plastic containers and you’ll be set for sandwiches and much more. BPA and lead free of course!
- Almost any plastic, tempered glass or metal container will do the job. Don’t run out and buy something new if you don’t need to! Just avoid plastics #3, #6 and #7 which can leach toxic chemicals and are certainly not part of a healthy lunch.
Wondering what to put inside? See my Healthy Lunch, Happy Child post for lots of healthy lunch ideas!
Do you send your kids to school with a waste-free lunch? What are your favorite containers, bottles & bags?
(Full disclosure – there are affiliate links in this post. Any purchase you make helps me keep this blog in business – thank you!)
Marniepw says
We use the snack and sandwich bags from http://simplypractical.etsy.com They’ve been great! We’ll probably order a few more for this school year, especially since there’s free shipping! They’re handmade from a stay-at-home mom is Portland, OR, which is where I’m from. I love supporting at home mamas!
Betsy (Eco-novice) says
I just posted my favorite lunch gear here:
http://www.eco-novice.com/2011/08/eco-novices-favorite-eco-friendly-lunch.html
We have many of the same favorites! I included several bags by Etsy sellers that I’ve really liked.
[email protected] eco friendly homemaking says
Oh these look great!Those organic reusable sandwich and snack bags look awesome!
Micaela says
Hi Marnie – Thanks for introducing me to that Etsy shop – they have some wonderful fabrics – I think I’ll be placing an order soon!
Micaela says
Betsy – thanks for sharing your post. I’m very curious to try the Celeste Black waterproof bags – they look awesome!
Micaela says
Hi Alicia – thanks for stopping by! Yes – there is no shortage of cute sandwich & snack bags out there!
Michele Tarras says
No lunch packing for school but do for hubby at work and we have a few containers we got in Korea that he uses.
Julia says
I just wanted to add Steeltainers to your list of sandwich boxes. They are leakproof and the inner food tray is made from food-grade stainless steel to minimize food contact with plastic. You can check them out at http://www.steeltainer.com
Lisa @Retro Housewife Goes Green says
Don’t have kids but my husband takes a LunchBot and Klean Kanteen everyday and has for the last several years. Both have held up very well and we are very happy with them.
Micaela says
Thanks Lisa! Once you start using reusable containers it's hard to imagine not using them – don't you think?