August. The end of summer vacation is in sight. I go from feeling a little silly/premature about school-supply shopping to feeling a little panicked about school-supply shopping.
One thing we need this year is something to put sandwiches in. I had a HUGE stack of Crayola sandwich boxes I bought on clearance for a dollar each, and I am not even kidding when I say the children lost a DOZEN last year. So obviously re-training is step one, but in the meantime I need sandwich containers. Ideally they should be inexpensive ones, in case the re-training isn’t very successful. I’ve got a few sandwich boxes from the dollar section at Target, but the characters are too young for the two older boys: an 8th grade boy is not going to go to school with a Woody sandwich box.
If cost were not an issue, my favorites are the Crocodile Creek ones (photo from Amazon.com). I love the look of them, and I love the idea of getting one of each type, and I love that they have cool designs like dinosaurs and solar system. But I haven’t yet found them locally, and at Amazon they’re $7-10 each. I’d be mad if the kids lost them.
I like these Trudeau sandwiches boxes (photo from Amazon.com), but you can’t choose the color and the shipping is ridiculous (nearly $8). Plus, I have some Trudeau measuring cups, and I LOVE the way they look but their handles have been snapping off one by one, so perhaps the sandwich boxes would not be durable enough either.
I love this dinosaur one (photo from Amazon.com), and the price is right [edit: it's higher now, but was around $3 when I first checked], but I glanced at the reviews before adding it to my cart and they’re terrible: the box broke quickly and, more importantly, wasn’t the right size/shape for bread. Which is kind of essential.
I’d thought the Sistema sandwich boxes (photo from Amazon.com) would be especially perfect for the middle-school kids, but my mom and I saw some of the boxes at Home Goods and they were so difficult to open and close, we could barely do it. We’d thought they might loosen with repeated use, so we stood there going snap-snap-snap-snap-snap—but they continued to be very difficult.
At $16, this Koziol green apple sandwich box is out of the question. But isn’t it CUTE?
I find the idea of reusable sandwich bags very appealing (photo from Ever So Clever on Etsy), but I’m pre-overwhelmed at the idea of finding out which ones are good. Also, the price of most options puts them out of my range. And finally, the kids have heavy water bottles in their lunch boxes; I think those would squash a sandwich that wasn’t in a box.
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What do you do for sandwich protection? Have you found an inexpensive-but-good option that wouldn’t embarrass a middle-schooler?
We have the Wrap-n-Mat (or something like that) reusable sandwich wraps, and they’ve held up well. I think they may have been on the pricey side, but they were a gift, so I’m not sure how much they were. My kids also have Kleen Kanteens they use in their lunch boxes, and I have not heard any complaints about smooshed sandwiches. But if cost is an issue, and the kids are prone to taking and tossing rather than returning, why not just buy a ton of the gladware square reusable/throw-awayable containers? The size may not be ideal, and they’re not cute, but the price is right.
Sonia | August 1st, 2012 at 11:52 am
I use Gl*dware boxes. I hope my kids never realize what they’re missing (solar system sandwich boxes — I want one for me!)
Slim | August 1st, 2012 at 3:01 pm
If you go the reusable bag route, I’ve been using and liking Re-Pac bags. They’re unfortunately on the slightly more expensive side ($5-8ish each, I think), but you can sometimes get deals on them if you buy multiples. Mine have held up really well*, and I like that they can be put in the dishwasher and have zippers rather than velcro. (*For full disclosure, they’ve been used by my husband and I for taking lunches to work, not by kids, but they’ve still withstood a lot of abuse in laptop bags and travel.)
Leslie | August 1st, 2012 at 4:05 pm
We have some Sistema sandwich boxes which are easy to open (my 3 year old can do it no problem) so possibly you came across a bad batch?
We also have Crocodile Creek water bottles (metal) and, sadly, the illustration comes off (I don’t put them in the dishwasher - just general wear and tear must rub off the picture). My daughter has the solar system water bottle and unfortunately all the planets are now unidentifiable!
Beth | August 2nd, 2012 at 5:12 pm
I too have the Systema stuff (I take a salad to work every day in their salad box too) and they are easy to open. I 2nd the bad batch idea.
Jo | August 2nd, 2012 at 9:51 pm
I use the Target character ones which are fine for my 6 yr old, but no longer appropriate for my 9 yr old. For her, whenever I find one that is plain, I grab it! I have the Trudeau one you posted and I like it a lot. We have never had a problem with that one.
For plain ones you might check Bed Bath and Beyond and I think I have one from Old Navy, or if you have a Kitchen Collection near you, they should still sell the Crayola ones.
One last thing, maybe a smooshed sandwich would be a good reminder to not lose the sandwich containers!
Chris | August 3rd, 2012 at 12:42 am
Can you maybe just put a cute sticker over the too-young characters on the cheapo boxes? I feel like there have to be plastic-based stickers (instead of paper-based) that wouldn’t wash off in the dishwasher. And even if it did eventually disintegrate, another sticker could just be slapped on top.
Robin | August 3rd, 2012 at 4:10 pm
I’m trying some stainless steel lunchbot boxes for my middle-schooler this year. I like the idea of avoiding plastic as much as possible, and they are supposed to be dishwasher safe. We’ll see how it goes. (My daughter used to accidentally throw away her reusable ice thingies when she was in elementary school.) She has a stainless steel thermos (with built-in spoon) that is great for taking spaghetti, soup, etc. to school.
Elizabeth | August 3rd, 2012 at 10:50 pm
I have ordered bags from the etsy shop Johnson family zoo and would order from them again. Right now it looks like they have a bulk sale on–34 for 10 bags. They have tonnes of cute fabrics to choose from (including a number of owl patterns). The bags are ripstop nylon inside (which I like and trust more than the vinyl lined ones). They have held up for me so far. I wouldn’t use them for anything wet or oily as they’ll leak through but sandwiches should be fine. The liner may stain (carrots got one of my bags) but the outer fabric will not be stained. A leftover sandwich or muffin will be stale the next day.
I’ve bought different bags and wraps from a few different companies and theirs are my favourite style, size and prints.
Bunnyslippers | August 4th, 2012 at 5:23 am
I saw those Trudeau Fuel boxes at my Publix today for $3.50 each, all colors, just FYI! But as many sandwiches as you’re going to be packing, I’m wondering if it would be better to just buy a ton of the cheap Crayola or Wonderbread ones and just anticipate the losses…
Suzannah | August 5th, 2012 at 11:52 pm