Popsugar Parenting Family Product Reviews Products That Make Packing School Lunch Easier 17 Must-Have Products to Pack a School Lunch in Under 2 Minutes 24 July 2019 by Kate Stahl Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Levi Mandel As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work. If there's one major back-to-school downside for parents, it can be described in a single word: lunch. For the past three years, I've packed my soon-to-be third-grade daughter a semi-homemade lunch pretty much every day of the school year (that's 176 days, to be exact). This year, with her little brother starting kindergarten, that number will up to 352 lunches I'll need to prepare in the approximately five free minutes I have between my alarm going off and their bus arriving an hour later (the other 55 minutes are filled with begging them to get up, get dressed, brush their teeth, and eat breakfast as quickly as possible, natch). By my calculations, I have now packed more than 500 school lunches in a hurried morning craze (I've never been one to prep the night before), and I've gotten it down to a science. Using the following products and prepackaged foods, I'm proud to say, I can pack a healthy, filling, well-rounded lunch in under two minutes. Start stocking up on the following 17 hero items now, and you'll be a lunch-making pro before you know it. Related: Tasty, Nut-Free Snacks That Will Keep Your Kids Excited For Lunch All Year Long Pottery Barn Kids' Mackenzie Cold Pack Lunch Box Image Source: Pottery Barn Kids Pottery Barn Kids' Mackenzie Cold Pack Lunch Box ($25, on sale from $35) is a perennial favourite of mine because of its functionality and durability. It comes in a variety of styles, ranging from glow-in-the-dark lightning bolts to your kids' favourite princesses and super heroes. The box comes with a removable ice pack, which also works to create compartments so food and snacks are neatly organised. Mackenzie Cold Pack Lunch Box $25 from potterybarnkids.com Buy Now Fluf Zipper Lunch Bag Image Source: us.fluf.ca Fluf is another one of my favourite lunch boxes because its bags are big enough to hold pretty much whatever your child could possibly want for a midday meal. The Zipper Whatever Lunch Bag ($29) is machine washable, so it'll never smell like last week's tuna salad. Zipper Whatever Lunch Bag $29 from us.fluf.ca Buy Now Bentgo Kids' Leakproof Lunch Box Image Source: Amazon Available in three colours, Bentgo Kids Lunch Box ($28) features a compartment for fruit, veggies, dip, an entrée, and dessert, inspiring you to pack a more wholesome, balanced lunch — and your kids to actually eat it. Bentgo Kids Lunch Box $28 from amazon.com Buy Now CamelBak Eddy Kids Vacuum Stainless Water Bottle Image Source: Amazon Our family has tried every sippy cup and kids' water bottle out there (or at least, it feels like we have), and the CamelBak Eddy Kids Vacuum Stainless Water Bottle ($20) is the best. It never spills and is dishwasher safe, and the double-wall vacuum-insulated stainless steel maintains temperature and is sweatproof. CamelBak Eddy Kids Vacuum Stainless Water Bottle $20 from amazon.com Buy Now Sistema Food Storage Container Set Image Source: Amazon Dishwasher safe and perfectly sized for lunches, the Sistema Klip It 18-piece food storage container set ($13) is modular and stackable. Easy-to-use locking clips and flexible seals help food to stay fresh. Sistema Klip It 18-piece food storage container set $13 from amazon.com Buy Now Stasher Silicone Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags Image Source: Pottery Barn Kids Stasher Silicone Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags ($13) are durable, environmentally friendly, and safe to pop in the dishwasher, microwave, or freezer. Stasher Silicone Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags $13 from potterybarnkids.com Buy Now Ziploc Toy Story 4 Sandwich Bags Image Source: Walmart If your school requires lunches to be fully disposable, make those plastic baggies more fun by picking up Ziploc's Toy Story 4 Sandwich Bags ($3), featuring four designs with Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep, and Forky. Toy Story 4 Sandwich Bags $3 from walmart.com Buy Now Pottery Barn Kids Soft Freezer Packs Image Source: potterybarnkids.com Who knew cold packs could be this cute? Pottery Barn Kids' Soft Freezer Packs ($4 and up) come in 11 designs, ranging from dinosaurs and sharks to rainbows and unicorns. Each stays frozen for approximately six hours. Related: I Want to Reduce My Kids' Lunchbox Waste — Here are the 6 Products I'm Using to Do It Soft Freezer Packs $4 from potterybarnkids.com Buy Now Fit & Fresh Cool Coolers Image Source: Amazon Fit & Fresh Cool Coolers ($13 for six) are reusable ice packs slim enough to squeeze into any lunch box. Stack them together for even more cooling power. Fit & Fresh Cool Coolers $13 from amazon.com Buy Now Lunch Lines by Dan Signer Image Source: Amazon When I don't have the energy to come up with a note for my kids' lunch box I turn to Lunch Lines ($10) by Dan Signer. The book contains 188 individual tear-out, surprisingly funny jokes (enough for every day of the school year). Tear out a page, fold it in half, and voila, you're mom of the year. Lunch Lines $10 from amazon.com Buy Now Annie's Sour Bunnies Fruit Snacks Image Source: Target Your kids love fruit snacks and sour candies, and you can feel good about giving them both with Annie's Sour Bunnies ($4 for five individual bags). The fruit snacks are made with real fruit juice and contain no artificial flavours or synthetic colours. Annie's Sour Bunnies $4 from target.com Buy Now The New Primal Snack Mates Image Source: thrivemarket.com The New Primal Snack Mates' Classic Beef Sticks ($5 for 5 sticks) are protein filled and kid-size. The snacks only contain ingredients you'll recognise, and the meat is sourced solely from cattle that are grass-fed and raised on family pastures without growth hormones or antibiotics. The New Primal Snack Mates' Classic Beef Sticks $5 from thrivemarket.com Buy Now The Pampered Chef Cut and Seal Image Source: Amazon Make sandwiches a little more exciting with The Pampered Chef Cut and Seal ($12). It's an easy way to make a healthier version of those popular freezer-section sandwiches. Make a batch at the beginning of the week, pop them in the freezer, and lunch will come together in no time. The Pampered Chef Cut and Seal $12 from amazon.com Buy Now GoGo Squeez Fruit on the Go Image Source: Amazon Confession: I love these pouches almost as much as my kids do, which is why I always buy the GoGo Squeez Fruit on the Go bulk variety packs ($6). The brand makes more than 20 kinds of fruit and veggie snacks, all with natural ingredients packaged in a squeezable, reclosable pouch, perfect for lunches. GoGo Squeez Fruit on the Go bulk variety packs $6 from amazon.com Buy Now Kind Kids Chewy Bars Image Source: Target Kind Kids' Chewy Bars ($4 for six bars) come in three yummy flavours. Each bar has wholesome, natural ingredients, at least half a serving of whole grains, and 25 percent less sugar than the granola bars your kids are probably eating now. Kind Kids' Chewy Bars $4 from target.com Buy Now Smartfood White Cheddar Cheese Flavoured Popcorn Image Source: Amazon Popcorn is healthier than those chips your kids want, and they still love it. Win-win. Smartfood's white cheddar cheese popcorn ($4 for 12 bags) is a longtime lunch favourite in my house. white cheddar cheese popcorn $4 from amazon.com Buy Now Annie's Snack Time Variety Pack Image Source: Amazon When you feel like you're packing the same thing over and over in your kids' lunches, a variety pack is an easy way to mix it up a bit — without receiving any complaints. Annie's Snack Time Variety Pack ($6 for 12 count) comes with Cheddar Bunnies, Cheddar Squares, and Friends Bunny Grahams, all of which contain no artificial flavours, synthetic colours, or preservatives. Annie's Snack Time Variety Pack $6 from amazon.com Buy Now Family Product ReviewsKid FoodSchool LunchesBack To School