My son’s lunch on the first day of grade 1. Pretty healthy huh??

If you’re a parent of young children then you’re probably all too familiar with lunch packing.

Making lunches is not as easy as it might sound!  You need to be organized, creative and always have food on hand.

The real thorn for me was the packing.  Endless food containers and missing lids contributed to a lot of unneeded stress.  You know those mysterious house gnomes that hide your car keys and seem to eat your pairing socks?  I’m pretty sure container lids are their next favourite target.  I always end up with a ton of containers with missing lids.

My son is only 6, so the number of containers that he has to worry about keeping track of is hard for him as well.  Not to mention opening and closing them all properly.  I’ll often open a lunch bag with yogurt everywhere because my son didn’t close a lid properly.

I’m so thankful those days are done with the arrival of his new lunch kit from PlanetBox.  Have you heard of them?

Lunch bag, Rover box and little dipper shown  (Spork not included!)

One container with one lid that is permanently attached!  Eco friendly, made of durable stainless steel and will hopefully be the only box my son needs for the rest of his school days.

I have a whole routine now when my son gets home.  I have him eat whatever is left over, then I wash the box and pack it for the next day.  Because the box is stainless steel, the box is freezing cold when I take out of the fridge the next morning and place into it’s insulated lunch bag.

Within the first two weeks of grade 1 I’ve already had three teachers come up to me and comment on how much they love his lunch box and his lunches.  They can’t believe how much it fits and how everything is kept fresh and organized.  I feel the same way.

The compartments are set up like a Japanese bento box.  They seal perfectly so food stays fresh and in the same place as you packed it.  I can pack 2 rice cakes in the large compartment with jam or seed butter and the rice cakes stay fresh and crisp.  Attempting this last year resulted in soggy rice cakes that were understandably not a big hit.

Here are the specs of the Rover kit:

The small container fits inside the lunch box for items like dip, yogurt or sauces and there is also a larger container that seals perfectly as well.   I have sent the small container almost every day with homemade hummus or yogurt.

The optional lunch bag is custom made to fit perfectly around the box.  It is insulated and has a compartment for a thin ice pack as well.  The bag also has a shoulder strap and spot for a drink.  I send my son’s drink tickets inside the velcro pocket.  It’s a handy pocket that is easily accessible for small hands.

This is the bag I have:

The lunch kits also come with customizable magnets.  The magnets are a really nice touch because it allows kids to be kids and have a fun looking lunch box.  My son picked the Koi fish magnets and he loves them.   I’m looking forward to purchasing the unicorn set for my little girl when she heads to JK next year!

In terms of pricing, these lunch boxes are not cheap but I think you need to consider them like an investment.   I have the Rover unit which is $50USD.   The bag, cup and magnets will cost a bit more to add but they are discounted as part of a kit.

I’m pretty confident that anyone who tries this lunch box will not want to go back to anything else.  I definitely won’t!

Yummy lunch for day 2

Giveaway Time!

PlanetBox has kindly offered a second Rover set to be given away to one of my readers!

The contest will end on October 4th, 2015 and the winner will be chosen randomly.   I’m sorry but I’m only able to offer this contest to residents of USA.

I tried to negotiate worldwide but it’s a legal rule from PlanetBox as they will be shipping the product directly to the winner.

Here’s how to qualify (both steps mandatory):

Step 1 (do one of these):

• Share this page to Facebook using the button below
• Share this page to Twitter using the button below
• Post a photo of healthy food to Instagram and tag @simplywholefoods and use hashtag #PlanetBoxContest
• Reblog this post with your WordPress account

Step 2:

• Post a comment below and tell me what you like most about the PlanetBox kit!  Also, include the name of the state you live in!

The contest will end on October 4th, 2015 and the winner will be chosen randomly.   One entry per household.  I’m sorry but I’m only able to offer this contest to residents of USA.  I tried to negotiate worldwide but it’s a legal rule from PlanetBox as they will be shipping the product directly to the winner.

DISCLOSURE:   I’ve been offered many products to review on the blog but this was the first one that I was was really interested in writing.   PlanetBox did not pay for this review but they did send me the product for free.   I’m not an affiliate so I’m not making any percentage on these sales.  All opinions expressed on simplywholefoods.com are always my own!