Best Back to School Item: Bento Boxes

Product Review Sunday for Nannies and Au Pairs

The product I love the most for back to school is the Bento Box! Disposable plastic bags and brown paper lunch bags are no longer the norm for school lunches. With cute, assorted-size compartments for sandwiches, side dishes, fruits and veggies, and a mid-day snack, a Bento box is quickly becoming the most popular lunch box in the cafeteria. Plus, they come in  so many shapes and styles they are great for pre-school children, to teens, and even the parents when they go to work. I love that they children's fruits, sandwiches, and snacks don't get mushed as they do in a brown paper sack. Best of all, you can be rest assured nutritious food is ingested and nothing else, as the box is free of phthalates, lead, and bisphenol A (BPA). This is a "green" and cool way for kids to enjoy lunch at school.

Laptop Lunch B630 Flower-Print Insulated Food Carrier by Laptop Lunches



The Flower Bento System 2.0 is ideal for families who embrace the bento concept for its function and sustainable style, but value the insulation, and appeal of the traditional lunchbox. This brand new Bento System 2.0 is ideal for school and travel. The insulated carrying case keeps foods fresh, and the sturdy containers prevent squishing. It includes the Laptop Lunches Bento 2.0 with a black outer container and inner containers in magenta, all-stainless utensils, a black insulated carrying case with an flower pattern on the front, a water bottle, and one copy of The Laptop Lunch User's Guide. The exterior fabric is made from 100-percent post-consumer recycled polypropylene material; Free of phthalat, BPA, and lead. Smaller inner containers are included. The plastic containers (not lids) are microwave safe, Dishwasher safe-top rack only. Made in USA. Find more styles online.

Kotobuki 280-129 2-Tiered Bento Box, Panda Face by Kotobuki



This panda-shaped bento box has a black-and-white exterior that's illustrated with eyes, smiling mouth, and black puffy ears. The bento is composed of two compartments that stack on top of each other. The upper compartment seals shut with a fitted plastic lid and it doubles as a lid for the bottom compartment. The panda-illustrated lid then covers the top compartment, and an elastic band (complete with eyebrows that can be placed above the panda's eyes) secures the two compartments together when traveling. Kotubuki bento boxes are made in Japan of durable food-safe plastic. The top and bottom compartments are both microwave and dishwasher safe; the inner lid that covers the top compartment is not microwave safe and should be hand washed.

Kotobuki 2-Tiered Bento Box, Frog Face by Kotobuki



This frog-shaped bento box has a green exterior that's illustrated with eyes and a smiling mouth. The stacking two tiers keep foods and flavors separate and the top tier has a press on lid to prevent spills. Includes an elastic band to hold the tiers together. Durable, attractive, and easy to clean. Made in Japan. Same product description above for the Panda Face Bento Box.