Do you know how they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day? According to my high schooler, lunch is a much more serious event. She loves a hearty midday meal, so I’ve researched how to keep lunch warm so she can have all the energy she needs to make it through the school day and after-school activities.
What I’ve learned is that a well-insulated lunch box can be a game-changer for kids and for parents. Lunch that is tasty hours after it’s made is the difference between a kid eating everything in their lunch box, or bringing home old, gross food that just gets wasted. Groceries are too expensive for all of that!
Here’s what I looked for when I was ranking containers to keep lunch warm:
1. Will this container keep meals warm until lunchtime?
When it comes to keeping lunches warm, insulation is so important. Look for lunch boxes with high-quality insulation materials. You want your containers to have vacuum-sealed tops, double or triple-wall insulation, and a material like stainless steel that holds heat well.
2. How much food will this container hold?
I wasn’t just thinking about how much food the container could hold because of my student athlete’s appetite. A lunch box that’s too big might let heat dissipate, and one that’s too small won’t fit everything she wants to pack. Most of the best containers I found were in the small to mid-size range.
3. Is this container easy to clean?
As much as I try to be organized, sometimes the mornings get away from us. To limit the amount of chaos we have to deal with, easy-to-clean lunch containers come in handy, especially when a kid accidentally leaves a dirty container in their backpack overnight.
4. Will these containers last for the entire year?
Remember when I said groceries are expensive a few paragraphs ago? Well, in an effort to be able to pay for those groceries, I need to make sure I don’t have to repurchase containers all year long! The containers on this list are durable enough to handle the wear and tear of daily high school use.
The Best Lunch Boxes To Keep Lunches Warm
This Leak-Proof Bento Box and Food Jar set can be purchased with either 3 or 5 compartments. It has an insulated food jar, lunch bag, cutlery, and more. It keeps food separated and fresh, maintaining temperature for hours.
Hydro Flask is a favorite brand in our household, and the Insulated Food Jar is just as good as we figured it'd be. It keeps meals fresh with TempShield double-wall vacuum insulation and 18/8 stainless steel, preventing flavor transfer.
Another favorite brand, THERMOS, has its FUNTAINER - a must-have for school lunches. Thanks to vacuum insulation technology, it keeps meals hot for 5 hours or cold for 7 hours.
The Lille Home Stackable Stainless Steel Thermal Compartment Lunch Box is made from premium food-grade materials. It's equipped with silicone seals to lock in freshness, making it perfect for hot or cold dishes. Not only that, but isn't it cute with the carrying container that comes with it???
Everyone knows Bentgo's triple-layer thermal insulation is the best in the (lunch) biz. The Stainless Insulated Food Container has triple-layer thermal insulation to keep food at the perfect temperature.
For students who might be introverts and prefer to eat lunch in their car, or who like their lunch extra warm, the CHARMDOO Electric Lunch Box could be a great option! Not only is it a lunch box, it also comes with a heating box that can be plugged in to warm food up.
Another THERMOS, this one is the Stainless King Vacuum-Insulated Food Jar with Spoon. This food jar can keep food hot for up to 9 hours and cold foods stay chilled for up to 14 hours!
This is the neatest lunch box! The Tinaforld 304 Stainless Steel Thermal Lunch Box is made from stainless steel and has a sealed silicone ring for leak prevention. Not only that, but it comes with a phone holder lid, and chopsticks slot cover. It's microwave, freezer, and dishwasher compatible.
The Bentgo® Stainless Insulated Food Container is a sleek way to keep your food at the perfect temperature until lunchtime. It has a wide-mouth design, and triple-layer thermal insulation, and would work well for hot and cold foods.
This Insulated Lunch Container Hot Food Jar is a practical solution for keeping meals at the perfect temperature. It comes with a hidden handle for easy carrying, and an air pressure release button for easy, leak-proof opening.