Your teen needs healthy meals now more than ever, as they’re maturing into adulthood and need vitamins and minerals to grow properly. However, their daily brown paper bag lunch may not quit it for them anymore. At this point, their packed lunch should be upgraded to a better lunch box, including the best kids lunch boxes on the market today.
In this article, we’ll examine five high-quality kids lunch boxes, discuss why they’re better than a brown paper bag lunch, how they keep food cold or food warm, highlight things like ice pack integration, discuss Bentox box designs, and showcase the various features that make a lunch carrier so crucial for your teens. So let’s dive right into this subject to get started.
Quick Summary
The Top 5 Lunch Boxes for High Schoolers
In this section, we’ll highlight the five best lunch containers that your teens may love. We’ll discuss each lunch box or lunch bag, showcase why it’s better than a paper bag lunch, and highlight its overall design. There are many different factors that we can showcase here.
These elements will include showcasing whether it is a Bento box, what type of ice pack integrate it may utilize, whether it can store food like cold pizza well if it holds a good amount of food for your teen, whether it includes exterior pocket designs or interior mesh pockets layouts, and if it can fold flat for you.
While we might not hit all of these points when discussing your lunch box or lunch bag, we’ll make sure you understand these lunch bags and whether they’ll work for your own kids. We’ll also highlight things like water bottles and how well they work with items like nut butter and cold pizza.
Bentgo Kids Children’s Lunch Box
This leak-proof Bento box is designed to work with a broad range of different kids and teens. Of all the lunch bags on our list, it is probably the best for kids with a smaller appetite. This is because it typically includes individual compartments that suit the taste or appetite of a 3-7 year-old. However, smaller or less hungry teens may get an appropriate meal with this option, mainly when using an ice pack.
This Bento box design integrates five compartments that make this lunch carrier easier to use for long-term meal storage. As an insulated lunch box, it includes a lightweight bag design that makes them easy to store in backpacks. Lunch bags like these may not look like an old-school lunch box, but they can store meals like nut butter, cold pizza, sandwiches, and other foods with relative ease.
No, they won’t fold flat as you might anticipate with some lunch bags, it should still work well for most people. It includes food safe materials, including a BPA free design. You also don’t get lead or PVC in this box, meaning that it is safe for a broad range of teens and children. That benefit is huge and is something that we can’t highlight enough with this fascinating lunch box design.
Pros
- It provides a drop-proof design for clumsier teens
- The Bento design holds enough meals for smaller teens
- It works well as a lunch box or lunch carrier server
Cons
- Hungrier teens may not enjoy this box
- The Bento design may feel flimsier than similar lunch bags
EurCross Upgraded Compact Black Lunch Bag
If your teen wants stylish lunch bags, this may be the lunch bag for you. It does not have a Bento box style, but a lightweight bag feels that may work just as well for adults as it does for teens. The simple color design isn’t too distracting but may also blend with many different styles. Your fashionista teen may call this a “minimalist” bag and love how well it holds her cold pizza or nut butter.
It includes a variety of different designs, as well, including black polka dot, flora colors, white daisy styles, and more. The canvas material helps this bag fold flat for more accessible storage while holding a good amount of meals for your teen. As a lunch bag, it can also work as they transition to college years as well. So they may find lunch bags like these work well in a broad range of circumstances.
Just as importantly, the lunch box may work well for parents who need a little bit of lunch when they go out. For example, you can pack your lunch box with various drinks and meals for family trips. You may also pack lunch bags like these when going to work or visiting friends. A lunch box like this is diverse enough in its usage to provide a healthy lunch bag option for just about any teen.
Pros
- The material is strong and quite attractive
- The bag will fold flat for more accessible storage
- It includes a very simple and elegant design
Cons
- The lunch bag may seem simple to some teens
- Other teens may want lunch bags with even more style
Amersun Kids Lunch Box
If you want a reliable lunch box that will keep school lunches cold and cool and make it easier for your kid to carry their foods, you might want to consider this option. It lets you pack various foods, like crackers, yogurt, salads, and much more into an insulated design that should fit easily into their school backpack. As a result, the foods can remain cool for a long time, making them easier to enjoy.
Just as importantly, this durable lunch box keeps yogurt and other foods cool, while allowing you to pack fun lunches, salads, leftovers, and other items into at least two different pockets. These cool pockets should include convenient dishwasher safe designs and a handle that makes carrying this pack easier. The cool surface may also look great in most backpack styles and provide teens with a durable design.
The double insulated pockets should keep mealscool and cold, provide a convenient range of storage options, keep pasta, veggies, rice, and cheese safe, provide a kid friendly design that will please any mom, and wdork well as a serving tray. Amersun is one of those brands that mom learns to love quickly, as they try to create trays for healthier meals like pasta, cheese, and veggies and keep them healthy for hours.
Pros
- Carrying this box for hours may be easy
- It should fit easily onto most trays
- The cool design will keep meals cool or cold for a long time
Cons
- Mom may not like the relatively simple design
- Some older kids may not want to carry it with them
OmieBox Bento Box for Kids
If you like Bento containers for kids, this insulated lunch box may work for you. While not exactly a lightweight bag, its design is streamlined enough to include room for a water bottle, other types of lunch bags, and even a lunch carrier. Like other Bento boxes, this design should have room for your ice pack, though the overall lunch box design may not fold flat.
That said, we liked the three compartments available with this lunch box, the two temperature zones available for this lunch bag, the overall color (sky blue) that makes it quite an attractive lunch box, and the overall feel that reminded us of Pottery Barn kids containers. Teens who are just transitioning into older youth may find this insulated lunch bag works well for their nut butter and other types of foods.
They may also appreciate the leakproof Thermos jar and the easy integration of their water bottle. We strongly suggest a Bento container like this for teens who want to keep their items separate and warm and who enjoy the overall look and feel of Bento containers.
Pros
- It contains a BPA free design and no lead
- Your teens may like the overall style
- The colorful designs blend well with many styles
Cons
- It might not fold flat for easier storage
- Some may find its two-pound weight a bit bulky
MIYCOO Insulated Canvas Lunch Bag
If your teen wants a relatively large lung bag or lunch box that works well on school trips, they may appreciate this option. It is about 10-inches cubed and includes a stain resistant and dishwasher safe exterior that should make carrying meals, snacks, sandwiches, and other items reasonably easily. For example, if your teen loves sandwich lunches and plans on packing at least a few to eat, they may appreciate this design.
While it’s pretty significant compared to other options on our list, we also found that it was not bulky enough for packing into a backpack. Instead, most teens should find it fits smoothly into their backpack without much difficulty. Kids may even find this lunch bag fits into small backpack compartments and provides an insulated experience that keeps their meals and snacks safe for many hours.
Even better, while this lunch box isn’t quite the same as Pottery Barn kids lunch bag designs, this lunch box should be close enough for those teens who want to eat leftovers or have fun lunches when they’re at school. While they work well for most sandwich designs and even salads, they should keep other foods healthy and provide a fun overall design that keeps lunches fun and enjoyable, no matter which school they attend.
Pros
- The large capacity should hold a surprising amount of items
- It works well with sandwich meals
- Packing it is reasonably easy in most backpack designs
Cons
- Some may find it doesn’t fit in smaller backpack styles
- The overall look and feel is a little generic
Why a Good Lunch Box is So Important
Teens and high schools may need great lunch boxes when they go to school, hang out with friends, or go on various trips with their families. A lunch box or different lunch bags may provide many benefits and keep a teen’s meals in a healthier state. Lunch boxes are also an upgrade from a brown paper bag lunch, which may be inexpensive for many people but which isn’t quite as good as a proper lunch box.
Therefore, it is crucial to understand why upgrading from a brown paper bag lunch is a good idea and why the best kids lunch boxes provide many benefits to your teens. After we talk about why insulated lunch bags help keep your kids food cold for longer, we’ll also highlight the best kids lunch boxes on the market today. But, before diving into that topic, let’s examine some benefits of the best kids lunch boxes when sending a packed lunch with your kid.
Provides Healthy Meals
The best lunch bags or lunch boxes help your children make healthier eating decisions. Why? Instead of eating questionable cafeteria meals or eating snacks, you can send better foods with your teen. These lunch bag designs may include various compartments that keep food cold or food warm, including a Bento box type that features multiple places where you can store foods.
When you own kids lunch boxes like these, your teen can get healthy foods and even a few snacks, including various types of protein, vegetables, fruits, and even homemade potato chips. You can keep food cold or food warm for longer in these boxes, as well, allowing your teen the chance to enjoy their meal without having to deal with unappealing tastes. Unfortunately, those tastes may cause them to throw away their food and buy unhealthy options instead, which makes lunch bags critical for their health.
Cuts Back on Student Expenses
Does your teen ask you for $10-20 every day before they go to school so that they can buy lunch and snacks? Or are they spending that kind of money out of their allowance or personal income? Unfortunately, this situation is not uncommon and can be very frustrating for many parents. Thankfully, an insulated lunch box (or even better-quality reusable bags) may help cut back on these expenses quickly and efficiently.
For example, many reusable bags include things like interior mesh pocket layouts that will keep food safe for a few hours. They may also use ice packs or ice pack designs in exterior pockets to provide an insulated lunch in the main compartment. As a result, you can cut back on unnecessary expenses by sending food from your home, keeping it tasty in the lunch box, and helping your child save money during the school year.
Keeps Food Protected From Spoilage
If your teens don’t have a refrigerator in their classroom or that they can use to keep their food fabulous during the day, their meals may spoil. For example, things like nut butter, mayonnaise, meats, and fruits may lose their freshness in a brown paper bag over time. Unfortunately, that may cause their food to go bad, as mentioned before, and force them to throw it away instead of eating it.
Yes, it is nice that brown bags can fold flat and that they hold enough food for your teen. But if they can’t last longer than a few hours, what’s the point of sending a lunch in the first place? Instead, you can use an insulated lunch box to protect your child’s food and also minimize other problems. For example, most dishwasher safe lunch bags are easy to clean and mitigate bacteria spread. Even better, dishwasher safe designs may utilize stronger and safer materials as well.
Makes It Easier to Eat Fun Foods at School
Did you know that reusable bags may have room for things like your child’s water bottle, various types of snacks, meal leftovers, crackers, and even ice packs that keep their insulated lunch healthier when they go to school? For example, many Bento boxes have an ice pack compartment that you can install to keep a child’s insulated lunch healthier during the day or when they go on field trips with their class.
This ice pack design may also keep their water bottle cooler on these field trips and provide a long-term lunch storage option that should last for the whole school year. Often, you can integrate an ice pack near the main compartment. The ice should keep enough food cold (or even the entire container) long enough for your child to enjoy their food later in the day.
Which Lunch Box Do You Like?
Whether you’re a mom researching different lunch box brands, a teen looking for a cool tray that fits into their purses, or a family member trying to find cool lunch box designs that mom and kids will love, these designs should work well for you. You should find a cool design that integrates well into a teen’s life and doesn’t make them seem lame or not cool to their friends.
They’re fairly cool, fit well into most purses or other bags, integrate many unique features, and include a variety of pockets and other designs. Take your time researching these cool options to find one that works best for your needs. Remember, what is cool for mom may not be so cool to her kids.
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
