It’s entirely likely I spend too much time thinking about the lunches I pack for my 7-year-old son. After all, he probably spends all of 5 minutes inhaling my hard work.
But this is a different era from the days when I proudly toted cheese and mustard sandwiches on whole wheat in my metal “Empire Strikes Back” lunch box. For generations, lunch boxes had been just that — boxes that food got shoved into. And frankly, those boxes were better suited as weapons and shields in schoolyard scuffles than as food storage containers.
Today, parents have choices. Lots of choices. Lunch box styles vary from utilitarian soft-sided cooler bags to epicurean bento boxes or even more worldly tiffin canisters. Lunch boxes can have built-in ice packs. They can be microwaved. They can be made from bisphenol-A-free, lead-free, phthalate-free, PVC-free plastic. They can be forged from 18-gauge stainless steel.
And those changes and choices reflect not just better lunch box technology, but also social changes. What parents pack is different. In the day, my whole wheat was just rebellious enough to have the nuns who ran my school aflutter (good boys ate Wonder bread). Today’s lunches of sushi, soy nut noodle salads, nachos and samosas make it seem pathetically pedestrian.
So how does a busy parent make sense of an era when brown bagging it almost never actually involves brown bags?
In my case, I turned it into an obsession and blog (or in 2012 is that redundant?), LunchBoxBlues.com. I researched the many (many!) lunch box options, the many containers that can go inside those lunch boxes (plastic sandwich bags are so passe), the many ways of fitting foods into those containers, and the many ways of keeping the foods in those containers warm or cold.
Along the way I’ve spied some winning trends and products, and discovered some handy tips for making the most of them. The following are among my top choices:
Stainless steals the show
Metal boxes went out of fashion when soft-sided bags came on the scene. And those insulated bags (some of them startlingly large) are still de rigueur. But for the stuff inside the bag — from thermoses to food containers and even drinking straws — stainless steel is where it’s at.
Stainless is easy to love. It’s eco-friendly and won’t stain or leach anything into food. It can handle hot or cold, goes through the dishwasher, and is nearly indestructible (even for kids). Stainless items are pricier upfront, but think of all the plastic sandwich bags you won’t be buying over the next 180 days of school.
For food containers, LunchBots rock. Available in a wide array of shapes, sizes and colors, including multi-compartment divided containers, LunchBots products (starting at about $15) offer an easy way to pack everything from sandwiches and salads to fruit and dips. The multi-compartment containers even make it easy to create bento box-style lunches (think Lunchables, but with food you choose).
The company’s all-stainless (bottom and lid) models are not watertight, but they recently introduced a line of stainless containers that have plastic lids that do seal.
For an all-in-one approach, check out PlanetBox, which looks like a bento box crossed with a lunch tray. These clamshell-style containers (available in small and large, starting at about $40) have multiple compartments into which a surprising amount of food can be packed. Plus, because the covers are integrated into the one-piece design, there are no lids for the little ones to lose.
Another cool stainless steel lunch item — drinking straws. They are exactly what they sound like: drinking straws made out of stainless tubing. They are made by various companies (an online search will pull up dozens of choices) and come straight or with a slight kink toward the top. If your kid is a straw fanatic, these are awesome.
If you get the straws (sets of four cost about $10), be sure to also get some thin bristle cleaners to make it easy to scrub out the insides of the straws now and again. I found a set of cleaning brushes for about $2.
No heavy metal
Stainless not your style? The bento trend has gone plastic, too. The classic choice has been from Laptop Lunches, which makes a plastic snap-shut case that contains a variety of food containers. The whole thing then fits snugly inside an insulated bag. It’s rugged, made without any of the aforementioned chemicals and starts around $24.
The size of the Laptop Lunches bento system makes it ideal for younger kids. If you’re looking for something a bit larger or with more flexibility, check out Newell Rubbermaid’s new LunchBlox kits, available in snack, salad and entree sizes.
Each modular kit (priced from $10 to $20) contains a variety of bisphenol-A-free containers that can be stacked in various configurations. Each also includes a customized freezer pack that stacks and interconnects with the food containers.
It’s about time
That’s what food safety all comes down to — time. Knowing how long food will stay hot or cold in a lunch box or thermos is the best way to know that the food you pack will be safe to eat.
As a general rule, perishable cold foods must be kept below 40 F. Hot foods should be held at above 140 F. If those temperatures aren’t held, you have a two-hour window to consume the food before it becomes unsafe to eat. That sounds scary, but — if you do your homework before shopping for lunch boxes and thermoses — it turns out to be very helpful.
By homework, I mean figure out what time of day your child will eat the food you pack. Now count backward to the time you pack the lunch. This is how long you need to keep the food hot or cold.
Not so long ago, that information wasn’t much help. Parents could do little more than guess how long a thermos would keep soup hot or a lunch box (even with an ice pack) would keep food cold. That has changed. Today, a growing number of manufacturers are rating their products so consumers know how long they can hold a temperature.
Lands End, for example, says its soft-sided lunch boxes maintain refrigerator temperatures for five hours (with an ice pack). Thermos’ Foogo stainless steel food jar keeps things cold for seven hours and warm for five.
One tip about thermoses — before putting food in them, always prime them to be hot or cold, depending on the temperature you want to maintain. Packing soup? Fill the thermos with boiling water for a few minutes to heat it up, then dump out the water and add the soup. Filling it with yogurt? Toss the empty thermos in the freezer for a few minutes.
Go organic
I’m not talking about the food. If you don’t like plastic, but don’t want metal, don’t worry. There is a buffet of lunch box gear made from all manner of earth-friendly substances.
ReUseIt.com, for example, sells cloth napkins woven from a blend of hemp and organic cotton (four napkins for $7.95) to help you have what it calls a litter free lunch. Just think of all the paper towels and napkins you won’t need to buy (or put in a landfill). More importantly, they will hold up to grubby kid hands and faces better than flimsy paper products.
Outdoor gear shop REI sells a set of bamboo utensils — fork, knife, spoon and (of course) chopsticks, as well as a recycled carrying case — for $12.95. The benefit here isn’t just that the utensils are eco-friendly. Bamboo also happens to be very lightweight, perfect for little hands.
If you prefer bags over boxes, there’s an eco option for you, too. LunchSkins is one of many companies that sell reusable sandwich bags to help you avoid the disposable plastic variety. Their bags (prices range from about $8 to $11) come in snack, sandwich and sub sizes, and are made from dishwasher-safe, food-safe fabric. They also come in a variety of funky designs (including a soccer ball pattern).
Food Editor J.M. Hirsch blogs about his son’s packed lunches at www.lunchboxblues.com. Follow him to great eats on Twitter at twitter.com/JM—Hirsch or email him at jhirsch(at)ap.org.
Schools
Related Photos
-
In this photo provided by LunchBots, a multi-compartment divided container makes it easy to create a bento box-style lunch as shown here. LunchBots
-
In this July 12, 2012 photo provided by LunchSkins, a reusable sandwich bag made from dishwasher-safe, food-safe fabric, is shown. LunchSkins
Discussion
Lunch box choices numerous in 2012
- Schools
-
-
BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: Montgomery Meigs establishes Arlington National Cemetery
This week (June 15) in 1864, Brig. Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs, who had been appointed Quartermaster General of the Union Army in 1861, established Arlington House, the former home of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, as a cemetery for the Union’s soldiers. Today Arlington National Cemetery is America’s national military burial ground.
- Vigo County School Corp. High School Honor Roll
- Goals, Pride & Achievements: June 13, 2013
-
BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: This week in 1944: D-Day and the Airborne assault on Normandy
This week (June 5) in 1944, with the D-Day invasion of the Nazi-occupied Normandy coast set to begin, the man in charge of that invasion, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, paid a special visit to members of the U.S. 82nd and the 101st Airborne.
-
Terre Haute North, South African-American clubs taking educational journey to Washington, D.C.
Students and teachers from Terre Haute North and South Vigo high schools saw three years of hard work pay off Monday afternoon as they lined up eagerly at the doors of a school bus to start a long ride to Washington, D.C.
-
BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: A woman’s voice of moral clarity
This week (June 1) in 1950, Margaret Chase Smith, the Republican senator from Maine and the first woman ever to serve as both a U.S. senator and member of the House of Representatives, gave a speech that, looking back, was a voice of moral clarity amidst a cacophony of madness and vilification.
-
Education-technology grants given to Valley
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz has announced the 2013 Technology Resource Grants, awarded to help organizations purchase technology resources for student instruction in career and technical educations classrooms.
-
Turkey Run presents academic awards
Turkey Run High School freshmen, sophomores and juniors were honored at an awards program on May 16.
-
Goals, Pride & Achievements
Laci Pethtel of Oblong is the 2013 recipient of the Lincoln Trail College Professional Assistants Group scholarship.
-
VCSC to offer summer meals
Sarah Scott Middle School will offer free breakfast and lunch for people 18 years old and younger Monday through June 20.
-
Road Runners name scholarship winners
The Wabash Valley Road Runners have named Anne Mullican and Justin Clapp as the recipients of the 2013 WVRR scholarships.
-
South student blazes competition with research
Ryan Chung, a junior at Terre Haute South Vigo High School, placed first at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in the computer science category.
-
Indiana State University Dean’s List
Indiana State University has announced its dean’s list for the spring 2013 semester. Area students recognized for their academic achievement include:
-
RP recognizes outstanding students
Riverton Parke High School’s class of 2013 was honored on May 15 at the annual senior awards night in the school’s cafetorium.
-
Student blood donors receive scholarships
Roche Diagnostics and Indiana Blood Center are recognizing 81 high school seniors in Indiana who participate in community service.
-
Bruce’s History Lessons: Morse’s telegraph and its impact as a ‘game changer’
This week (May 24) in 1844, Professor Samuel F.B. Morse sat in the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., surrounded by members of Congress, who had come to witness history.
-
High schoolers attend automotive, welding skills competitions
Area high school students put their skills to the test at the annual Automotive Skills and Welding Skills competitions on April 18 at Ivy Tech Community College—Wabash Valley.
-
Riverton Parke presents concert, music awards
The Riverton Parke Jr.-Sr. High School Music Department presented its annual Spring Concert on May 13 in the school gymnasium.
-
Turkey Run senior awards and honors
Turkey Run High School seniors were honored at an awards program May 13. Scholarships and departmental and activity awards were presented.
-
South earns national yearbook design honor
The Terre Haute South yearbook, Uaxactun, has been recognized for excellence and featured in the 2013 Gotcha Covered Look Book, Volume 11 celebrating the best-of-the-best in yearbook design and coverage.
-
Vincennes University Dean’s List
The Vincennes University Dean’s List for Spring 2013 includes students from the Vincennes campus, Jasper campus, Aviation Technology Center in Indianapolis, military bases, and other extended sites.
-
4 more honored as Four Star Schools
In addition to the three Vigo County schools (Terre Haute South Vigo High School, Dixie Bee Elementary and Fayette Elementary schools) that were announced earlier, four more Wabash Valley schools were recognized as Indiana Four Star Schools.
-
Bruce’s history lessons: Truman’s decision to recognize Israel
This week (May 14) in 1948, at the direction of President Harry Truman, the United States recognized the existence of the newly formed state of Israel, which had declared independence earlier that day. It was, Truman later stated, among the most important decisions of his presidency.
- Reunion listings: May 16, 2013
-
Chances and Services for Youth to participate in food program
The Chances and Services for Youth recently announced plans to participate in the Summer Food Service Program.
-
South Latin students compete at convention
Terre Haute South Vigo High School Latin students competed with other Indiana schools at the recent state convention at ISU.
-
Southwest Parke School Corp. receives eLearning grant
Southwest Parke Community School Corp. has received an Imagining and Creating eLearning grant for the 2013-2014 school year through the Indiana Department of Education.
- Newsmakers: May 16, 2013
-
Otter Creek competes in regional Academic Super Bowl
The Otter Creek Academic Super Bowl teams competed in the regional Academic Super Bowl competition on April 27 at Sarah Scott Middle School.
-
Riverton Parke FFA teams compete at April 16 contest
Two Riverton Parke FFA Parliamentary Procedure Teams competed at the section competition for the Parliamentary Procedure Demonstration Contest on April 16 at the Indiana FFA Center in Trafalgar.
- More Schools Headlines
-
BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: Montgomery Meigs establishes Arlington National Cemetery
Unusual Heat Wave Bakes Alaska
Fans Cheer Dramatic Heat Comeback
Raw: Car Jumps Curb in NYC, Injures 8
Tiger on Sergio: 'It's Time to Move On'
Raw: Massive Protests Fill Brazilian Streets
Hunt for Ex-Teamster Boss Hoffa's Remains Ends
Raw: Volcano Erupts Near Mexico City
Car Crash in NYC's East Village Injures 8
Raw: NASCAR Driver Jason Leffler Dies in Wreck
Ohio Woman Accuses 3 of Holding Her Captive
Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles
Obama Renews Call for Nuclear Reductions
Ex-NFL Star Chad Johnson Out of Jail
Aug. Trial Set for Ohio Man in Triple Kidnapping
Hoffa Mystery Still Fascinates After 4 Decades
Time Lapse: Rebuilding Bridge Post-collapse
Obama: 'Lives Have Been Saved' by NSA Programs
Failed Cuba-to-Florida Swimmer Won't Try Again
Rain Damages Brazil Soccer Stadium
Raw: German President Welcomes President Obama
James Gandolfini Dies at Age 51
Paula Deen Admits to Using N Word
Rihanna Hits Fan With Microphone
Men's Wearhouse Founder Fired
Miss Utah Explains Rambling Response
Exclusive: Locklear & Seymour Lock Lips
Miami Heat Wins in Overtime
Fists, chairs fly in restaurant brawl
Journalist Michael Hastings Dies in Fiery Hollywood Crash
Hairy Leg Stockings Aim to Deflect Male Attention
Inside Kim Kardashian's Premature Labor
Three Charged for Enslaving Mother and Daughter
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
Spurs' Popovich has no problem with Spurs' intensity
RAW: NSA Director Says 50 Plots Foiled
Paige Butcher Scorches on Hawaii Beach
Video: worst way to load cargo onto a plane
Never-before-seen footage of '08 Times Square bomber
