droolicious : lunchboxes

Kids Konserve Serves Up a Tiny Tiffin

Heather Kuldell — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:26:00 GMT

Parents searching for ways to green their kids’ lunches may be familiar with Kids Konserve Waste Free Lunch Kits, but the company offers other a la carte options. The Child’s Tiffin, $20, offers an excellent option for those with smaller appetites or just want a snack to go. The two stainless steel containers measure 4 inches by 3 and a quarter inches and easily stack to carry foods you’d like to keep separate till lunch. It’s less for ham and burger than it is for granola and yogurt. Not only it is a green option — no trash — but the durable nature of steel and the discreet Kids Konserve logo extend the set’s life beyond childhood.

Concentrate Lunch Box Lets Kids Have Their Fruit and Eat It, Too

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Put an end to dented apples and overheated oranges with the Concentrate Fruit Friendly Lunch Box, which promises to keep fruit bruise-free while indicating (via a color-changing thermo-spot) when your produce has gotten too warm to eat. I'm especially digging the pull-out lidded cups, which slide neatly into the lunchbox's bottom and hold whatever loose snacks you'd rather didn't mingle with the main course.

£9.75 (around $14 U.S.) from John Lewis. [Via Mighty Junior]

Monkey Biz!

Meredith Broussard — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:59:00 GMT

One surefire cure for the end-of-summer blues: monkeys! Lots of ‘em!

We’ve gone bananas over this adorable Monkey Snack Sac from Stephen Joseph. The extra-long strap means your preschooler can sling it across her chest or let it dangle from her shoulder. She’ll look cool, and her lunch will stay cool thanks to the insulated interior. The Snack Sac is sized for snacks or small-kid lunches; you’ll easily fit a drink, sandwich, and snack inside. A couple of bottles will fit easily. If you pack heavier-duty lunches (the kind that involve a thermos, or more than three bananas), think about the larger monkey lunchbox from the same line. Added bonus: the Snack Sac comes with a small package of monkey-themed cards to tuck into your child’s lunch. You know, so your child can be reminded that you’re bananas over her.

Monkey Snack Sac, $14.49 at Amazon

Monkey Lunchbox, $13.99 at Amazon

Backpack, nap mat, romper, burp cloth, and other coordinating monkey-themed goods are also available.

Build Your Own Lunchopolis

Heather Kuldell — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:49:00 GMT

I know I keep harping on greener lunch-box options, but as a parent, it’s one of the simpler things you can do to cut down ongoing expenses and garbage. So here’s my last lunch box for you to consider for the school year: Lunchopolis.

It’s sorta like “Laptop Lunches” — one sack holds smaller reusable plastic containers inside so you don’t have to use plastic baggies or single-serving containers. The outer container is a lead-free, insulated bag that measures 12 inches by 7 inches by 9 inches so you have room for all four of the plastic containers, the water bottle and your own ice pack.

The plastic containers are three different but stackable sizes: 1 “whole” size (for sandwiches, etc.), 1 “half” (for a side) and 2 “quarter” (for small snacks). The Lunchopolis site also features some quick recipes and lunch suggestions, though most of it is a tad too sophisticated for my kindergartner. (Someone’s kid will eat an olive tapenade?)

Available at Your Guide to Green for $29.99 in blue, pink or lime.

Lunch in Style: An Alternative to Brownbagging It

Erin Behan — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:31:00 GMT

While the lunchbox is the de facto food carry-all for school, I'm liking the retro-styling of the Lunch-in-Style bag by Julie Meyer on Etsy ($18). There are several versions (the one above is insulated) and fabrics, made with oilcloth and vinyl with velcro closures. If your kid is traveling the retro route in back-to-school gear, this food bad makes the grade.

Thermos Foogo: Strong Like Superman

Heather Kuldell — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:15:00 GMT

Whether you’re afraid of plastics or just like the sleek looks, the Thermos Foogo line can replace the cling wrap, sandwich bags and other plastic containers that currently fill up your kids’ lunchboxes or hold emergency snacks.

The Foogo line offers a 7-ounce sippy cup (with or without handles), a 12-ounce straw bottle or a 10-ounce food jar made of vacuum-insulated stainless steel. The beverage containers keep drinks cool for 6 hours and the food jar is safe to use with cold or hot treats. The leak-proof tops are multi-piece valves (similar to Avent’s) and made of soft, BPA-free plastics. All of it is dishwaser-safe.

Foogo comes in two color combinations: blue and yellow or pink and purple. Even better, there’s not a cartoon character that your kid will stop liking by next year. That matters when you’re springing $15-$19 per container. But, assuming they don’t get lost, they’ll outlast most of your kids’ kitchenware. They are steel, after all.

You can save $5 by purchasing a sippy cup and food jar set for $28.99. The straw bottle will be available mid-May.

Big Deal: Modern Kids Lunch Tote for Less Than $6

Heather Kuldell — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:35:00 GMT

Only a few months left in the school year and -- if your kid is like mine -- most of those shiny school accessories bought last fall are barely holding together. Lunchboxes seem to take special abuse, though I'm not sure if it's from the funk that grows if I forget to clean it out Friday or the vigorous scrubbing that follows. Either way, a third-quarter replacement isn't so bad when it's on sale. MoMa marked down the Modern Kids Lunch Tote from $18 to $5.95 ($5.35, if you're a member). The inside of the EVA tote features handy mesh pockets for stashing food or utensils without having items spill out. A large clear pocket on the outside allows kids show off a little personality by displaying a postcard, photo or their own artwork. The trade off for the bargain price is that the only option left is bright green accented with orange zippers and shoulder strap.

Raise Eyebrows in the Cafeteria With a Tiffin Lunch Box

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:02:00 GMT

Who knows, maybe you will be packing naan, dal and rice into this Tiffin Lunch Box's stackable compartments, but even if your school-age kid's tastes aren't that evolved, the stainless-steel set lets you stack and lock multiple combinations of wet, dry, hot and cold foods while toting your grub in a way that'll make you the talk of the lunchroom. (It also includes plates.)

On second thought, maybe this one would be better for Mom or Dad to use in the workplace: Tiffin carriers may be common in former British colonies, but where I went to school, an $80 lunchbox is as good as a "kick me" sign.