Jan 23, 2023

Back to School: What our kids are taking for school lunches this year

School's in session here on the Gold Coast, but we know some of you are still deciding which Lunch Box is going to work best for your kids this school year. And we totally get it! There's a lot to consider, a bunch of Lunch Box options and so many different sizes to choose from.

We chatted to some of the Mums here at Montii to suss out which Lunch Boxes work best from our own experience - from Kindy all the way to High School.

First up, we asked Steph which Lunch Box and Lunch Bag combo her kids are using for school this year.

Steph: My oldest Hux is 9 and going into year 4. He'll be using a Coal Bento Three+, packed inside a Combat Lunch bag. He's got the Combat Backpack and a Coal Original bottle to match.

He's a pretty big eater and we often pack him a salad roll, so we needed a box with a section that is big enough to fit it for him. Hux loves all things combat / camo print and his style is a bit understated, so he was stoked that we had a less colourful option for him this year!

Sulli is 7 and going into year 2 - this year I'm packing him an Apple Bento Five and an Apple Bento Two in a Large Pixels Lunch Bag. He loves the matching Pixels backpack and uses a Kiwi Original bottle.

Sul has been known to eat all his food at first break, and then sneak down to his brothers classroom at lunch time and ask to share whatever he has left - so it works better for us to pack his food in two separate boxes. The Bento Two for morning tea, and then Bento Five for lunch.

He is also BUSTING to get out and play basketball or soccer with his friends, and doesn't have the patience to sit and eat much, so we tend to pack smaller portions of different things that can be eaten on the run. More divided sections is always a win for him. Oh and he's obsessed with Minecraft, so he loves his Pixels bag and Backpack.

Next we asked Steeny about her school lunch set up, who's youngest starts high school this year!

Steeny: William is 14 and in Grade 8 India is 12 and in grade 7 - this is her first year of high school (where did that time go?!)

We actually switch it up between Bento Fives and Bento Threes, depending on what they have on in the day. The Bento Three is great for left over pizza, wraps or bigger portions, while the Bento Five allows for some more snacky options. I always pack a Bento Two as well, with a few snacks in case they are feeling a little more hungry than usual. In the hot months I love to pack a Food Jar for fruit salad - they love watermelon and yogurt. The Food Jars keep it nice cold with no leaks!

India actually uses a Cooler Bag as a school lunch bag as they keep the lunch boxes flat and not on a side angle (apparently that's an issue for her!).

Next we asked our resident Lunch Box Queen, Kylie - who is great at getting creative in the kitchen!

Kylie: My daughter who is in Grade 2 takes the Bento Five, as she's not a huge eater and she likes lots of snacky types of food. She also takes a Bento Two for fruit break. Both are super easy to clean (I use the dishwasher) and keep her food nice & fresh. She's obsessed with her Daydreamer Lunch Bag and I love that I can fit her Bento Five and Bento Two in the same lunch bag and still have room for a piece of fruit.

My son takes a Bento Two as he's still in daycare and just needs an afternoon snack. I love that you can have wet foods next to dry, as he likes to take fruit plus some crackers. He can also easily open the latch and close it back up himself, which is great! I pack it inside the Mini Pixels Lunch Bag which is just perfect for packing snacks. He is Minecraft mad so it’s Pixels everything for him at the moment!

I use some form of bento accessories every day - the bento cups are great for dividing food and keeping things tidy in their lunchboxes. My kids hate food being messy or touching, so these are a must-have for me. I use the Surprise Boxes for dipping sauces like ketchup - LOVE that they are leakproof and that I can throw them in the top shelf of the dishwasher.

Finally we asked Ness what her kids Mila (Grade 5) and Hudson (Grade 3) are using for lunch this school year.

Ness: My kids both use the Bento 3+, they like a lot of variety for lunch and the Three+ is great for this. Hudson's favourite lunch box snack is yoghurt buttons and Mila loves cheese & crackers, so I use the Bento Cups to keep all of these bits separate.

Both of them use a Large Lunch Bag (Hearts and Combat are firm faves!) and Mila has started helping me prep lunches a couple of times a week which I love - we make them the night before so that mornings are easier.