"My, where did you get that lovely lunch box?"

It was another noon release day today, so instead of a lunch box I decided to write up another FAQ-type post, this time answering the timeless question, "Where did you get the lunch box?" (Yes, I know the link is right there in the sidebar, but people still ask me a lot!)

The lunch box you see in the pictures is a Laptop Lunch System from Obentec. We love it! The bento-inspired lunch box comes with removable containers in different sizes and colors, and a space for a fork and spoon. One of the larger containers has a lid to hold wet foods like applesauce or soy yogurt, and the set includes one tiny lidded container for things like dressing and dip. The other containers simply go into the lunch box without lids and the cover of the lunch box acts as a lid to hold them in place. Usually this is enough, but if I’m packing something very small, like peas and corn, I will cover the inner container with plastic wrap or foil just to be safe.

The Laptop Lunches FAQ can answer more questions regarding the lunch box system.

"Does it hold enough for an adult?" I think so. It certainly has space to hold more than I could eat! If you also purchase a thermos or lunch jar, it should hold all you need for a good-sized adult meal.

"How do you keep his food cold?" The entire lunch box slips into an insulated carrying case with room for a beverage container and an ice pack.

"How do you keep his food hot?" If it's something that really needs to be eaten warm, I will pack it in a preheated thermos (fill with boiling water and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes, then drain, dry, and fill with hot soup or stew). The thermos we use is a 10 oz. thermos I found at our local grocery store. There are some nice thermoses online at the Thermos Website, and the Laptop Lunch people also sell a large "food jar".

"How does he reheat things?" He doesn't; he eats things like cooked veggies, pizza, etc. cold or at room temperature. Although I have seen some classrooms with microwaves, his class does not have access to one. Before you decide that sounds awful, think of all the great cold cooked veggies and beans you find at salad bars, and think of the cold pizza college students eat for breakfast! You can eat a lot of things cold that we are simply in the habit of eating hot.

"How do you keep the apple slices from turning brown?" (I know that's not specifically about the lunch box, but it's another one I hear a lot.) I toss his apple slices with a bit of orange juice. If we're having grapefruit for breakfast, I'll sprinkle the slices with grapefruit juice. Lemon juice will also work, but we find it too sour. Citrus soda will also do the trick, but we don't tend to have any around.

Whew! I think that's it, and we can use this comments section to ask more questions specifically regarding the lunch box.