How to beat lunch-box blues
Selecting lunch gear used to be simple. Stuff your lunch into a paper bag or pick the box decorated with whichever movie, television or toy character your kid was most smitten with. Done.
Things are a bit more complicated today. Lunch-box styles vary from soft-sided cooler bags to Japanese-inspired bento boxes, even Indian tiffin canisters.
They can be microwaved. They can be made from recycled bisphenol-A-free, lead-free, phthalate-free, PVC-free plastic. They can be forged from 18-gauge stainless steel.
So how do you choose?
FOOD CONTAINERS
These are the jars, boxes and other containers the food goes in. Be sure to get a variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate different foods. And at least some should be watertight for packing sauces, dips, puddings and other liquids.
For a budget option, go with plastic foodstorage containers, which are cheaper to replace if lost.
If you don’t care for plastic, there are also plenty of stainless steel options. These tend to be pricier but are indestructible, kid-friendly and dishwasher-safe. My favourite is the LunchBots brand containers, which come in every conceivable size and shape.
Plenty of companies also sell lunch “systems,” or sets of small containers that fit together and pack easily in an insulated bag. These sets offer less versatility than when you assemble your own collection of containers, but they work great.
THERMOSES
It’s best to have two: a conventional narrow Thermos for soups and other easily spilled items, and a wide-mouthed jar for larger foods, such as warm sandwich fillings or meatballs.
When selecting a Thermos, be sure to check its thermal rating, which indicates how long it will keep items hot or cold. This is important information you’ll need to keep the food you pack safe to eat.
Perishable cold foods must be kept below 4.4 C, and hot foods should be held at above 60 C. Once the temperatures go outside these ranges, the food is safe for another two hours.
UTENSILS
This is not the time to break out the good silverware. But I’m also not a fan of disposable plastic, which breaks easily and has a lousy eco footprint. Instead, grab some inexpensive stainless steel utensils at the bargain or secondhand shop.