Carrots & Cookies

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home Just for Fun

    Best High School Lunch Boxes

    Modified: Jul 30, 2024 · Published: Aug 8, 2022 by Kristi Ruth RD · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    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.

    Five lunch boxes displayed in two rows. In the front row from left to right: Adidas (grey and black), Vera Bradley (floral pattern), Jansport backpack style (black). Back row: Roxy (blue floral pattern) and Vera Bradley (grey and black detail).

    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. 😉

    Jump to:
    • Finding the Best Lunch Box
    • Dietitian Tip
    • What to Look for When Buying a Lunch Box or Lunch Bag
    • My Picks for the 5 Best Lunch Bags
    • Dietitian Tips for Buying the Best Lunch Box
    • Questions You May Have
    • Related
    • Easy Recipes to Pack in Lunch Boxes

    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.

    Dietitian Tip

    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!

    Still, it's one thing to find the right lunch box, and it's another to have food ready to pack.

    At the end of the day, what keeps me motivated to pack lunches is having the right kitchen tools and cookware at my fingertips, including lunch containers.

    What to Look for When Buying a Lunch Box or Lunch Bag

    • Will your tween or teen carry it around school?
      • Backpacks are heavy. Anything we can do to 'lighten their load' will help. This includes a lightweight lunch box. Food and food containers weigh enough, the lunch boxes should be light.
      • And, once again, style matters to most teens. Is your teen willing to be seen carrying their lunch box around?
    • Ease of Use
      • Packing lunches is less stressful when they have plenty of room to fit large containers like food jars or a thermos and smaller containers as well.
      • A lunch bag that is easy to clean is a must. Oftentimes teens are distracted and/or short on time during lunch, so they throw their containers, leftover food, and trash right back in their lunch bags.
    • How much food does it hold?
      • Growing teenagers eat a lot of food. And I mean a lot. This means their lunch box needs to hold their favorite foods, including lunch box snacks, in addition to what they would consider 'lunch' (example: a sandwich or leftovers in a thermos).
    • The shape of the lunch box
      • 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, lol. Still, when I look at all of the lunch 'boxes' favored by teens, they are actually considered lunch bags.

    You'll notice that 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.

    1
    Vera Bradley cotton lunch bag, dark grey background with a floral pattern. Image taken from amazon.com.
    Vera Bradley Cotton Lunch Bag
    This Vera Bradley lunch bag is stylish and machine washable! I've heard it's the most popular lunch bag in our local high school.
    It even works for younger kids. In fact, my 9-year-old uses this exact lunch bag every day during the school year.
    Check out this recipe
    2
    One grey Adidas unisex adult insulated lunch bag (grey with black zippers, handle and stripes on the side). Image taken from amazon.com.
    Adidas Unisex-Adult Santiago Insulated Lunch Bag
    This is my son's favorite lunch box for the third year in a row. It is durable, holds a lot of food, cleans up nicely, and is easy to carry, and comes in a variety of colors.
    Check out this recipe
    3
    A Roxy Lunch Hour Lunch Bag with floral print.
    Tilly's
    Roxy Women's Lunch Hour Bag Sack
    This continues to be my teenager daughter's favorite lunch bag. It's stylish, holds lunch and snacks, and is easy to carry around. And, as a mom, it's my favorite because it's the easiest to pack.
    Update: It's not available on Amazon right now, so this is a link for Tilly's (this is not an affiliate link).
    Check out this recipe
    4
    Bentgo Deluxe Lunch Bag
    This lunch bag is well insulated, designed to fit Bentgo style lunch boxes, and comes in a variety of colors.
    Check out this recipe
    5
    One JanSport Big Break Insulated Lunch Bag (color is black). Image taken from amazon.com.
    JanSport Big Break Insulated Lunch Bag
    This lunch bag is light weight, sturdy, and has a better price point than similar 'name brand' lunch bags for teenagers.
    Check out this recipe

    Dietitian Tips for Buying the Best Lunch Box

    1. Buy one 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.
    2. Make sure it holds enough food. Before taking the tags off and using the lunch box your teenager chooses, 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.
    3. As for keeping cold foods cold and hot foods hot: yes, their lunch box should have insulation. Just make sure it has room for ice packs and thermoses.

    Questions You May Have

    What is the best school lunch box?

    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.

    How do I keep my lunch cold for 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.

    Do you put a Bento Box in a lunch box?

    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.

    Related

    • Best Lunch Containers
    • Easy Lunch Box Snacks
    • Kitchen Gift Ideas

    Easy Recipes to Pack in Lunch Boxes

    • Top half of a California Chicken Salad sandwich made with a whole grain croissant being held up by one hand.
      The BEST Chicken Salad with Grapes
    • Up close image of nut free trail mix in a glass mason jar (top view). Trail mix also around the base of the glass jar.
      Nut Free Trail Mix for Kids
    • stack of banana carrot muffins with a carrot on the side and bananas in the background
      Banana Carrot Muffins with Raisins
    • A stack of chocolate chip cookie bars on a white plate.
      Chewy Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies

    Did this post help you find a lunch box for your high schooler? Please let me know by leaving a comment below!

    Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for nutrition tips and easy recipes!

    More Just for Fun

    • Three different smoothies in glass jars with striped straws.
      16 Ways to Increase Protein in Smoothies without Protein Powder
    • Best Lunch Containers
    • Amazon Prime Day Deals for You and Your Kitchen
    • A quarter cup measuring cup filled with orange juice inside of a one cup measuring cup.
      1/4 Cup is How Many Ounces?

    Comments

    1. Amy says

      August 03, 2023 at 11:24 am

      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 🤣

      Reply
      • Kristi says

        August 04, 2023 at 4:15 am

        Thanks, Amy! Your daughter is definitely not the only one!😅😆

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Kristi Ruth RD wearing a green top with jeans and holding a white platter with tri-colored carrots.

    Welcome to Carrots & Cookies! I'm a busy working mom of three and can now say that I've been a dietitian for 20 years!! I'm on a mission to show you that eating well doesn't have to be complicated by providing you with easy recipes and practical nutrition tips! More about me...

    Popular Recipes

    • Cherry tomato sauce topped with two small basil leaves and a sprig of fresh oregano served in a white bowl with a white spoon.
      Easy Cherry Tomato Sauce for Pasta
    • Five cooked jerk lime boneless pork chops overlapping each other one a white plate with broccoli to the right.
      Best Oven Baked Boneless Pork Chops
    • Top view of a bowl of fresh fruit salad.
      15-Minute Fresh Fruit Salad
    • Three pieces of barbecue chicken with two ears of corn topped with pieces of cilantro and served on a white plate.
      15-Minute Air Fryer BBQ Chicken
    • One ripe pineapple with a still on held up over a pile of pineapples.
      How to Pick a Good Pineapple
    • Granola in a white ramekin with pieces of granola scattered around the base of the ramekin.
      Easy Granola Recipe (Low Sugar)

    Easy Recipes for Summer

    • A pile of cooked marinated lemon pepper chicken on a white plate.
      Easy Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade
    • Chunks of fresh watermelon topped with Tajin and cinnamon.
      5-Minute Tajin and Watermelon
    • Kale salad in a yellow bowl with a set of tongs in the salad as to serve.
      Easy Kale (Tuscan) Salad
    • A chip being dipped into guacamole served in a white ramekin.
      4-Ingredient Guacamole Recipe
    • Pieces of fresh fruit on toothpicks and bamboo skewers on a white plate with yogurt and granola in separate ramekins.
      Favorite Fruit on a Stick
    • One Pitaya Bowl with toppings.
      Easy Pitaya Bowl

    Footer

    Featured In

    Southern Living logo.
    Yahoo logo.
    Well + Good logo.
    Eat This logo.
    Eating Well logo.
    Womans World logo.
    LiveStrong logo.
    Fod news logo.
    Real simple logo.
    Parade logo.
    Parents logo.
    The Beet logo.
    Clean Plate logo.

    ↑ back to top

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Copyright © 2024 Carrots & Cookies