Easy(Lunch) Does It!

In case you haven't noticed, I now have a great variety of lunch boxes. Japanese-style bento boxes, as well as other compartmentalized or interlocking segment boxes. I cycle through them. I've used each kind at least once or twice so far. But the one I keep going back to is my EasyLunch box. They come in a set of 4 boxes and 4 lids. I used them so much last Summer, at all our concerts-in-the-park, I went ahead and got another set! So far, these are the only lunch box products I have loved enough to buy again! [I'm not counting Japanese-style bento boxes, since I haven't bought multiples of the same one, just different ones in various shapes, sizes, and lid designs. And I still use these far more often.]

 In short, I love these lunch boxes!

Some of the things I love about EasyLunch boxes:

• BPA, Phthalate, Lead, Vinyl and PVC free!

• Microwave and Dishwasher-Safe
• Eco-Friendly. I only use zip-top sandwich baggies for craft storage now, and as frosting bags (with a corner snipped,) or for individual shake-and-bake with my cooking classes. Or the cheapie non zip-top baggies as kid gloves for messy activities! No more throwing out 3-5 baggies after every lunch!

• Takes up less space to store. The boxes nest together to make a much shorter stack! Lids too.

• Very durable. I've used mine regularly for 8 months now, and they're all still in great shape.

• Just 2 pieces to wash. Lid and box. Not a bunch of little fiddly lids and boxes floating around the dishwasher. With all my silicone muffin liners and cookie cutters, my little dishwasher box for washing  nipples and sippy cup valves can only hold so much! The lid fits lengthwise in my top-drawer bowl pegs, and the box lays in the side where I usually wash glasses. As an added bonus, I can put a few muffin liners or cookie cutters on the pegs the box leans against, so that they aren't flying around during the wash!

• The large compartment is fairly large. Easily enough for a sandwich with any kind of bread I choose. Most of the other boxes I have require creative sandwich mutilation cutting to fit! Plus usually room for some extra food too.

• THE PRICE! $14/four boxes plus lids, and only $8 for the machine-washable cooler bag.

• The cooler bag is designed for the box(es) to sit flat. so the food isn't sloshing all around with the box on its side, like every other cooler bag I've seen for similar products. And the short handle not only makes it easier for kids to carry, but also easier to keep the bag upright and flat in transit. Plus the bag easily fits 2 EasyLunch boxes plus an ice pack and drink pouches. Or 1 EasyLunch box plus an ice pack and some smaller containers and drink boxes. Everything Z and I need for a lunch (and snack) at the park!

• The box is the perfect size for eating off of laps in the car. Since the lid comes off completely, you don't have a lid trying to counterbalance the box off the lap and onto the floor. And the box is short enough lengthwise to fit between the arms of a toddler carseat, but long enough that it's not sliding sideways off the legs. And short enough widthwise that it's not hanging off the knees. I now keep a clean box in the car at all times for unplanned Happy Meals on the road.

Also great tub-side! Fits on the edge of the bath without falling in! She loved having a special "bath lunch"!

Some of the very few downsides:

• They were designed to not be air/watertight, so that little fingers could open them without adult assistance. This is the only lunch box system we have that Z can open and close on her own, and the only one I foresee her being able to open for a while. The others are tooooo tiiiiiight! *I* have a hard time opening (and sealing) many of the lids on the other boxes and inner containers! So you'd want to avoid watery stuff like soup. For thicker stuff, like dip, salsa and yogurt, you could just be very careful not to tip the box on its side for too long, or you can fit a piece of cling wrap or wax paper over the compartment opening (with a little overlap, obviously) before putting the lid on. I haven't tried this myself, since I'm very careful not to tip my lunches, but I've read several places that this works great to prevent leaks. But, to be fair, my "No Leak" sippy cups have repeatedly leaked all over my cooler bag, while these never have!
• The compartment number and sizes aren't always perfect for my lunch plans on any given day. As I've become more and more creative in the food variety and art I make for my daughter, I find that I need more flexibility. However, the EasyLunch boxes are still perfect for MY lunches, or for extra stuff if we're just sharing both boxes. And always my go-to box if our plans include eating lunch in the car between events.

While I was watching the video, Z heard the singing and climbed up into my lap. She watched, entranced, with her elbows on my desk and hands on her chin. "I like that show. It's a pretty good show. Let me do it again."

Disclaimer: These opinions are all my own, and I am not being financially compensated in any way for posting them. However, I will be receiving two 50% off coupon codes from EasyLunch and a link from their site to my blog (free advertising! Whooop!) I plan on giving away at least one of the codes, so stay tuned! 

I am an EasyLunch affiliate, and receive 20% of each sale completed through my direct links.