How do lunchboxes work nowadays?!

[BestZebbie]

My DS has just started Year 2 and has asked to take a packed lunch for the first time ever. Fine.

I always took a packed lunch to school myself - in primary school I had an indestructible hard shell plastic lunchbox with a character on the outside and a screw top flask that fitted securely in one half of it, food in the other half.

Do these hard lunchboxes still exist?
All the lunchboxes I can find in shops or online searches are soft bags with a bottle on the outside or not included - how does the lunch not get squashed in these? Don't they then get full of crumbs inside and impossible to clean after the first use, as you can't just rinse them under the tap and tea towel them dry instantly the way you can a thick plastic one? I am feeling slightly sick at the idea of a banana and then the open peel spending the day loose in one already.
I guess the alternative is a tupperware box from the kitchen cupboard, but I'm concerned my DS won't reliably be able to open and close the lid securely, so a couple of times a week all the rubbish will fall out of it everywhere after lunch. A tupperware also has the issue of being separate from a drinks bottle giving the opportunity to lose two things each day rather than one (they have to put their lunches on a trolley when they arrive instead of keeping them in a backpack on their peg).

Also - I had sandwiches and also veg sticks etc all lovingly wrapped in clingfilm every day for the 15 or so years of my education - I presume this isn't the done thing nowadays, so how do you transport sandwiches to school without them collapsing if they aren't clingfilmed up? I know you can get beeswax wrap things but don't they have the same issues of immediately getting manky and hard to clean as soon as they touch butter?

I did not realise it would be this/at all complicated (and I haven't got round to thinking about what stuff to put in it yet!).

[Myusernameisnotmyusernameno]

My DD has a soft one. She cleans it every day and I've put it in the washing machine over the weekend. I was in Tesco Saturday though and saw some hard lunchboxes. They were those systema ones with clasps on the side so should be pretty easy to lock shut.

[itstheyearzero]

Silver foil instead of cling film, and you can still get hard lunch boxes if you look 'hard' enough

[Myusernameisnotmyusernameno]

Also I find foil better than clingfilm. I think clingfilm is pretty rubbish.

[clary]

I think you are overthinking it a bit - I am not aware of a ban on cling film, tho if you want to avoid using it you can easily buy small plastic reusable boxes for veg sticks.

There are lots of hard plastic boxes about - for example this kind of thing [[https://www.therange.co.uk/cooking-and-dining/kitchen-accessories/food-storage/lunch-boxes-and-bottles/sistema-lunch-storage-container/#572780 sistema]] they have clippy lids so are easy to open and close. Separate water bottle - whatever the one is they normally take to school.

[NavigatingAdolescence]

DD had a yumbox, which went into one of the insulated bags with an ice pack.

She’s older now and has a systems bento box in the same insulated bag with an ice pack.

She has an insulated bottle for water.

[LongDissidence]

Sistema bento style box. It's cheap, easy to clean, and means no need for single use wrappers.

Either send it in on its own, or you can zip it into one of those flatter, zip up bags.

I couldn't work out how to send a lunch in a fabric bag without using foil or clingfilm every day, which seemed wasteful.

[IncyWincyGrownUp]

My lads have the sistema bento style lunchbox (or a hot food flask if they want soup) and have a water bottle separately. You can buy retro/old school lunchboxes though. Just google and there are a lot of results.

The soft bags aren’t all bad though, most of them tolerate the washing machine quite well. I have a soft bag for when I need lunch, and have a sandwich box that fits inside that also goes in the dishwasher.

[SusannaM]

I use mainly Sistema boxes in an insulated bag. The cool block goes in the bag under the box. This one is my favourite. Nothing needs wrapping, you just fill the individual compartments. Or I use silicone muffin cases to separate items in boxes that don't have compartments.We use a Smash insulated bag.

[Findahouse21]

We have a soft one, then inside use a pack of 4 hard plastic pots from asda, currently in pink unicorn variety!! The hard pots are easy to open - dd has managed since nursery age as she has never liked a school dinner, and contain the food and crumbs. I ask her to put any uneaten food or peel back into the pots to stop it rummaging around. Her water bottle goes to her desk and then she takes it to lun h but our soft one would fit a carton of juice in too. We also include a small ice pack.

[CustardyCreams]

Dd has a two tier soft lunchbox from Smiggle. Food goes in reusable plastic pots, not difficult to open. Bananas etc go in top tier of the lunchbox. Rinsed under tap at night and dry by morning. Bottle separate as they keep these on their desks. Very simple,

[itsgrand]

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274849368409?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item3ffe4c8959:g:jaoAAOSwTtpg2kPX&amdata=enc%3AAQAGAAACkPYe5NmHp%252B2JMhMi7yxGiTJkPrKr5t53CooMSQt2orsSlHY%252FYTip4QFVjNQrCEJt6nr9OBDx4tTjfsZVdMf%252FUgftZjl5tQDRSYJgwftEa9oHlxdqpBxmBlEI%252BQOrkMtqao%252F5e8QeMYYt48bE8rZA3LvyjCZ3N6N0fcW6tvaM0d%252FVD3dNT1Abk3cF206z%252FRf%252BbmgfvnhmxmQ2Q8u3nKhMSyym%252FNqX1WfcwFcIBOIHdzSqe7r3A38lSDO%252F83eFDpf%252Bo0FD5CbkPijh41QX3LHg8SoqMFY0rhtGpR8c67p6W6XT6c5GTUrL%252F2mFexxAgns4OXFBdHu%252FwYWgEHh0n6FZgSp6PUb4NdswZ4RdxZ6nrzWwxNZ8MCUHEcCa4BiLg1vOHykiLGlnpblW8OQ7tRsAjX%252B%252FiDJmYho%252BZ747SqZio5BSnQ47QEi3kCYAUlnTXSfQbRXILN%252BxmLXKDgNzn0xIumJxVaPnVrI%252FgNgFXHKQPl9plSQYmi6thUijTRTlG2sNIbQhoVMTWkdNfuNPn9PSj%252FFNCDb8m7pK02kTaxjbUn3uLj5dgLJrGNN8wfUw9jYjAjHGbmjqB9pt3KtA0ZmYK8uoiNcs1MNcUg%252B7%252Fs75GFZT8Mziv0jUQxNX46cGRK4lj6Mh36awRqq9i78DVax17bn6jTF0CzP2a8eq6%252FbVbLAWUhSUQDXxD7%252FeVJymE%252F1cCTEEKv75NZOnPUK0IXn10%252BhkGTPqUMBu7WA6%252BAyvoB9xzvmiTUHDLOskilXoRKoCmg%252BY37K5tjctzyEd6tFFVhIzL1jUQDZ3l4X2i9c%252FIk82XNHBwv8DkCJwnQCptzvmznvNLmGfGj4u9ImYpbYic%252FK1TJpV4oJQX7N5GTT0LAGz%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A2334524


love this so much!!

[itsgrand]

I agree with you op the older plastic ones with a wee handle and a matching flask were the best!! so tempted to get myself one just for the cuteness!!

[Datsandcogs]

Mine have neoprene lunch bags. Food inside is in Tupperware type boxes so doesn’t get squashed. Drinks bottle and ice blocks also inside it, so everything stays cool. Boxes in the dishwasher each night and bah through the washing machine when it needs it.

[pooonastick]

www.amazon.co.uk/G-HOMEFAVOR-Stainless-Compartments-Leakproof/dp/B089DJCJXG/ref=dp_fod_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B089DJCJXG&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

This is very similar to what my kids have. I cannot recommend enough. Nothing needs to be wrapped. Pop in dishwasher. Had mine for 7 years. Best thing I ever bought

[doctorboo]

My boys have the sistema lunch cube (going into years 2,3 and 6) since 2018. I like that sandwich area is separate and secure and I use one of the small sections for chopped veg and cheese and the other for something like a bit of dried fruit and a biscuit.

[evianlion]

Isn't metal a scarcer resource that causes more harm in its extraction from the earth?

[purplesequins]

my dc take a lunch bag.
in it an assortment of clip lid containers for sandwich, fruit/veg, yoghurt (decanted from large container).
in summer I freeze the yoghurt to act as cool pack.

water bottle is separate and is carried in the side pocket of their rucksack.

lunchbag can go in the washing machine if it gets sticky.

buy some distinctive and cheap teaspoons.

[doctorboo]

Should’ve also said it can hold a decent amount of pizza on Pizza Friday for my 10 year old, so has done us well for the last few years. Washes fine in the dishwasher and fits inside a fabric lunch bag with space for a small ice pack too.

[Throughabushbackwards]

DS has a bento box -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B081JVPDW8/ref=ppxyoomobbbinactiveshippo0img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It says it's for toddlers but it's quite big enough for a sandwich and a bunch of snacks.

[itsgettingwierd]

I used to love my hard lunch box and flask!

Ds use to use a soft one. If you get the square ones that unzip and the lid lifts they are easier to clean. I also use to use tubs in it.

Now he uses a systema box and it fits a wrap, apple, carrot, cucumber, crisps, cereal bar and something sweet (he's 17 and a swimmer before anyone comments on how large and/or unhealthy it is ).

But I agree with just a box there is also a separate drinks bottle which cause cause losses.

[Woeismethischristmas]

I have a systema cube thing it comes with a plastic pot, water bottle, and the sandwich goes in the top.

[Tinkerbellfluffyboots79]

Mine both have the soft lunch boxes. Youngest goes packed lunch every day never had a squashed lunch. They go in the washing machine, I had a hard lunch box too but don’t see how things are more complicated? He has a little sandwich box and pots for other foods he takes. Water bottles he uses for the full day takes 2 or 3 some days.

[starfishmummy]

DS has a soft bag and I just put small reusable pots inside or wrap things up. Not had anything in the bag that can't be wiped out Never occurred to me that people might just put stuff directly in the bag. His water bottle is separate as they have those with them all day

[Lemonlemon88]

We use the sistema one. As others say, nothing needs to get wrapped as it all has its own compartments.

[ILoveUsernames]

I really miss those hard lunchboxes from the 1990's!!! I had a care bear one and a polly pocket one too these soft ones are just not the same and the systema ones don't have a handle as far as I can tell