A good lunch starts with the right gear: a lunchbox your child can open alone, a snack box for the morning break and something to carry warm food in. In the lunch category you'll find all lunch essentials for school, daycare and days out together. From brands such as b.box, Yumbox, Skip Hop, Carl Oscar, Lässig, Prêt and Sass & Belle, and handy extras from Lunch Punch and MontiiCo. Below you can read what's available and how to put together a complete lunch set.
Which lunch essentials do you need?
For most children a lunch set consists of four parts:
- A lunchbox or bento lunchbox for the main meal.
- A snack box for fruit, vegetables or a biscuit at morning break.
- A drink bottle, preferably one your child can open and close alone.
- A lunch bag to keep everything together, possibly with a cooling pack.
For children who like to take warm food along, add an insulated food jar.
Lunchboxes and bento lunchboxes
A classic lunchbox is ideal for sandwiches. Children who like to eat a little of everything often choose a bento lunchbox with compartments. A few examples from the range:
- b.box lunchbox (from 5 years): with a large compartment for a whole sandwich, an adjustable divider and a gel cooler under the sandwich tray. The b.box mini lunchbox is slightly smaller, for smaller appetites.
- Yumbox: the Original with 6 compartments, the Panino with 4 and the Snacks with 3. Leak-proof for yoghurt, apple sauce and dips.
- Skip Hop Zoo Little Kid Lunch Kit: a 700 ml lunchbox with a separate snack container and cheerful animal clips, from 3 years.
- Carl Oscar: the N'ice Box with a cooling pack in the lid, the light Sandwich Box and the Bentobox with three compartments.
- Sugarbooger Good Lunch Bento Box: 3 compartments with high inner walls and a click lid, from 3 years.
- And more: lunchboxes from Lässig, Prêt, Petit Monkey, Kidzroom (in soft silicone) and Sass & Belle.
Snack boxes for in between
For the morning break a small box is often handier than a big lunchbox. Under snack boxes and fruit containers you'll find the b.box snackbox with a flexible fruit compartment and two leak-proof compartments for yoghurt or dip, the b.box Snack Pack with spoon, the rotating Carl Oscar SnackDisc with five compartments, the silicone Rosa snack boxes from nuuroo and the Prêt snack boxes in a set of three.
Taking warm food: insulated food jars
Pasta, soup or last night's rice? With an insulated food jar the food stays at temperature until lunch. The b.box Insulated Food Jar (335 ml, from 6 months) keeps food cold for up to 7 hours and warm for up to 5 hours, and has removable handles and a spork. The Skip Hop Zoo Insulated Food Jar (325 ml, from 3 years) has a built-in cutlery holder. You'll find them under insulated food jars. Always check warm food before your child eats, so it isn't too hot.
Handy accessories
- Cooling packs: the b.box Gel Cooler Twin Pack keeps food fresh and cool for longer. Put it in the freezer overnight and in the lunchbox or lunch bag in the morning.
- Silicone cups: with the cups from Lunch Punch and MontiiCo, or the b.box silicone snack cups, you create extra compartments in your lunchbox.
- Sandwich cutters: the Lunch Punch cutters turn a sandwich into a dino, mermaid or rocket. Ideal for picky eaters.
- Separate Yumbox trays: give a Yumbox a new print or prepare tomorrow's lunch in advance.
More separate parts are under lunchbox accessories and spare parts.
Lunch essentials by age
- Toddlers at daycare: a small snack box and a b.box food jar (from 6 months) for a warm meal.
- Preschoolers: a lunchbox that opens easily, such as the Skip Hop lunch kit or the Carl Oscar Bentobox, with a separate snack box.
- Schoolchildren: a larger bento, such as the Yumbox Panino or the b.box lunchbox (from 5 years), for a hearty lunch.
Tips for a healthy lunch
Combine something with carbohydrates (a sandwich, wrap or crackers) with vegetables, fruit and something with protein, such as cheese, egg or hummus. Let your child help choose what goes into the compartments; children finish their lunch more often when they've had a say. And vary: with a bento lunchbox it's easy to pack something different every day.
Lunch essentials for days out
Lunch essentials aren't only for school. On a day at the zoo, beach or theme park, a bento lunchbox and a few snack boxes make it easy to bring your own food, which is often healthier and cheaper. An insulated food jar is lovely on cold days, and a cooling pack keeps fruit and dairy fresh on a long car journey.
Cleaning
Rinse lunchboxes and snack boxes every day and let them dry open. Many products can go in the top rack of the dishwasher, but not all: the Skip Hop food jar and the Sass & Belle Betty lunchbox, for example, cannot. So always check the product page. Remove detachable seals for hygienic cleaning.
Complete the lunch set
Keep everything together in one of the lunch bags and send drinks along from water bottles or thermos bottles. Put together a school kit and you get a discount: 5% on 2 items, 10% on 3 and 15% on 4 or more. Everything for the new school year is under school.
Ordering at Tiny Giggles
Order before 1pm, shipped the same working day. Shipping is free from €49 within the Netherlands and from €69 to Belgium and Germany, and we ship to all EU countries.
Frequently asked questions
Which lunch essentials keep food cool?
The b.box lunchbox has a gel cooler, the Carl Oscar N'ice Box a cooling pack in the lid, and the b.box Gel Cooler fits in any lunchbox or lunch bag.
What do I use for warm food?
An insulated food jar, such as the b.box Insulated Food Jar or the Skip Hop Zoo Insulated Food Jar.
Which lunchbox is leak-proof for yoghurt?
The Yumbox lunchboxes are leak-proof for yoghurt, apple sauce and dips, and the b.box snackbox has two leak-proof compartments.
Is there a discount on a school kit?
Yes: 5% on 2 items, 10% on 3 and 15% on 4 or more from Create school kit.
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