Packing epic school lunches starts with easy and fun recipes AND the right lunch box containers! In today’s post, I share with you the best lunch containers for packing healthy lunches every day. From kids to grownups most of these are for the whole family.
Need a visual? Check out the video first:
You can get all the items you see in the video inside our Amazon Store. Browse, check out the item descriptions, and it gets sent straight to you!
When it comes to packing lunch, a whole lot of emphasis is placed on the food, and that’s a good thing! But let’s not forget about the actual container you’ll pack the food in.
Using the right lunch containers is very important because nobody wants to find a soggy mess in their lunchbox, right?
The right container helps you pack lunches fast and ignites your creativity by offering a variety of foods -which is essential to help our kids get lots of nutrition.
A lunchbox with compartments allows you to pack bento boxes, salads, pasta salads, burrito bowls, and even dinner leftovers! Lunch containers are also a safer way to store food since it protects it from getting smashed, damaged, or going bad before lunchtime rolls around!
Check out our favorite containers -but don’t take my word for it, they are also our community members’ favorites!
Kid’s Bentos
Versatile, super easy to open and sturdy, these fun lunch containers come four to a pack and in various colors!
They are also dishwasher and microwave safe so a set should last you through the school year, even longer.
These are also great for packing multiple items since the dividers keep wet ingredients like fruit separate from dry ingredients like crackers. They are also made with no BPA, PVS or phthalates making them perfectly safe for carrying food.
Unfortunately, these are not leakproof so I don’t recommend using these to pack items like yogurt or applesauce. Shop these kid’s bentos here.
YumBox
These leak-proof, compartmentalized lunch containers come in many colors and various sizes so you can choose whichever fits your lunch packing style.
Yumboxes are sturdy and will last you a few years which is a plus for your investment. The trays are top-rack dishwasher safe and the case is hand-wash only.
Shop Yumbox containers here.
Rubbermaid Blox
Consider these the Legos of all lunch containers since they come in various shapes and sizes that fit, like a puzzle, into a blue freezer pack, which makes for easy packing and storage.
They are leak-proof and BPA-free and perfect for sending a few different options in a lunchbox. They also fit the tall and narrow lunchboxes.
Shop Blox here.
Lunchbots Stainless Steel Containers
These compartmentalized lunch containers are made from stainless steel with no linings or toxins making them a great option for packing epic bento lunches.
The compartments are great to separate foods but they are not leak-proof and price wise they are a bit steep per unit. The good news is that they’ll last you many years (I’ve had mine for 7+ years) so it’s a solid investment.
If you are packing for multiple kids you’ll want at least one per child so although it’s a bit of money upfront, it’s worth it. As your child grows, they turn into great snack boxes.
Omie Box: Lunchbox + Thermos in One
I’ve had mine for over a year and it’s the perfect container to send hot + cold items to school. Want to send meatballs? You can. Want to send a smoothie bowl? You can do that too!
The thermos piece is removable so you can just use the container in that particular compartment and pack a sandwich instead! It’s versatile and kids love using it.
Check out the Omie Box Lunchbox here.
Reusable Zip Bags
Love the convenience of sending zip baggies to school? Or maybe your teens no longer want a kid-like container? I get it.
Check out these reusable zip bags. They are food-safe and they rinse off super easy with a little soap and warm water.
Now that you have the right lunch containers it’s time to fill them up with delicious food from my ebook, 101 Packed Lunches.
Sissi
Im struggling searching for a container that keeps the food hot and have compartments.. if you can help me you will save my life
MOMables - Laura
Hi Sissi, it looks like the Omie Box is what you are looking for. It has compartments and a removable thermos, so you can pack both hot and cold foods in one container. I hope this helps!
Sara franklin
Can you recommend a container that is also easy for kids to open? I got the easy lunchboxes, but the tabs broke off and they cracked about halfway through the school year. I bought sturdier Tupperware brand containers, but they were too hard for my kids to open. Help!
MOMables - Laura
Hi Sara, I’ve had EasyLunchboxes for years. Did you buy the brand name? Perhaps the Amazon brand? those knockoffs the tabs break. None-the-less, maybe opt for stainless steel (the Lunchbots) or the Yumbox.
Isla H Hunt
hi what lunch boxes do your kids use?
im 14
MOMables-Laura
Hi Isla, my family uses all of the options in this post, especially the EasyLunchBoxes. Those are a keeper.