My name is Corey, and I’m addicted to bento & back to school lunch making supplies!
Please don’t judge… I know I Might Have a Problem. Every time I see a new lunch cutter, or bento box….I just must buy it!
I have had several requests in the past couple months to post about the tools I use to make my lunches. The bottom draw of my kitchen island lunch making station.
Awesome Back to School Lunch Supplies
- Lunch Punches
- Silicone cups
- FunBites
- Egg molds (great for sandwich balls )
- Mini alphabet cutters
- Mini shape cutters
- decorative animal cups
- MORE mini cutters
- decorative picks
- Mini silicone cups
- nori cutters
Next drawer, more goodies!
- random cookie cutters I used the most.
- Lunch Bot
- Goodbyn
- square and circle lock’n’lock boxes
- Planetbox
- small bentos: All Things For Sale.
- Rice molds, small cutter and sauce containers
- Easy Lunchboxes
- Smart Planet boxes
- Laptop Lunch box
- Reuse Box
Well… there you have it! These are some of the supplies behind the lunch making magic here at Family Fresh Meals.
I linked up some of the products to where I bought them, in case you are interested in adding to your collection. I hope you enjoyed the post! Let me know if you have any questions!
XO Corey
Our Side of the Mountain says
LOL It’s OK. Such cute stuff! Do your kids ever just throw the lunch picks out? And I’m curious – if you could only have ONE lunchbox/Bento container, what would you choose and why? I’ve only started my journey with Bento, but the kids are enjoying my simple ones. (We’ll be doing them more often in the warmer months though.)
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Man oh man… that is a difficult question… I can only pick ONE! I guess it really depends on your situation. Hands down, the Easy Lunchboxes are a great value, sturdy, both adults and kids can use them, and great dividing sections.
The Planetbox is pretty costly, but if you have a child who hates food touching, this one would be a must. The dividers are nicely organized for a section of fruit, veggies, grain, main dish, etc…
The Lock & Locks are not too expensive, and are great for small lunches.
So, it really depends on what YOUR situation is. I have 2 children, so instead of buying 2 boxes, I will buy one, see if it is a hit, and then get more. If you are just starting off, you can get a set of 4 Easy Lunchboxes for just under 14 bucks. So I would say that is a good place to start…most bang for your buck π I hope that helps!
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
PS… Ludicrous Mama posted below about picks and muffin cups. My girls do not eat lunch at school yet (still in preschool) so I have not had that problem yet. Ludicrous Mama has some great tips π
Our Side of the Mountain says
Thanks for your reply! I was leaning towards Easy Lunchboxes, but I love the look of stainless for the Planetboxes. (If only the Planetboxes weren’t so expensive! LOL) I like that the Easy Lunchboxes have 4 colors since there are 4 of us. I color-coordinate! LOL
Bobbi@bobbisbentos says
Holy crap! You make me feel a little less CRAZY π I still have to get mine posted. I like how you organized your post.
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Darn… I was hoping to get an “amazing balls” outta ya π hahah.
Jill says
Awesome Corey! It’s amazing how addicting these cute little supplies are. I love your stash and your organization – looks great!
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Thanks Jill!
Keeley McGuire says
Holy balls Corey! Haha
Can I come over and play, pah-leeeeese?! π
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Anytime!
Angie {Successful2gether} says
Holy canoli! <3 love your passio!n and commitment
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Hahaha… Holy Canoli…hahaha π
Ludicrous Mama says
To OSOTM: If you encourage your kids to bring EVERYTHING back (garbage, scraps, etc) then they won’t accidentally throw out picks or muffin cups, etc. plus you can then see how much they’re eating and WHAT they’re eating, so you stop bothering with hard boiled eggs, say, if they’re always coming home untouched. Plus leftovers can be eaten as after-school snack, or moved to the next day’s lunch (depending on perishability
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Thanks Ludicrous Mama…. since my girls are not eating at school yet, I have not had that problem…but always worried about it. So thanks for the great tips!
Shyla says
thats exactly what my daughter does, who is in the first grade. She brings it all home and we go thru it. Gives us time to talk about what she liked and didnt. And then she eats whatever is left for a snack π Teach them early
Our Side of the Mountain says
Thanks for your reply! I was curious as to how that works. We homeschool so I have a little more control over mealtimes…so far none of the muffin cups have been thrown away! LOL
Bernadette says
Ha ha:), funny, It is a blessing to have healthy habits, and healthy lunch Bento boxes is definitely a healthy addiction
Anonymous says
What!? No PlanetBoxes!?? But..but…they bring out the anal-retentive, perfectionist in me! My house may not be “Martha”, but my kid’s Planet Box is! π
Thanks for this post…I was one of the ones who asked how you store all this. I’m getting overwhelmed.
debbiechickie5
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Debbie…. you missed Planet Boxes… They are number 5 in picture number 2 π
Mommyof2girlz/StephD says
Oh my goodness! I see so many things I do not have and now want..lol Great collection!
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
I felt the same way about your collect π
YummyInspirations says
Wow! An envious collection! Have pinned this!!
MewlKitten says
I can’t wait until my collection is that big. It’s slowly getting there, but it’s nowhere near as big as your collection… yet.
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
It took me a couple years to get here π
Anna @ hiddenponies says
What a fun addiction π And it looks like you keep it so organized, just like your lunches, I love that!
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Thanks Anna!
Amy (Super Healthy Kids) says
Jealous! I want it all!
Anonymous says
So funny I have 1 dinosaur sandwich cutter and I’m always kicking it around the kitchen drawers. WOW!
Yvette Pointon says
Oh!!! SNAP!!!!
I have an addiction to Bento supplies too!! But somehow yours seem alot more organised than mine. I have a couple of boxes full and a cupboard.. sneakily buying different things every now and then. Though Australia doesn’t have much bento lunchboxes available.. its nice to see someone else who is as obsessed with Bentos as I am!!
But I bet you do yummier bento lunches than I do!!
New Liker from Perth, Australia xx
xealia says
I just started packing my 1st grader lunches again after a severe food allergy issue. I qualify for free lunches for my kid but its just not worth it when the cafeteria workers are rude to you when you personally go in to explain what he can and can’t have with lists and print outs and concerns and pics of skin rashes from the foods…
Anyways I am new to all this bento stuff but the kids are totally loving it. My youngest is 4.5 but he is at home during lunch. I still pack him one because he thinks its fun.
Anyways my questions is the mini alphabet punches/cookie cutters got terrible reviews on amazon because people couldn’t get the cookies, dough, fondant out of the cutters. I was thinking about buying that set but not being experienced in cooking or baking at all I was worried. Do you have any suggestions on how to get the letters out easier?
Corey says
I am so glad to hear that you are loving bento lunch packing! It really is fun to see the smile come across the kiddo’s face when they see their special lunch. π Yes, any of the alphabet cutters are going to be a little difficult to get the cheese, meat, fruit leather, etc.. out of, because they are so small. but I have had really good lunch with these.
http://amzn.to/YlQseO It helps to have a toothpick or a something similar, to work the food item out of the cutter. Hope that helps! XO
xealia says
Thank you for the quick reply! I was looking at those cutters but wasn’t sure. I’ve seen like 2-3 inch cutters but I wanted smaller ones to make words and such without having a ton of cookie or bread or whatever in the lunch box.
I have a lot of stuff I want now! LOL Its given me an excuse to get back in the habit of cooking again. It can be frustrating being a single mom and all three of us having different allergies, likes and dislikes. Generally dinner is eat what ever you want (within reason). Kids usually grab some veggies and PB sandwiches while I microwave a meal for myself. I don’t care for PB sandwiches and they don’t care for meat!
So when they get home from school I’m getting in the routine of washing their lunch boxes, making something for dinner, cleaning up and making their lunches for the next day. Its given me something fun to do for them when my depression has made it difficult to enjoy play time with them!
Jackie says
I have serious kitchen envy now! And Bento envy π
Corey says
Hahaha π
Lisa says
After seeing your stash, I now know how much is too much. And I have a LONG way to go before then. π I think of Bento as “Scrapbooking meets Lunch” my two fav things art and eating. <3
Robyn says
This is my favorite!! Maybe that’s why I love it!!
JustCorey says
I saw your lunch making supplies on Pinterest and had to see it!
Typically I don’t comment on posts and just repin but I HAD to this time….
My name is also Corey… I’ a mother of two boys and I love making creative lunches for them. My boys are only 3 and 1 1/2 right now and I don’t have many supplies yet, but I am sure with a little bit of time I will start collecting. Thank you for sharing some of your fun ideas… I’m sure I will be coming back to see more soon.
Corey says
Nice to meet you Corey! hehe I am so glad you found my site. π
Shawn says
That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen……and I am IN LOVE! I want every one of those amazing bins of goodness!! So jealous! Thanks for sharing!!
Arlene says
Hi Corey! Just stumbled upon your blog via Pinterest. I AM in love!
Are there any insulated bento-style containers to keep food warm that you particularly like or recommend?
This would be for my Kindergartener. So nothing too big.
Thanks!
Arlene
Corey says
Thank you Arlene! I am a big fan of the Thermos brand. Here is the link to a post a did last year about packing warm stuff for lunch. There is a link at the end for my favorite container π
https://www.familyfreshmeals.com/2012/12/how-to-pack-soup-for-lunch-in-3-easy-steps.html
Carolyn says
Love all your organizing ideas. I love to pull out my fondant/cake decorating stuff for lunches. I almost got the Easy Lunchboxes but then I realized that Glad makes the same things for super cheap and they are completely reusable as well. I have also found great supplies at the Dollar Tree. I found a sandwich sized container that also has a corner cubby for dressings or in our case for applesauce for French toast sticks or chicken bites.
Corey says
Thank you Carolyn! Yes, cake decorating stuff is GREAT for lunch making π Glad and Ziplock do make similar containers, but EasyLunchboxes do hold up MUCH longer, are much more sturdy and don’t warp like those other brands. We also like the lids better on the EasyLunchboxes because even my 4 year old can open them during her preschool lunch time. So in the end, I feel like I am saving money because my ELBs will last longer. Here is an article about it if you wanted to read more about the pros and cons π http://www.easylunchboxes.com/blog/how-do-ziploc-3-compartment-lunch-containers-compare-to-easylunchboxes/
Hope that helps Carolyn!
Gina says
Hi Corey!
I was just wondering if you have a favorite store where you go to for fun supplies. I found a lot of stuff on Amazon, but didn’t want to have to pay shipping on such small items. I live near the Wilton factory store, so I was going to check it out for silicone cups, etc. Thanks so much for the fun inspiration!!!
Corey says
Hobby Lobby is also a great place to check. One of my favorite online stores in AllThingForSale. Here is the link to that store. http://bit.ly/193ws7i
SOOOO many fun things. I hope that helps!
Robyn says
I might have cried happy excited tears about this. I’m new on our bento journey (still trying to decide what fancy things to purchase even) and I kind of just want to be like you right now!