Our Favorite Lunch Packing Supplies

*To support and grow Sunny Side Up Nutrition, we sometimes earn a commission on affiliate links.

It’s that time of year again: back-to-school. I love seeing everyone’s first day of school photos! This year, I’m down to packing only one lunch.

Packing lunch day after day can feel tedious and overwhelming at times. One thing that simplifies the process is having an array of lunch packing supplies. From Thermoses to reusable bags to kids lunch boxes, the right lunch box essentials can save time and reduce overwhelm. So, I’m I’m sharing our favorite lunch packing supplies here.

Whether you’re looking for the best lunch box for kids or you just looking for some new lunch box essentials, we hope these suggestions make packing lunches a little easier for you. 

The best lunch boxes for kids

Bento boxes

These are all the rage and part of what makes them wonderful is that they are easy to open for little ones and kids can see all their food at once. There’s no opening lots of different containers or packages.

It’s important to note that the majority of the time your child take a bento-style lunch container, you need to add some items that don’t fit inside the box. It’s hard to fit enough food in them. I also find it hard to pack some food in them, so I always recommend having an array of lunch containers.

We’re fans of the bento box from Pottery Barn . A few pluses to this Pottery Barn lunch box: a percentage of the purchase goes to No Kid Hungry, kids have fewer containers to open, and they can see all their food at once. It’s important to note that as kids get older, this lunch box will be too small to hold what most kids need for a filling lunch.

Bentgo boxes work well too. They come in a variety of sizes. As your kids get older, you’ll want to be sure to purchase what the company refers to as the adult size Bentgo boxes. The only issue we’ve had with the Bentgo boxes is that they do sometimes leak. So, for example, you can’t put fruit that will generate any liquid in them, like pineapple or watermelon.

This stackable Bentgo is great for tweens, teens, and adults. It comes with plastic silverware that fits neatly inside one of the lids. As with all bento-style lunch boxes, you’ll often need to send items in addition to what’s packed in the box.

Bentgo Easy Boxes lunch and snack boxes are great for the some of the same reasons as the the more expensive ones above. However, the lid isn’t as easy to take off, so I wouldn’t recommend these for younger kids. And not to be a broken record, but you’ll need to pack one or more items in addition to what’s packed in the box.

Lunch Bots brand lunch containers work well for all the reasons above and because even though they’re stainless steel, they aren’t too heavy for kids to manage.

Favorite school lunch bags for kids

A good lunch box or bag to pack everything in is a must.  We use a variety of lunch bags/boxes but I especially like neoprene lunch bags because they stretch which makes packing lunch easier. You won’t have to worry whether or not you have the right size containers to fit the lunch box exactly.

The Pottery Barn GET LINK, Bentgo, and LunchBots brands have lunch bags to fit their lunch containers.

Glass, plastic, and other reusable lunch box containers

This Sistema container holds a sandwich and still has plenty of room for other lunch items like cookies, and fruit. You’ll need to send along one or more sides in additional containers. It’s not ideal for young kids because it isn’t the easiest container to open. I also use these Sistema containers for fruits, veggies, chips, cookies, etc.

These Pyrex Airtight, Leakproof BPA-free storage containers are useful for packing lunches and storing leftovers.  I use small rectangular containers for foods like fruit, chips, or avocado. The larger square containers I use for salads.

I like the larger ones for storing and reheating leftovers. The small round containers are good for smaller sides like nuts, nut butter, and dried fruits.

We went through several different condiment containers before finding some that don’t leak. We’ve never had trouble with these Sukki stainless steel condiment containers.

Our favorite Thermoses and food jars

Last year I purchased the THERMOS Stainless King Vacuum-Insulated Food Jar 16 Ounce in Matte Black. There are many colors available now. I ordered it because a friend told me it does the best job keeping hot food hot.

A 10 oz size Thermos Funtainer works well to keep food warm or cold for younger children. And a 16 oz size works well for food for older children.  

Best water bottles for school

A 12 oz cold beverage container works well for younger children and a 16 oz size works well for older children.

These 32-ounce HydroFlask containers are very popular. My teens covered theirs with fun stickers. The containers aren’t inexpensive, but they do keep the water nice and cold. And they’re light, unlike lots of other water containers.

Our favorite baggies and utensils

I have this set of the Stasher silicone reusable bags to use for packing lunches. I will admit, I do use plastic baggies sometimes. Sometimes life calls for plastic baggies: when the reusable baggies are all dirty or there’s a field trip and we’re asked to send lunch in disposable containers.

For reusable utensils, I use some old stainless steel flatware from Ikea, but Sistsema utensils or disposable bamboo utensils work well too.

Ice packs are necessary to keep cold items cold. I admittedly don’t use the ice blocks very often because my kids eat lunch on the early side so it’s unlikely the cold food will go bad. If you’re child likes their cold foods to stay cold (like cheese sticks) or they eat lunch later in the day ice packs are recommended.

Want more lunch packing tips?

• Purchase our E-book – Your Ultimate Guide for Stress-Free Lunch Packing
• Make These Easy Baked Beans to Simplify Your Lunch Packing Routine
• Dreading School Lunch Packing? Tips for Getting the Job Done
• Lunch Packing with Teens and Tweens
• Three Easy Back to School Lunches
• 15 Minute Lentil Ragout
• What’s for Lunch

FAQs