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As much as I’m always sad to see the summer come to a close, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited that it’s almost back-to-school time. And it’s not just because I’m looking forward to turning the kids over to someone else during the day, but also because I love all the back-to school gear. Pens, binders, organizers—you name it, all the school supplies make my heart sing. And it’s not just the school organization tools that I adore, I love the lunch-box ones as well.
And because this is a nutrition blog, I figure you all would rather me post about my food-related must-haves than my favorite note books (maybe?). Here are the winners in our house:
- Thermos Funtainer water bottle
I don’t want to brag here, but I think I can confidently say I have tried every single kids water bottle out there. And while there are some that I love for everyday use, (hi, Hydroflask!) this water bottle takes the cake for school use as it can be put in a lunch box, kept in a desk or thrown in the bottom of a back pack and it Will. Not. Leak.
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2. Bentgo Lunch Boxes for Kids
There are a lot of great bento boxes out there (LunchBots is another good one that’s in our household rotation), but these have more compartments than some of the others which I find to be more fun for younger ones (these are ideal for 3-7 year olds) as variety can be conducive to expanding their sometimes picky palates.
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I’m hoping I’m not the only nerd out there who appreciates a nicely designed ice pack. Not only are these adorable, but they really do a great job keeping food cold.
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I realllllly would like to be able to put a reusable sandwich bag on this list, but I reallllly don’t like them. I’ve tried, I’ve really tried, but washing out four cloth or plastic sandwich bags AND trying to find a place to prop them open to dry them so they won’t get mildewy and smelly, is just not in the cards. I know my weaknesses and this is one. I adore these from Lunchskins and I feel slightly better about myself that they are both recyclable and compostable.
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When our oldest was in preschool, we would often pack her with a thermos for lunch and fill it with pasta, soups, oatmeal. But for some reason we stopped doing that and I don’t know why. Thermoses are such a valuable lunch-box investment and I’m loving this one because the opening is really wide and it comes with its own spoon!
![](https://www.riversidenutrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/51Aej4VvItL._SX466_.jpg)
Even though I’m not the best at the reusable sandwich bags, these containers have been a huge hit in our house for a long time. They are the perfect size for snacks for either the kids or myself and they are dishwasher safe. I love these. They are a little of the pricey side, but I bought four about two years ago and we have literally used them every day.
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I can’t tell you how many times I have had this conversation with the kids while unpacking their lunchboxes: “Hey—where is the spoon I packed today in your lunch box?…You threw it out?! That was a real spoon!!”
With these plastic utensils, I have peace of mind knowing that even if the kids do chuck them in the trash, it’s not as bad as losing the ones that we registered for.
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My kids have inadvertently donated too many lunch containers and water bottles to other families because they aren’t labeled. I thought my labeling days would be reserved for just summer camp but I’ve found that our house loses a whole lot less stuff the more I label. So now I label everything. Backpacks, shoes, clothes, lunchboxes, water bottles, ice packs—everything.
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