Finding the best high school lunch boxes can be the answer to your school lunch struggles. Because by the time you hit the teenage years, the lunch box (or bag) matters way more to high schoolers than what's packed in it.
Gone are the elementary years of tossing their lunch bags in one big bin when they enter the classroom. By the time teens enter middle school, they've entered the years of having to shove their lunch bags in their school backpack or carry it around with them all day long. And it's most likely the latter.
And, you know how it goes in high school. If they are carrying it all day, everyone sees it. Which means, they care more about what it looks like.
What I'm saying is that the look of the lunchbox matters. There, I said it. 😉 And as a dietitian, if the key to getting my kids to eat a more wholesome lunch at school is buying them their favorite lunch boxes with cute prints, I'm all in!
Finding the Best Lunch Box
With so many lunchbox and lunch bag options out there, it can be hard to find the right one for your kids, especially once they hit the tween and teenage years.
I'll help you narrow down your choices and figure out what to look for.
What to Look for When Buying a Lunch Box or Lunch Bag
- Style
- Choose a lightweight lunchbox. Backpacks are heavy enough with laptops and books. Anything we can do to 'lighten their load' will help.
- Style matters to most teens, so buying a lunchbox that they like the look of can make them more comfortable bringing packed lunches to school.
- Easy to Clean
- A lunch bag that is easy to clean is a must. Students are often short on time, so they throw their containers, leftover food, and trash right back in their lunch bags.
- Size
- Make sure it holds enough food AND that it fits in their backpack before taking the tags off. Pro tip: before removing the tags, put clean and empty lunch containers and unopened snacks along with ice packs in the lunch box to see if it holds what you need it to. If not, return it and try a different one that will hold more.
- Shape
- Take into consideration the size and shape of lunch containers that you use to pack lunches. For instance, wide bento-style lunch boxes will likely not fit in the bottom of a tall and narrow lunch bag, but it may fit perfectly in a lunch box with a wide base.
My Picks for the 5 Best Lunch Bags
If you are like me, you still call any reusable lunch bag a lunch box. Call it what you want;)
Interestingly, none of these options have an outside pocket that holds a water bottle. I'm assuming it's because most kids are like mine in that they prefer to carry their stainless-steel water bottles separately, in their school backpacks.
Dietitian Tips for Buying the Best Lunch Box
- Buy a lunch box or lunch bag that your teenager is willing to carry around with them. Teenagers are much more likely to eat a packed lunch if they like what it's packed in.
- As for keeping cold foods cold and hot foods hot: yes, their lunch box should have insulation. And don't forget to make sure it has room for ice packs and thermoses.
Questions You May Have
The best school lunch box is one that is easy to clean, fits enough food for your child, and is one that they are willing to carry to school.
According to the USDA, school lunches should be packed in an insulated lunch box, not in a brown paper bag.
Use at least two cold sources in an insulated bag to keep perishable foods in your lunch safe; ice or gel packs in your insulated bag or box work best.
Yes. Just be sure that you find a lunch box that will fit the Bento Box you will be using to pack lunches.
While some Bento Boxes come with ice packs, most do not come with handles to carry it around. Also, putting a Bento Box inside of a lunch bag will prevent lunch from ruining the backpack and school materials if the Bento Box were to accidentally leak.
These are just a few reasons why I recommend putting a Bento Box in a lunch bag.
Amy says
This article was spot on and I am so glad to hear my daughter is not the only one that brings all of her trash home in her lunch bag 🤣
Kristi says
Thanks, Amy! Your daughter is definitely not the only one!😅😆