Great Lunchbox For School/camp To Help Protect Against Cross-Contamination

[Cara in Boston]

We've been using a "wrap-n-mat" in my son's lunchbox for a couple of years and that worked well to provide him with a clean surface for his lunch while at school (can't count on the tables being clean since they are just wiped down with a damp rag between classes).  But half-way through third grade, my son didn't want to use them anymore.  Taking the extra step made him feel different than the other kids and he just likes to blend in.

 

This lunchbox (Solvetta Flatbox) is awesome and solves our problem.  It is also great for summer camp and picnics.  The sides zip down to create a placemat.  It is plenty big enough for a kid and looks cool.  All his friends want one. 

 

Just toss it in the washing machine to clean it.

 

Now he has a clean surface to eat on and doesn't feel weird or different.

 

Just thought I'd share in case anyone else was dealing with this same issue.

 

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[CajunChic]

Thanks for sharing! Very cool! I'm an elementary teacher and I have to eat lunch at the table with my kids. This may work!

[kareng]

Ooh! I want one for my lunch box collection! This is perfect for adults eating at their desk or on their lap in the car.

I'm not finding a size. About how big are they?

[bluewhitesky]

 I love it! Thanks for sharing.

[Cara in Boston]

The size is a little awkward and we didn't love it until I bought new food containers.  When zipped, the lunchbox is squarish . . . like a 6 inch cube of space. (visualize a tall, square tissue box)  The square containers from Fit N Fresh work great, as does the square set from Rubbermaid Lunch Blox.  Our older, rectangular containers just didn't work.  Neither did our tall, stainless steel water bottle.  

 

With our square containers on the bottom, we can fit a small water bottle if I lay it on it's side.  During school, the kids mostly keep a water bottle at their desk, so he just brings that down to lunch.   (I just bought some of those Vapur collapsible .4 liter bottles for camp I think those will work and if half frozen, they will keep the rest of his lunch cool too.  

 

Also, the top stays open a bit when the sides are zipped, so it is not completely enclosed like a regular lunch bag.  This has never been a problem for us - nothing falls out.

 

The mat itself is quite large when unzipped.  

[kareng]

The size is a little awkward and we didn't love it until I bought new food containers. When zipped, the lunchbox is squarish . . . like a 6 inch cube of space. (visualize a tall, square tissue box) The square containers from Fit N Fresh work great, as does the square set from Rubbermaid Lunch Blox. Our older, rectangular containers just didn't work. Neither did our tall, stainless steel water bottle.

With our square containers on the bottom, we can fit a small water bottle if I lay it on it's side. During school, the kids mostly keep a water bottle at their desk, so he just brings that down to lunch. (I just bought some of those Vapur collapsible .4 liter bottles for camp I think those will work and if half frozen, they will keep the rest of his lunch cool too.

Also, the top stays open a bit when the sides are zipped, so it is not completely enclosed like a regular lunch bag. This has never been a problem for us - nothing falls out.

The mat itself is quite large when unzipped.

Thanks. It sounds perfect for me for taking a sandwich to the baseball game or that type of thing. I have those flat vapor bottles. They make great ice packs.

I love these lunch bags because the whole bag goes in the freezer and has freezer gel in it. But they are a bit heavy to lug around all day just for a sandwich. I have seen these at different stores - bed, bath & beyond and target, and Buy Buy Baby.

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[Cara in Boston]

I have a feeling that people on this list have a lot of different lunch bags.  

 

We have the snack-sized "packit" and while it does keep things very cold, it sweats too much and gets everything else in the backpack damp/wet.  How do you keep it dry?  It is not one of my favorites.

 

My other favorite food storage/transport item is the Mr. Bento by Zogirushi (sp?).  Since both me and one of my kids has to bring our food wherever we go, it is great for dinner. (I've brought it to several weddings and it is a regular at Thanksgiving and Christmas.)  It holds a ton of food and keeps it piping hot for hours.  I think I have the Ms. Bento (slightly smaller) and I can bring food for 2 people with it.

[dilettantesteph]

We had the same problem.  That looks like a great solution.

[africanqueen99]

We have several different lunch box options - totally depends on the day.  I will say that the LL Bean one is our favorite.  Plenty of room for the storage boxes and a separate water bottle space.  Stays cold.  It's like the perfect lunch box shape!  In fact, at the end of last year she lost it (how?  I don't know!) and I picked up another one on vacation because I love it so much.

 

We're a fairly "Earthy" family and my kids were raised on cloth napkins in their lunches.  Once we got the DX I started doing paper napkins.  They take it out and put it on the table to cover anything and then put their storage boxes on top to eat.  My oldest's school also lets her out of class 30 seconds early to Chlorox wipe her space at the table before her food goes down.