A while back I posted some stories on my Instagram showing the lunchboxes that we use in our home for my husband and the kids. I got a lot of interest and questions about where the lunchbox was from and so many of you wanted to know more about it. Well, here’s the post as promised! At first I was looking for stainless steel, but at the time the only one available was PlanetBox, and I didn’t like that it wasn’t leak-proof. I just recently discovered a better alternative if you are looking for stainless steel, called the ThinkSport GO2 (which also has a place for a fork and spoon), as mentioned in Tanveer Kaur’s earlier School Lunch Ideas post. Our go-to lunchbox is called a Yumbox and we have almost every variety of Yumbox for our family. We have been using it since my eldest started kindergarten 6 years ago!
5 Reasons We Love Our Yumboxes
- They are leak-proof and durable! Each portioned compartment is sealed individually so that the food is not touching or leaking outside of the box. I have successfully put dahi/yogurt in it, and there has never been any crossover into the other compartments.
- Portion Control + Healthy Balance. It is a bento-style lunchbox that has a tray with pre-portioned illustrated compartments. I love it because it feels like it makes lunch-making effortless. There are no extra containers, lids or baggies to worry about.
- Kid-friendly. All three of my kids (ranging from ages 3-10) can open and close the lid with ease. The illustrations on each compartment make it fun and educational for the kids as well, and they are able to learn how to instill healthy eating habits. Depending on which tray/lunchbox illustration you have, compartments are labelled, “veggies, fruit, grains, protein, dairy”. Not only does it make it easier for us to pack their lunches, but the kids are learning what the important parts of a meal are!
- The adult Yumbox (Tapas) has interchangeable trays. I purchased the adult-sized box last fall for my husband. This lunchbox has trays for 4 + 5 compartments and is made for larger portions, it has a 4.2 cup capacity. The snack compartments are larger than the kids 4 compartment Panino size (2.5 cup capacity + dip). When I originally bought the Tapas, it came with a 5 compartment tray, but since I like to mostly send sandwiches for the hubby, I also purchased the 4 compartment separately for flexibility. Please note: the kid-size Paninos and Original trays are NOT interchangeable because the seal on the lid is not compatible to work that way. However, the adult-size Tapas lid seal is made so that you can interchange the trays as needed.
- We don’t own any other lunchboxes apart from the Yumboxes, because we haven’t felt the need. I love that they are lightweight, easy to open and close, easy to pack, easy to wash (top rack dishwasher-safe although we usually hand wash them), easy to store, and BPA-free!
Comparison of the Yumboxes We Own
My three year old daughter uses this Yumbox Original when she goes to preschool 4 days a week. I really like this box and tray combo for her age group, because the portions are manageable for her. It also gives her a variety and makes it fun for her as she polishes off each section. It’s more than enough to satisfy her hunger while she’s at school. I usually like to give her hummus in the protein portion because she loves it. We use whole grain seed crackers for grains mostly, and her favourite snap peas in the veggies compartment. The fruit compartment is always different depending on what we have on hand, and she enjoys having a variety of fruit. In the dairy section, I either put cheese sticks or yogurt tubes. The dip compartment is quite small and hard to get your fingers into sometimes, but it’s good for her tiny fingers. I usually put her daily gelatin-free vitamins in the dip section.
My boys do not like to go out of their comfort zones very often. Apart from the occasional naan pizza, quesadilla or homemade alphaghetti, they typically take the same lunches to school day after day. They seem to be okay with it, so it’s working for now. My eldest is finally starting to venture out a little bit more recently, asking for different things in his sandwiches. This Yumbox Panino is perfect for the boys because I am able to place their sandwich, fruit, veggies and vitamins perfectly into one box. Most of the time its a cheese and hummus sandwich, occasionally with the Yves Veggie Bologna and Hellman’s Vegan Mayo. They both have their veggie and fruit preferences, so it usually just depends what we have on hand. Again, I usually place their vegan vitamin gummies in the dip section.
My husband usually gets leftovers from dinner the night before, with no complaints, ever (he’s pretty awesome)! On occasion, I send sandwiches to break things up a bit and give him some variety. As you can see, the compartments are bigger than the Panino boxes, so I am able to fit a lot more in. He usually gets a sugary snack if we have any on hand (cookies, cupcakes, banana bread etc.), some veggies or fruit, and a packed sandwich with all the goodies. The only bread we ever use is amazing, it’s a family favourite. It is organic, and made from sprouted whole wheat and wheat flour, with 10g of whole grains per slice, and best of all its delicious. I get it from Costco in a 2-pack for $7.99. It’s called Silver Hills Organic Soft Wheat.
Yumbox MiniSnack
These Yumbox MiniSnack boxes are perfect if we are going out for a bit and I feel like the kids might need a little snack to keep them going. I mostly use them if the boys have a school-provided lunch (veggie hot dog days, pizza day, taco day etc.) and they just need a small snack for recess. These ones have 3 compartments; a very tiny (almost useless) dip section which doesn’t fit very much of anything, except vitamins maybe, or some raisins, and two compartments, one bigger than the other. It’s good for a fruit snack, or hummus and crackers, etc.
Where to Buy
The Yumbox may seem pricey, but I believe it is worth it because we have been using the original one I bought for over 6 years already and still haven’t had the need to replace it. We have gotten our money’s worth for sure. The Yumbox is widely available nowadays. Here are some places you can purchase it:
USA:
Canada:
Cute Kid Stuff (located in ON, they have local pickup available, and best website to buy if you’re from Canada, they have more sales so you will get more bang for your buck, especially if you are buying multiples)
Amazon Canada (too pricey on here)
UK: