On my last food post I shared my favorite way to pack a QUICK lunch, the Bento Box. But sometimes I have food items that have juice (I’m looking at you watermelon!) or that need to not get smashed before lunch. For those, I love to use these individual containers with lids from Pottery Barn. Are they fool proof? No, but they do the trick the majority of the time and they are super useful for those “complicated” food items.
I really like these small containers because you can fit all sorts of fruits and veggies in them. Yes, you can always put fruits and veggies in a plastic bag, but if your kids are like mine, they don’t like their food to get mushy or bruised. Hard containers like these prevent that from happening. They come in especially handy for cherry tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries because those can get smashed in a lunch bag real quick and become inedible. The tiny container is perfect for dip or small items like raisins, granola, trail mix, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, or m&ms.
This divided container is the perfect solution to kids who don’t want their food to touch! They are also great for things that may have toppings that you want to keep separate. A good example of foods I use it for are taco meat and tortilla chips. You don’t want them combined because the chips will get soft, but the divider is perfect for that. Plus, it has a removable ice pack that fits nicely inside the lid to keep food nice and cold. Tip: The Pottery Barn Kids site shows it with yogurt and granola, but I have found that it is not 100% leak proof, so I don’t use it that way.
This dip container is SO handy with chips or quesadilla bites and salsa, ketchup and hot dog bites, chicken skewers and honey mustard, ranch or hummus with veggies, etc… Honestly if they can dip it, you can put it in this! Tip: I also add a spoon to their lunch when I use this so they can dig in and scoop out what is at the bottom of the dip container.
The Thermos is, of course, a classic lunch box staple. Keeps soups hot, and so many other things! Try warming it up with hot water then putting warm solid foods in it. They stay warm! Or fill it up with a fruit salad that will seep juice throughout the day, but you need to stay cold. I use a thermos for so many other things! Leave us a comment on what your favorite way to use one is!
Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen has all of these on sale during the back to school season They come in lots of different colors, so your kids can pick their favorites. They also come in stainless steel versions (I love the Rose Gold!), so there are lots of options for whatever suits your needs! The link below will take you to the Pottery Barn Kids website, for Pottery Barn Teen, just click on the TEEN tab at the top of the website.
All of these containers fit into the Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teens lunch boxes, but if you have an older kid that doesn’t want to carry an actual lunch box, you can try these snarky ones from The New Stepford. They are hilarious!