I was sick of using plastic bags. I felt guilty creating such waste every time I made a lunch for my daughter to take to preschool, plus I didn’t think the lunch looked very appetizing — piles of plastic that had to be opened to get the food out. I thought, “there must be a better way” and lo and behold, I spotted it: a lunch box that opened up and had compartments for the different foods. I only saw it from afar at a playground, but it caught my eye and I never forgot it. “I must get one of those lunch systems” I thought to myself, and then, there it was again — my sister had a Laptop Lunch System for each of her boys (ages 5 and 7). She gave my girls each a set as a gift.
It was a gift to me, really, as it made my life easier and made my daughters excited about their lunch! And no more plastic bags.
Here’s why I like Laptop Lunches so much as a mom:
- It comes as a whole system, with carrying case (that looks like a laptop computer case, hence the name Laptop Lunch), water bottle and fork and spoon. I didn’t have to add a thing to start packing lunches.
- You can choose from various color options. Kids love color!
- It forces you, the lunch-maker, to be creative because there are 4 little compartments to fill, 5 with the little dipper one (it’s actually kind of fun!)
- It is so easy to wash!
Here’s why I like Laptop Lunches so much as a mom of kids with food allergies:
- Allergic children have to bring their own lunches ALL the time, so anything that makes it easier to pack a lunch is great.
- Most prepackaged foods are filled with allergens — think packs of cheese and crackers, little packs of goldfish, peanut butter and ritz crackers — so these aren’t an option to throw in a lunch. These little compartments make it possible to put in healthier foods and serve them like you would a meal at home, like beans or olives or fresh corn or gluten-free pasta salad.
- Food looks so appetizing when served this way, the allergic kid will not feel he’s missing out on a thing!
Here’s a lunch I made recently. It’s nothing fancy, but somehow looks a lot yummier than if it were in plastic bags.
Don’t have kids? Want to eat healthier? The Laptop Lunch is great for adults too. There are some mellow color options if you don’t think hot pink will work in your office!
You can win a Laptop Lunch System!
This is very exciting… one lucky reader will receive a complete Laptop Lunch System, courtesy of Obentec, Inc., the company that makes them. Just leave a comment below with an idea you have for what to put in the Laptop Lunch before July 4 and I will randomly select one of you as the winner.
For more information and to purchase Laptop Lunches, visit laptoplunches.com
CONTEST UPDATE: A winner has been announced… go here to see who the lucky gal is!
Gladys says
My allergic kid loves these kinds of lunches, and he’s starting kindergarten in September, so I could send him with all sorts of snacks and treats. I’d put his favourite organic oreos in one, strawberries or raspberries in another, and his favourite pea-butter sandwich in another. Thanks for the fun contest!
Sharon in S.R. says
refried beans
tortilla chips
pineapple chunks
cucumber slices
Gabrielle says
I’ve been eyeing these lunchboxes for a long time now – great contest!
Bella’s a little adventurous, so I would put in some fried tofu, sticky rice with sesame seeds, and steamed broccoli with a drizzle of sesame oil. For fruit I’d do some chunks of mango along with some blueberries with a drizzle of lime juice. Oh, and a little container of dipping sauce – my kid loves to dip things!
OK, now I’m hungry.
Jennifer Sitko says
This would be so great for my nephew Wylie that accidently eats other kids foods and the teachers get lunches mixed up at school. Great give-away! Thanks Sure Foods Living!!!
jen says
My preschooler is a gourmand in the making – as well as an organizer extraordinaire! This lunchtime laptop system is right up his alley! And looks like a new must have for our household. His diet is gluten/casein free and we laugh when we call ourselves a “walking refrigerator” because we are always carrying our own food everywhere – Not a hassle, it just makes eating with special diets easier for us! And this system looks like icing on the cake! Great idea!
Libby says
Oh, I’ve been wanting one of these for a long time, but haven’t been able to convince myself to spend that much for a lunch box!
For my allergic little guy in preschool, I’d put some hummus in the neat little container with a lid, then put homemade dinosaur crackers, cucumber, and carrots for dipping. Probably an oatmeal raisin cookie, and a dinosaur sticker, too, just because!
Rebekah says
We’d do some rice chips or GF crackers, with hummus dip. Goat yogurt, fresh fruit like berries or grapes, slices of GF deli meat rolled up around a pickle.
beth says
this would be perfect for my niece. she starts kindergarten in a year and will have to start bringing her own lunch.. she would LOVE the hot pink b/c she thinks she is a princess. great idea!!!
carrie says
i love these! let’s see…this would be perfect for a little black bean burger, cherry tomatoes, grapes and snapea crisps!! i hope i win it!
crockpot lady says
oh what a fun lunch bag and box!
I’ve been wanting a bento box for the kids for a while, but was worried about the quality of the plastic and the chemicals. Where are these made? Are they BPA-free?
-steph
crockpot lady says
lol, I found my own answers. I should have known a mom from Santa Cruz wouldn’t have funny plastic… 😉
thanks, Alison. our family needed something like this. I’m going to order two.
-steph
mia says
These look great! We’ve been looking for a more eco-friendly option for the traditional lunch box filled with plastic bags.
My girls love beans (black and pinto) so those would be great in the container with the lid. They also love to dip carrot sticks in hummus, so that little dip container is the perfect size for that. And then a sandwich with the great bread from Glutenfree Mommy blog and some grapes sounds like the perfect GF lunch!
Thanks so much for posting about this product!
Kelly Porter says
I’d have my kids help me choose one type of food for each box.
1) A Fruit or Vegetable (We like cucumbers or carrots with my favorite Ranch dipping sauce, “Ranch Free” — it doesn’t have eggs because my son is allergic to them, and it’s the only one without eggs that my daughter likes!)
2) A Dairy product (cheese, yogurt or milk)
3) A meat (Tuna, Turkey)?
4) A bread (Bread, tortilla, crackers?)
5) And I’d tape a note to the inside lid of the laptop telling them how much I love them and that I hope they’re enjoying their day!
I really want this lunch box! I might have to buy 4. One for the adults too! This is going on my Christmas wish list that I send to the grandparents!
kristin smith says
My son started using Laptop Lunch box this year just after starting kindergarten. A mom from his school started the company (we live in SC). All of the kids love them! our favorite is peanut butter (or some other dip) in the smallest little hot pink container. Carrots, nuts/raisins/banana chips in one, apples dusted with cinnamon in the one with the lid, cantalope, mango, or pineapple in the other, and of course the pBJ (or turkey and cheese) sandwich. my son’s actual favorite is a gluten free waffle, toasted and cut in half to make a sandwich with peanut butter and bananas!
For other great products (ie bottles made of ok plastic, and stainless steel sippy cups, reusable bags, organic cotton clothing, etc, check out another santa cruz mom’s website: http://www.nubiusorganics.com
Kelly Gerber says
Alison these are way cool. Good find! I had never seen these before. Now I sit patiently hoping I win the random drawing. Do you accept bribes?
Linda Kline says
edamame, roasted tomato hummus dip with some carrot sticks, strawberries and grapes, cheese cubes and K-Toos Oreo Cookies
Samantha says
Love it! Thanks for sharing. I will have to buy a few. Bella would love Grapes/Strawberries, cucumber/ red peppers/carrots, hummus dip and pita bread.
Jennifer says
We would love a to win a blue or green laptop lunch! I would pack veggies and dip, crackers with peanut butter, mini muffins, and cheese and meat cubes.
Pam says
Just saw a live version of this lunchbox at a friend’s house a week ago and had lunch box envy!!
We could have turkey rollups, pita chips and hummus, carrotts and grapes!!!
YUM!
And the whole laptop theme will work w/my computer-obsessed boy.
Thanks!! Pam
Alex says
Ok, I’ll bite on this one. It looks pretty handy. Although, I don’t think all my food will fit! My nut butter or nuts in one, veggies in one, protein in another, and maybe even room for some fruit. Even if I have to take one extra container, this would be helpful!
courtney says
This looks great! We’ve been using a smaller version with great success- the kids love it and it has saved us a lot of baggies- but this one is much more colorful. Very nice giveaway!
Sarah S. Chicken says
I’ve been excited about one of these for a long time. The part I’m excited about is sending more veggies for my daughter. It’s easy to be lazy when it comes to veggies, but when there are so many compartments, I bet I could fit some in.
Heather G says
My 4 year old would be proud to have one of these! He’d have a turkey & cheese sandwich with grapes, yogurt and carrots.
Elizabeth says
i’m just starting on this adventure. My son was hospitalized at two-weeks for protein allergies, but they said it was probably just temporary. Well, as he was approaching a year-old, they said to try introducing some dairy or soy into his diet to see how he handled it. With his prilosec, he seemed to do ok stomach wise, be he developed an atopic eczema spot which they think was food allergy related, so we’re in for the long haul!
Annika says
I’d send lunch to work with my husband: a turkey sandwich, chips, carrots & celery (or crackers or wasabe peas or sesame sticks), and an apple.
Carrie H. says
We could really use one of these! My kiddo is dairy-allergic, so no easy snacks for us. She likes olives, beans, sausages, and fruit of all kinds. Thanks for the giveaway!
Beckie says
OH, I have been studying the Bento Boxes websites, LOL! I have LOTS of ideas 😉
kelly says
Hummous and Crackers are a favorite around here. Also trail-mix with fruit, sunflower seeds, etc.
Samantha says
My kid-o loves variety … so I would try
hummas, carrot sticks, sliced turkey/swiss (no bread please), strawberries and goldfish/pretzels … she would be so jazzed that each thing has it’s own compartment … she’s not too keen on food touching. Her favorite dinner plate is three compartment setup.
Mindy B. says
What a great idea! How long have these lunchboxes been around? Easy to clean and less waste – perfect! I’m always trying to get my husband to eat healthier when he goes to work, and this would work well. He loves sandwiches, quesadillas, celery dipped in peanut butter, apple slices, crackers with cheese, carrot sticks, salads (the laptop lunchbox would make packing salads easy!), sliced cucumbers, and anything easy to eat while he’s working.
Heather says
This would be perfect for my grazing son or my dairy allergic daughter! And it would help me stick to the three parts grain, one part protein, two parts vegetable rule of thumb.
Megret says
I’d love to learn how to make those cute little animals in the Japanese bento boxes. I think hard-boiled eggs would be a great addition to these boxes – one of my kids’ favorite things to eat!
Thanks!
Megret
meg.wilson@gmail.com
Alexandra says
For our kids, multi-grain tortilla triangles in one, hummus in the dip cup to put on the torillas, edamame, cut up melon and rolled up turkey slices.
adrienne says
Cheese sandwiches, sliced apples, peaches, and something crunchy.
BRash says
Grilled chicken slices, sliced veggies, a tortilla and some sour cream or guacamole in the dip container – all the makings for on-the-go-fajitas!
Kara says
OMG, I must get one of those! I’m so tired of the nasty mess that’s left in my son’s fabric/plastic bag. No matter how hard I scrub, the stains never some out!
Kara says
Oh yeah, and my son’s lunch would probably look like: chicken, white rice, yogurt, goldfish and water.
Allison says
lots of finger food:
edamame or roasted chickpeas
blanched snap peas with sesame ginger dresssing for dipping
baby carrots (of course)
strawberries & blueberries
rice crackers
Kate says
We’re in the process of having my son tested for allergies, but it looks like he’s probably peanut allergic. So I’d use it for anything he’d eat and NO pb&j!!
(Probably lots of Goldfish, plums, cucumber chunks, cheese, and yogurt!)
ragtopday says
My daughter would love this!! She’s into small portions of lots of different foods, so I’d do different fruits, cheese, dippers, bread sticks, red pepper slices and cool, clean water! What a cool product!
Laura says
I have a peanut / nut allergic son and this would be perfect. Over the last 6 months we have been living a “greener” lifestyle and this fall when he starts school we are piloting the no-trash lunch. I was just recently introduced to the Bento concept and have been mulling over which is the best system – this is perfect! Other than peanuts and nuts he loves most food. Sunbutter sandwiches, crackers, cheese sticks, juice, fruit, spicy dips (I know, crazy), lunch meats, and anything sweet he can get his hands on 🙂
Sandy says
I would love this for putting their lunches or snacks in! It would be especially handy for outings to the zoo, where we could put in a sandwich, some fruit, some crackers, and maybe something extra for a snack too!
Candace Prosser says
I don’t have a n allergic child, but i have a texture sensitive child. My sonn will vomit at the table if he gets one miniscule amount of certain common veggies and fruits.
He starts K in the fall. I would pack a pjb cut with his favorite train cookie cutters, frozen strawberries and blueberries, fresh broccoli with ranch in the dipping container, yogurt, and a napkin with a note fom mom, dad, and sister.
kirida says
I would put tons of snacks like chips and fruit and with this I could decorate it like those funky bento pics I see on flickr.
Misty says
Oh oh oh! I recently saw pictures and ideas for the Japanese lunch box–bento boxes. I bet this would be a great way to Americanize the trend. That’s what I would do 🙂
Andrea says
sandwich, pretzels, fruit, carrot sticks and dip
We are getting ready to start preschool so this would be perfect
Shannon says
Oh! Such a sweet little set! My daughter starts school this fall, and I am so excited to create lunches. (We’ll just see how long that lasts.) I want to recreate some of the lunches from the book “Bread and Jam for Francis.” Now, where can I find a tiny individual sized salt shaker!?
Amy says
Oooooh — I love this! I would have baby carrots in one section with dip in another. A yummy pasta salad in the large section. And finally, one of the spring rolls that my daughter and I make together (the rice-paper kind — not fried) in the last section. The most popular fillings for that are: shredded sauteed brussel sprouts, avacado, rice noodles and shredded carrot. The dip can do double duty because she likes to dip the spring rolls too. Mmmm. I just made myself hungry!
Jean says
Our school has a trash-free lunch policy, and is also nut-free. (Though at first we drove ourselves nuts trying to pack lunches that didn’t produce trash!)
I would put a cloth napkin in one compartment, some Sunbutter balls in another (Sunbutter mixed with coconut, sesame seeds, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, cinnamon and honey). Also, melon balls in another compartment, and carrot sticks. That’s just what I feel like eating right now.
Pick me, pick me 🙂
Karen says
Pita pocket in the main compartment and then the fixings in the other ones. Yum!