Can you believe that school is almost upon us again? I’m in a bit of denial about it. I don’t normally like to think about it this early in the game, but one thing that I DO enjoy about back-to-school is the shopping! One thing that I always make sure my daughter has is a good, eco-friendly lunch kit that is not only great quality and will last throughout the year, but is non-toxic and safe for her to be using constantly. She can have the backpack adorned with her favourite TV show characters, she can wear the not-the-best-quality pair of sandals from WalMart, but I am adamant about her having a great lunch kit.
I have done a fair bit of searching for the best lunch kits, and if having a waste-free, safe and healthy lunch kit for your child is a priority for you as it is for me, you’ll love these 7 picks!
1. Planetbox
Planetbox is an eco-friendly, waste-free part bento-box part dinner tray lunch kit. I love all of the compartments right on top that make food easily accessible for kids, and I also love it because it is stainless steel, which means no plastic to worry about. They make healthy eating fun for kids, and they are dishwasher safe! Say it with me: hallelujah. The Planetbox comes in three different sizes: Launch, Rover and Shuttle. They may look plain at first, but you can purchase fun magnets that can be placed on the lunch kits to give them a personal edge. That way, your child isn’t stuck with the same looking lunch kit all year round and can change up the look of their Planetbox as their tastes change! Planetbox is a really cool lunch kit, and definitely one of my top picks.
Graze Organic reusable lunch bags might not be a kit per-se, but they are such a cool idea that I had to include them in the round-up! These re-usable bags made with 100% organic cotton are the perfect addition to your child’s litterless lunch. I love that there is a bag labeled for each different item of your child’s lunch: a sandwich, vegetables, fruit, snack and surprise bag; all decorated with brightly coloured pictures of food to liven up any child’s lunch bag! Not only can you purchase the bags, but there are also lunch bags available and cloth napkins if you really want to have a waste-free lunch.
Kids Konserve reusable lunch kits and containers is another fantastic line of eco-friendly lunch kit options. You can buy the waste-free lunch kits that include a recycled cotton bag and napkin, a stainless steel water bottle, food kozy wrap (a reusable ziploc-type bag) and two stainless steel containers, or you can buy each item separately and create your own lunch kit. There are plenty of different colours of containers and other items to appeal to everyone, and you can purchase water bottles, lunch totes, ice packs and more to help you keep your lunch free of any excess waste!
Another cool option for kids is the Go Green Lunch Box. While this one made of plastic, it is BPA, lead, and phthalate-free. The food container conforms to California Proposition 65, the nation’s most stringent law regulating environmental health and safety, as well as the company’s water bottle. You can also choose from a huge variety of carrying cases in different vibrant colours and patterns, so you know that there will be one that your child likes!
5. ECOlunchbox
ECOlunchbox is another great line of plastic-free, waste-free lunch boxes. They have a really varied selection of items to choose from, which is nice because each child and each school does things a little differently, and one lunch box will not work for all. ECOlunchbox has a three-in-one lunch box that has an upper food container, a lower food container as well as a snack container. This is the perfect size for school lunch and snacks! They also have artisan cloth bags to put lunch kits in, which are lovely. There’s bamboo straws, singular containers, smaller lunch boxes and other accessories to choose from too.
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Keeping in trend with the bento-style lunch boxes, Laptop Lunches is a bento lunch box that come in a wide array of fun, vibrant colours to help kids get excited to eat their healthy lunches! The bento boxes come with different sized compartments that can fit anything from a sandwich to more hard-to-pack items like ketchup or dips. Laptop Lunches are not plastic-free, but they are made from BPA, lead, phthalate and PVC-free plastic, making it not only a safe choice for your kids but a wise choose for the environment. Not only can you find adorable bento boxes for your kids lunch, but they have glass water bottles, creativity tools like sandwich shapers (you can turn a sandwich into a cute bear!) or fun-shaped fruit and veggie cutters.
These bags are gorgeous! I love the elegant prints on them, and the coated linen (yay for easy wiping!) bag that is PVC, BPA and phthalate-free would be a perfect addition to your child’s backpack. Every lunch bag comes with a leak-proof insulated insert so there doesn’t have to be any worries about spilling or staining, and there is an extra mesh back pocket to store things like utensils or napkins.
What ways to you encourage your children to have a waste-free lunch? Do you have any of the lunch kits listed above?
