Sunny Citrus

This Week's Bento Lunch

A little citrus can go a long way in brightening up a winter meal, so if you're facing a dreary day, follow our lead and add a little citrus to your next bento lunch. 

Click here to view this week's full menu and nutritional information.

Back to School Lunch Success for Kids with Allergies

Back to school means big transitions and Cindy Gordon with Vegetarianmamma.com is letting us in on how she transitions into lunches away from home for her child with allergies: 

Its that time of year again, when the kids head back to school! For many parents of children with food allergies this time of year also brings many challenges. There are many schools that are beginning to offer alternative lunches such as gluten free options and some allergy free options. But, if your school doesn't offer those choices or you want to insure all your child's allergy needs are met, you will need to pack your child's lunch.

Laptop Lunches provides the perfect canvas to provide a healthy and fun lunch while keeping our food allergy children safe! To get ready for the school year let your child pick out which box he/she will be using. Getting your child involved will help reduce any fears/anxieties they might have about eating at school. Sit down with your child and make a list of his/her favorite foods that might be options to pack in their lunch! Be sure to include a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins. The bright cheerful colors and fresh delicious food will certainly catch the eyes of all the kids sitting at the lunch table!

Laptop Lunches are complete; the only other item your child needs is a drink. The box is self contained which means your child doesn't have to worry about food laying their on the lunch table; think about the possible cross contamination of an uncleaned table surface. Children can be messy by nature and I always think about the kids that sat at the table before my child and wonder if they ate any allergens. When my child eats from his Laptop Lunch box I don't have to worry about that. The framed box provides structure and order for children during lunch. The children can sit, eat and enjoy their food instead of struggling with multiple bags and containers in their lunch sack.

We not only pack our lunch for school, but we honestly pack our lunches everywhere we go! There are many risks when going out to eat at restaurants, when you have a food allergy. Everyone has their own comfort levels with restaurant procedures regarding food allergies. Its not easy for a family with food allergies to just “pick up some food” while you are out running errands. I always make sure that I have a lunch packed when we head out. If its nice we can have a picnic, tailgate from the back of the car or the kids have been known to have a picnic in the car. I have found with the the box containers the children are actually neater when eating. As a mom, I like the idea of less mess!

The key to lessening your challenges and stresses is being prepared! I have found that letting my child pick their lunch box and helping pick items to go in the lunch box makes for a more peaceful transition into
school lunch times. Having a sturdy self contained lunch box for my child to eat out of helps my fear of allergen exposure at school and in public places.

What steps have you taken to reduce the challenges you face as a parent of a child with food allergies?

Cindy Gordon is the owner and author of Vegetarianmamma.com She blogs about recipes, products and life. Cindy also is a weekly Vegetarian Gluten Free menu planner for BetterBatter.org  Her vegetarian family is learning to navigate through the food allergy world of peanut free, tree free, dairy free and gluten free.

50% Off Creativity Tools!

Packing Reusable Lunches for Earth Day

We hope you'll have a wonderful Earth Day!

St. Patty's Day Lunches

We were looking for some fun St. Patrick's Day bento lunch inspiration and came across last year's Leprechaun Laptop feature from Parents Magazine: 

Will you be surprising your kids with an early St. Patrick's Day lunch tomorrow? If so, please be sure to take a quick picture and share on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/LaptopLunches. 


We're hoping for a very green Friday! 


Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Plastic: The Ideal Bento Box Material

Plastic is light-weight, non-breakable, versatile, colorful, durable, long-lasting, airtight, and fun.  That’s why the yogurt, milk, bread, cheese, meat, juice, tofu, and even the veggies we buy are wrapped or bagged in plastic. 

While disposable plastics are taking their toll on the environment, durable, long-lasting plastics, made of polypropylene and polyethylene, fill an important need in our lives.

It’s true that some plastics, like PVC and polystyrene, have been shown to leach toxins, but not all plastics are evil.

In choosing a material for our Laptop Lunches Bento Boxes and Bento Buddies containers, we weighed the pros and cons of all available options. We could have used stainless steel or glass, but once the pros and cons had been tallied, one thing became crystal clear: plastic was the winner. And here’s why:

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•       Our containers last a very long time. Unlike stainless steel, they do not rust, dent, or break when dropped. 
•          Unlike glass and stainless steel, they are light-weight and easily portable.
•          They hold up to the dishwasher, freezer and microwave.
•          Plastic forms a tight seal, preventing seepage and leaks.
•          Our bento containers are made in the USA, where we can closely monitor production. Manufacturing offshore in places like China and India makes it difficult to monitor factory compliance with material use, workplace safety, worker’s rights, and environmental protection laws. And our plastic doesn’t have to make the long journey across the ocean.
•          Our plastic resin is made in the US. It’s not mined from the earth in countries such as India and China, where environmental protection laws are generally weaker than those in the US. 
•          Plastic is easily recycled.
•          And it’s completely safe.

We are committed to providing a durable, long-lasting, convenient, affordable, and safe alternative to disposable plastics.  We care deeply about our health and the health of our planet, which is why we chose plastic as the ideal bento box material.

Super Fast Bento Lunch

This Week's Bento Lunch

Looking for a quick and easy, yet healthy and tasty lunch idea? You’ve come to the right place! This week we kept our bentos extra simple and convenient without compromising health. In fact, our whole wheat pita pockets are filled with hummus, which is considered to be a super food… It’s super fast food!

Click here to view this week's full menu.

Kids’ Lunch Box Gift Ideas Keep the Holidays Healthy!

It’s that most wonderful time of the year again! Here at Laptop Lunches, we’re getting into the holiday spirit with our healthy holiday lunch menus and our kids’ lunch box gift guide.

A Laptop Lunchbox is a fun and unique gift idea for your son, daughter, niece, nephew, or any child on your list who’s been extra good this year! Plus, you can feel confident about giving a gift that will encourage healthy eating and help the environment. Check out our best lunch boxes for kids below!

Kids Lunch Boxes for Boys

Alien Bento System 2.0 - $39.99
Give your child a healthy lunch that’s out of this world with our Alien Bento System 2.0! The insulated carrying case features a fun alien pattern and holds a bento set, drink bottle, and all-stainless utensils. The Laptop Lunch User’s Guide is also included.



Plaid Bento Kit - $36.99
Bring a fun, retro style to the bento lunch concept with our Plaid Bento Kit! This kit includes a black insulated tote with a tire tread plaid pattern, a black and red bento set, all-stainless utensils, and the Laptop Lunch User’s Guide.

Kids Bento Boxes for Girls

Pink Passion Bento System 2.0 - $39.99
What could be better than a nutritious lunch that’s pretty in pink? This bento system features a pink insulated carrier, a pink bento box, and pink inner containers. Even the cap of the drink bottle is pink! All-stainless utensils and the Laptop Lunch User’s Guide are also included.


Daisy Bento Kit - $36.99
Add flower power to your daughter’s lunch with the Daisy Bento Kit! A black insulated tote with a cute daisy design holds a bento set with a rainbow assortment of inner containers. A set of utensils and the Laptop Lunch User’s Guide make the kit complete.

Accessories for Kids Lunch Boxes

Does that special someone on your gift list already have a Laptop Lunchbox? These kids bento lunch box accessories make a great complement to any of our bento kits, systems, or sets!

Happikins Cloth Napkin Set – 3 Critters - $17.99
This set of three cloth napkins features cute critters that are sure to bring a smile to your child’s face! They are perfectly sized for our kids’ lunch boxes. Plus, they double as a placemat and are great for the environment.


Klean Kanteen Drink Bottles - $17.99
Available in blue, green, orange, pink, and red, Klean Kanteen 18 oz. bottles are lightweight, durable, and perfect for packing with a Laptop Lunch! They fit large ice cubes to keep drinks chilled until lunchtime.



Fruit & Veggie Cutters – Heart & Star - $4.49
Your son or daughter will love helping you in the kitchen by using these cute fruit and veggie cutters to add hearts and stars to their Laptop Lunch! Made of stainless steel, they’re easy for small hands to hold and perfect for creating bite-size pieces of apples, pears, kiwifruit, melon, mango, carrots, potatoes, yams, beets, and a whole lot more!

Holiday Specials and More Lunch Box Gift Ideas Coming Soon!

To spread the good cheer around, we’re giving our customers Free Shipping on all orders over $65 until December 31. And, for those of you who may be in a rush to receive your gift, you’ll be glad to hear we offer same-day shipping through December 23 on all orders placed Monday-Friday before noon (Pacific Time). If something happens to catch your eye while you’re shopping for other people, don’t forget to Create a Wish List for yourself!

Stay tuned for our top adult lunch box gift picks, coming soon! And leave a comment to let us know, what gifts are you planning to give the kids on your gift list this year?

Best Kids Lunch Box Award from SheKnows.com!

The results of the 2010 SheKnows.com Parenting Awards have been revealed, and we’re thrilled to announce that Laptop Lunches has been named the 1st place winner in the Best Kids Lunch Box category! This award is a huge honor, and we are so excited to share the big news with all of our fans, followers, and supporters!

The SheKnows Parenting Awards were created to recognize parenting products and services that are most valued by today’s consumer. The awards were broken down into 100 different categories, covering everything from gifts to gadgets and kids lunch boxes to home & living. Each SheKnows Parenting Award nominee was carefully reviewed by the SheKnows.com team of editors and handpicked for quality, functionality, and convenience, so it was an honor just to be considered for this coveted award!

The winners of the SheKnows Parenting Awards were determined via an organic online voting process that was open to the public. Once we learned that our Laptop Lunches kids lunch box had been nominated, we reached out to you, our community, and asked for your help to spread the word and cast your votes. Now it’s time for us to say a big Thank You SO MUCH to everyone who responded! We sincerely appreciate your support!

More information about the SheKnows Parenting Awards is available at SheKnows.com. Check out the results of the Food category, and scroll down to see Laptop Lunches in 1st place for the Kids Lunch Box subcategory!

Our Lunch Box Website Received a Bento Makeover!

We’re very excited to announce the official launch of our new website, the redesigned LaptopLunches.com! With an updated, fresh new look, it’s full of helpful, easy-to-find information for visitors who are looking for ideas and inspiration for their bento lunch boxes.

Updated Bento Lunch Menus, Articles, and More
Colorful bento box photos, creative menus, bento recipe ideas, and informative articles are featured throughout the new site.

Looking for healthy, tasty ideas for packing on-the-go meals in your bento lunch boxes? Check out the 365 lunch ideas in our new Bento Menu Library, and ban boredom from your lunch-making routine!

New Bento Living Section
The enhanced search functionality and improved navigation elements of the site make it easy to find information quickly and easily. One feature that we’re especially excited about is the addition of new lifestyle pages.

Select the lifestyle option that best fits your bento box needs (School, Work, Play, Travel, Take Out, or Everywhere) to find helpful information about our bento lunch boxes, as well as a gallery of our Top Picks!

Share Your Thoughts
Have you visited our new website yet? Please take a look around and leave a comment with your feedback. We’d love to hear what you think!

Share the News
Are you on Facebook or Twitter? Please take a moment to share our big news! Thank You!

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Best Kids Lunch Box Award Nominee, Vote Now for Laptop Lunches!

Please help us win! We’ve been nominated for a SheKnows.com Parenting Award in the Best Kids’ Lunch Box Category.

See Below for Voting Directions

As you probably already know, Laptop Lunches kids’ bento lunch box systems are a smart way to pack healthy, balanced school lunches for your children and reduce lunch waste. And we’ve got some great news to share - we’ve been nominated for a 2010 SheKnows Parenting Award in the Best Kids’ Lunch Box category!

The SheKnows.com website is committed to giving its readers all of the information they need to make informed decisions in their everyday lives. All nominees for the 2010 SheKnows Parenting Awards were reviewed by the members of the SheKnows team and handpicked for each category. We are very honored to be among those selected!

The winners for the SheKnows Parenting Awards are chosen through an online voting process, so we’re reaching out to our fans, supporters, and satisfied customers to ask everyone to get involved. Please make us your pick for the SheKnows Parenting Awards Best Kids’ Lunch Box!


Best Kids’ Lunch Box - Vote Laptop Lunches

To vote Laptop Lunches for the Best Kids’ Lunch Box award, visit http://www.sheknows.com/surveys/2010-sheknows-best-parenting-awards. If you haven’t voted before, sign up with an email address and password. There is no validation required.

Click the sign up button, and follow these simple steps:

1. Click on the Food Category on the left..
2. Scroll down to Best Kids’ Lunch boxes.
3. Click on the Laptop Lunches image.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
5. Click Submit Your Vote.

Voting takes less than 30 seconds (seriously!) and you can vote once a day up until September 15, so don’t forget to vote daily for Laptop Lunches for Best Kids’ Lunch Box! Winners will be announced in October.

If You Vote for Us, We Want to Know About it!

Let us know you voted by Tweeting about our nomination or ReTweeting one of SheKnows nomination posts, using the #Vote4LaptopLunches hashtag! (We will become a follower of all those who use the hashtag to help spread the word about our nomination.)

Thank you for your support!