At least that’s what my daughter maintains.
Long before we started counting down the days until her first day of kindergarten my young daughter insisted that she needed to have a lunchbox.
Mind you she was not enrolled in school at the time. She simply could not resist the aisles upon aisles of colorful lunchboxes and bags we passed at practically every store during the months of August and September.
Last year when the back-to-school items went on sale I finally gave in to her pleas and bought her the Hello Kitty lunchbox she had been drooling over for weeks. We took it on a few picnics, but otherwise it’s been used around the house to tote “treats” for her stuffed dogs.
Back then my preschooler needed a lunchbox… to play with. This year she could have really put it to good use save for the fact that she is enrolled in half-day kindergarten and will be eating lunch at home.
Still, I must admit, this year I took a keener interest in lunchboxes knowing that next year I would have to invest in one that could really accommodate my daughter’s needs and not her stuffed dog’s.
Stroll through Target or Wal-Mart and you’ll see that lunchboxes come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them have multiple zippered compartments, such as the Tupperware lunchbox, which keeps sandwiches separate from fruit, veggies or other snacks, and eliminates the need to pack various food items in individual plastic baggies.
Nutritionists give the Tupperware lunchbox high marks because the compartments serve as a reminder to include items from the major food groups. Tupperware’s lunchboxes also come with a handy freezer block, which helps keep cold food cold. Insulated lunchboxes from other manufacturers do the same, but Tupperware’s has a designated pocket for its freezer pack so the frozen block doesn’t take up valuable food space.
The downside of the Tupperware lunchbox I looked at is that it doesn’t include a water bottle or thermos. Health experts highly recommend purchasing a lunchbox that includes some type of bottle or thermos to fill with water. Doctors note that by the time your child complains of being thirsty he or she is already dehydrated. What’s more, in most cases dehydration can lead to fatigue and headaches, which can interfere with learning.
What type of lunchbox does your child use?
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