Hello friends!
This year, we've got THREE lunches to pack — a second grader and two preschoolers! I wanted to share some of my favorite lunch box items, plus the things my kids actually love eating.
I've also updated 50+ Preschool and Kinder Lunch Ideas with 50 real lunches I've packed for my preschoolers and kindergartener over the last four years. Head over there for real-life examples — but stay here for my gear reviews, favorite lunchbox cookbooks, and my formula for packing a lunch that actually comes home empty.
Best Lunchboxes for Kids
Over the summer, I ordered every type of Bentgo lunchbox Costco had. Only to find out why they were there — Bentgo had redesigned their whole line, so the old models got sent to Costco to move in bulk. Fine by me. I still got a great deal.
My favorites: I love the Bentgo boxes with the built-in ice packs, but we also have these, and they're great too. Of everything I bought, those are the two I keep reaching for. I mostly use the sauce container for raisins and M&Ms. I've used it for actual sauces before, and while it is leak-proof, that depends on your child closing it all the way… sooooo… ya.
What I wouldn't recommend: These ones (Bentgo Chill Max) — only because the optional divider falls out easily and is easy to lose.
Stainless steel: If you're after stainless, we have this Bentgo lunch box for KJ. We really like it, and it keeps things extra cold. The updated 2026 model has a detachable lid, which I like. I have the snack version too and love it.
Thermos: I bought the Zojirushi 11-ounce thermos after seeing @mamaknowsnutrition (a dietitian whose content I love) test a bunch of thermoses — this one was the clear winner. We've been so happy with it that I bought a second.
Favorite lunchbox bag: I like the Simple Modern lunch bags — they hold a lot and stay relatively slim. We've ordered ones with side drink holders before and they're really bulky, like the construction Bentgo in the photo below.
Ice packs: The CDC recommends two ice packs — one above the food box and one below. Slim ones work well and keep the bag from getting too heavy. We use the Bentgo ones in unicorn and dinosaur shapes, because why not?
Dietitian's lunchbox formula for kids:
My formula:
- A filling main — usually where the protein lives
- A carb or crunchy snack
- Fruit and/or veggie
- Something sweet (sometimes)
My kids are somewhat picky about what they'll eat cold. They love burgers and tolerate pizza, but not cold — and my experiments with sending those in a thermos failed. What they do love in the thermos: Goodles.
I don't make a ton of homemade muffins or baked goods. My kids just don't love them. I focus on putting together high-quality combinations instead, with some processed and some unprocessed foods for balance.
PS — Please be respectful about classroom allergies. I know it's a pain, but trust me: the child with the allergy, and their parents, hate it far more than you do. It's hard to have a kid with a severe food allergy.
Here are some of our favorites in each category!
Mains:
- Peanut Butter/Almond Butter/Sun Butter and Jelly - we do all Costco stuff from my Costco shopping list.
- Ham and cheese/string cheese (Costco)
- Turkey
- Salami (I try not to buy this at Costco, so we aren't eating it every day, usually TJ's or Sprouts)
- Bacon
- Larabars (Amazon)
- Perfect Bars (Costco)
- Archer Mini Jerky Sticks (supplemental main) (Costco) (I recommend cutting lengthwise till they are five)
- Blender Pancakes (surprisingly, my kids will eat these cold)
- Yogurt (Stonyfield yogurt tubes or low-sugar chobani) (Costco)
- Milk counts as a protein source!
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Cheese sticks or cheese squares
Fruits:
Veggies (they only eat carrots, I still include other stuff, maybe someday they will eat it):
Carb/Fun Snacks/Starch:
- KIND Kids Bars (Amazon)
- Trader Joe's Almond Butter and Chocolate Bars
- Made Good Granola Balls (Costco/Amazon)
- Annies Cheddar Bunnies or Squares (Amazon)
- Simple Mills Crackers ((Costco)
- Chips - occasional from wherever
- Larabar Minis (Amazon)
- Popcorn (5 years old and older) - (Costco)
- Veggie Straws (Costco)
- Snap Peas Snacks (Costco)
- Pretzels (Costco)
- Tiger Cookies (Trader Joe's)
- Alphabet Cookies (Trader Joe's)
- Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Trader Joe's)
Dessert:
- dark chocolate (wherever)
- chocolate justins almond butter packs (sometimes these are a main) - (Amazon)
- leftover Halloween candy
- whatever is on hand or requested
- chocolate milk or Honest juice boxes (Costco)
- fruit snacks - usually Annies, but also Bears brand - Amazon
create lunchbox success with these simple tips:
- Have your child help pack their lunch using the guidelines above (at least some of the time; sometimes, you just have to get lunch packed.) So, I'll always start with the "filling food" or protein. So I'll say something like, "What do you want for your main food?" and they will say, "Annie's bunnies," and then we'll talk about what's filling and what's not. And we go down the list, "What do you want for a fruit, a veggie, a fun snack, etc." KJ is starting to learn categories and what goes into each!
- Unwrap Items. In kindergarten, your child may be able to unwrap certain items, but preschoolers will likely need help. The teacher will appreciate it if you unwrap items that can be unwrapped. Like in the photo above, I should have unwrapped the perfect bar.
- Use kid-friendly lunchbox-specific icepacks. I was using ice packs we had on hand until I realized how heavy they were. They make kid-friendly ice packs, which I highly recommend.
- Use a hot lunch occasionally, if available. If there is a hot lunch program and there are hot meals your kid likes, I encourage you to sign up for the hot meal program and let them eat that when the menu includes something they like. It will break up the monotony of cold lunches (or lukewarm if you use a thermos) and give you a break.
- Keep it simple. I love the IG accounts showing super cute themed lunches made out of really creative food items (@lunchboxdad and @feedingtinybellies are a couple of my favorites), but the fact is that kind of stuff may burn you out if you try to do it all the time. Occasionally, it is fine, but don't strive for lunchboxes with crazy creations every day. As an example, I thought about ordering a cutting tool to make homemade Uncrustables. Then I realized that if I didn't set that precedent, they would just eat around the crust. Less work for me. Remember, keep it simple so you don't burn out.
Recommended Books and Inspiration
If you are looking to be inspired, I bought two books this year that I loved. I bought them both on Kindle for relatively cheap!
- Feeding Littles @feedinglittles - run by an Arizona Dietitian, Megan. This book is sound nutrition and feeding advice from a child feeding expert. This book is for the Mom who does NOT want to cook from scratch. Who mostly wants all pre-made ingredients she can throw together in less than 15 minutes and just wants combination ideas, I loved it! So far, my daughter is obsessed with pizza roll-ups! Get your copy on Amazon here!
- Feeding Tiny Bellies (@feedingtinybellies) - written by a very creative and down-to-earth Mom of four, the intro section is pretty on par with what I would recommend as a Dietitian. For the most part, this cookbook is more of a "cookbook" than a meal prep guide, with some actual cooking involved. Most lunches take less than 30 minutes to prep and are very creative and fun! The book also includes a section on how to make your own dupes from scratch, like Goldfish crackers, which I'll never be doing, but if that's your thing, you will love that section. She includes a HILARIOUS commentary section with real things her kids said about lunch that day, along with before-and-after photos of lunches she sent. Get your copy on Amazon here!
How to deal with teacher comments and Rules:
A note on teachers and lunch policies
This might surprise you — most teachers won't say a word about your kid's lunch. But our very first preschool lunch experience was a learning moment for me.
KJ's teacher would only let the kids eat one piece of candy, even if two were sent. It became a running joke among the parents: we'd send candy to get it out of the house, and she'd send it right back.
Since then, I've seen the whole range:
- Teachers who never say a word — especially when kids eat in a lunchroom
- Blanket "no junk food" policies — like our current preschool
That kind of rule used to enrage me. Now I'm mostly used to it. I just get annoyed that the juice box that passes probably has as much sugar as the piece of candy I wanted to send. But whatever.
If a teacher is using negative language around food (healthy food, junk food, fattening food, etc), @kidseatincolor has great resources you can pass along.
How to address other kids "junk food items"
Real talk: the mini Oreo situation
One day at our old school (without the blanket, no junk food policy), I asked KJ how he liked the snack I sent (Annie's cheese squares and a jerky stick). He said it was good — but another kid brought mini Oreos. Then he asked if we could get some.
What did I say? Absolutely.
I'll buy him a couple of packs, and he can take them as a snack or have a few for the dessert part of his lunch. Will I buy them all the time? Probably not. So when he asks again, I'll say something like:
"Those were a great start-of-the-school-year treat, but they don't give us a lot of nutrients, so we want to eat foods that do more often."
Maybe we can buy them again in a few weeks. And if he's really obsessing over Oreos, I'll grab a box of Trader Joe's Jo-Jos and put one in his lunch every day if that's what he wants.
My philosophy: I eat a little something sweet every night. So why shouldn't he have something with lunch?
My priority is high-quality food 80% of the time. That leaves 20% for whatever the heck they want — except soda. I don't give my kids soda quite yet.
One more thing, and I mean this: don't demonize another kid's food.
You have no idea why Jimmy eats Oreos every day, or what his family's situation is. Maybe he has Oreos for snack and a salad for lunch. You just don't know.
Choose your words carefully around other kids' food, because your kid will repeat them. If you're really into healthy eating, you may feel your words are justified — but please don't be an elitist about food. You never know what someone else is dealing with, or why or how often they sent what. Also remember, Kindergarten and Preschooler information is often very embellished.
That's all my tips for now! I've been sharing all the lunches before and after on the gram, so make sure to join me there! @hungryhobbyRD
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