- Today, I'm gonna show you six essential things
you need to pack a healthy and fresh school or office lunch.
Say goodbye to paper bags and mushy sandwiches.
With these basic tools, your lunch packing
possibilities are endless.
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Hi guys, welcome back to another video
in our lunch packing basics series.
If you haven't checked out the top five thermos videos
and top five lunch container videos,
make sure to check those out.
They're super helpful, and in those videos,
I share in detail how each of these containers
compares against the others.
But today, I'm here to walk you through
just the basic things you need to pack a fresh lunch.
With so many options out there, shopping for supplies
can become an overwhelming task, and it's easy
to waste money on things that aren't really necessary.
To get started with lunch packing, all you really need
are these six essential supplies.
So let's start with our most important one, the lunch bag.
Yes, the lunch bag that you purchase determines
the type of lunch container you'll be able to fit inside.
So I always recommend one of these more square
just shaped lunch bags, 'cause you can not only fit
a lunch container, but some of the other things as well.
What's great about having a lunch bag on hand
is that you don't need to buy paper bags
or throw food inside of a backpack,
and then come to find out that the container opened
and now you have a mess between the binders.
That's no bueno.
As you can see, you can buy a single layer rectangular bag,
meaning the lunch bag fits just about
one container, and that's about it.
Okay, maybe an ice pack and a couple of other things.
Of course, there are many configurations of things
that will fit in one of these, like a thermos,
spoon, a drink, and a snack.
But if you want more room and more container options,
I recommend a double layer bag, meaning
it's like two of these put together.
You'll be able to fit just about any
of the most popular lunch containers,
plus a snack box or a thermos, and a drink container.
So essentially everything in one place.
Once you decide which lunch bag you're going to use,
you can move on to purchasing the containers.
Lunch containers come in many shapes and sizes,
so make sure to check out the top five container video
after this one to see which one fits your needs best.
You'll find a link right below.
No matter what, I recommend two containers per person.
In the first one, you'll pack today's lunch.
And in the other one, tomorrow's.
While this first one sits waiting to be washed
in the dishwasher, or you can prep ahead
and have two lunches made.
Here's what you want to look for when choosing
the right lunch container for your family.
Lunch containers that fit a standard lunch bag,
lunch containers that are free of harmful chemicals,
which most plastic containers are now.
But you'll want something durable enough
to last at least an entire school year,
and hopefully, one of the two will be leakproof.
Again, details on the containers right below
and after this video.
Okay, so say that you decide on a lunch container or two.
Now onto investing on a reusable drink container.
This is another area where there's just
so many options out there.
The most important thing to consider for me
is a container that is leakproof.
Make sure it seals well and it won't leak.
Other than that, my favorite containers
are dual-purpose containers.
One, they hold liquid, and two, they hold temperature.
I have quite a few of these thermos containers at home,
and they're by far my kids' favorite.
They love drinking out of the straw,
and you can find them in 12 and 16 ounces.
And they hold things like smoothies
and cold water, cold for hours.
Now you can also use other stainless steel containers,
plastic reusable drink bottles, but if you want
something to hold a drink's temperature,
a double insulated water bottle is the way to go.
And another must have is a thermos container.
Buying the right thermos container
will ensure years of hot lunches and cold foods
being packed inside of the lunch box.
While I'll link to the video where I compare
the five thermoses right below this video,
the most important things to consider are
the amount of food you'll be placing
inside the insulated container, and the age
of the person eating it, because some containers
are more difficult to open than others
when you have smaller hands.
But overall, a thermos container is great to have on hand.
Now once you're packing lunches for a few weeks,
you'll find that a sandwich just won't cut it.
You'll want to add a bit of variety,
and maybe put to use some of the leftovers for lunch.
A thermos is a great thing to do all that and more.
On a final note, when buying an insulated container,
stainless steel out performs plastic food jars always,
so don't waste your money on plastic containers
that claim to keep food hot or cold.
Essential number five helps me
send snacks to school and smoothies.
There is nothing I like more on a hot day
than a cold smoothie to go with my lunch
or as an afternoon snack.
These freezer jars are a great thing to have
to store leftover smoothies
and pack them inside a school lunch.
There's another video on how I do that,
so make sure to check that out.
Seriously, though, these jars will become life-changing.
They can also be used for yogurt, apple sauce,
or any dips you may want to send.
And then, finally, we come to the ice packs.
Depending on where you live and the type of foods
you pack inside the lunch bag, an ice pack is a great idea.
I love and use these two ice packs.
I prefer ice packs that have a cover,
or that are solid versus the liquid ones.
I've seen one too many leaks
with a blue liquid inside the lunch bag.
Plus, they're way more durable.
I recommend purchasing a spare ice pack,
because I guarantee that you leave one out on the counter
and it won't be cold when you need it.
Well that happens to me, anyway.
Now there are many other lunch gadgets and tools,
but these are the six essential things
that I recommend people start with to pack lunches.
Make sure to check out the links below this video
for product information and additional descriptions,
and of course, the other videos where I describe
in depth the top lunch containers and thermoses.
There's also a playlist with tons of lunch ideas
to help you get packing.
And of course, if you like this video,
subscribe to my channel.
A new video comes out every single week.
See you next time.
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