Last updated on August 1st, 2022 at 02:11 pm

Welcome to the Safe Lunch Gear Cheat Sheet!  Choosing a lunch system for your kids isn’t always easy.  But I’ve hopefully taken some of the legwork out for you.

There are many safer alternatives to lunch boxes, bags, and food storage. Lunchboxes are perfect for little and big kids and help reduce waste clogging up our environment. Whether stainless steel, canvas, or recyclable plastic is your thing – there is a lunch system for you.  No matter what age.

All lunch gear listed below is free of:

• BPA
• PVC
• Phthalates
• Lead-free or meets CPSIA testing standards for lead*.  I’ve noted which brands claim “lead-free” and which will only commit to “lead safe”“.

All of our picks are also free of Microban.

Safe School Lunch Boxes, Bags, and Systems

1. Fluf Zipper Lunch Bag | Organic Cotton Lunch Tote Fox

   

   Fluff products are independently tested to be free of

   • BPA, PVC, all PFAS chemicals, PFCs, phthalates, heavy metals, AZO, fire retardants, formaldehyde, and more.

   My daughter and I both are still using our Fluff organic lunch bags from 10 years ago! They are easy to wash, fun and extremely well made.

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2. Dabbawalla Bags Kids and Adult Modern Lunch Bags

   

   All Dabbawallas have been rigorously tested for over 200 potentially harmful chemicals and are certified free of

   • lead
   • phthalates
   • PVC

   Personalize available, I would advise ordering well in advance.

   To Clean: Front loader machine washable or hand wash and air dry.

   
   

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3. PackIt Freezable Classic Lunch Box, Spaceman

   

   PackIt Lunch Box is old school style zipper lunch box is free of:

   • PVC
   • BPA
   • phthalate
   • lead-free

   To clean interior wipes clean and exterior spot clean.

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4. SoYoung Lunch Bag - Raw Linen, Eco-Friendly, Easy to Clean

   

   SoYoung Lunch Bags are free of:

   • PVC
   • Phthalates
   • Lead
   • BPA Free

   They are very easy to clean and feature a removable liner.

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5. PlanetBox: Stainless Steel Lunch Boxes with Decorative Magnets

   

   Stainless Steel Design. Food does not touch any plastic.

   Independently tested by certified laboratories to be safe from lead, phthalates, PVC, BPA and other toxic chemicals

   • Lead-Free
   • It comes with cute decorative magnets
   • Built to Last
   • Food grade silicone tops for the bowl and dipper

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6. Ecolunchbox Organic Cotton Reusable Lunch Bag (Starfish)

   

   • Made in India from organic GOTS-certified cotton.
   • Screen printed in the USA.

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7. U-Konserve Divided Rectangle Stainless Steel Bento Box Lunch Food Storage

   

   U-Konserve offers plastic-free lunch gear solutions. The lids are made of silicone, and the container is stainless steel.

   Free of

   • BPA
   • BPS
   • phthalates
   • lead

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8. Bentology Lunch Box for Kids Insulated, Durable Lunchbox Tote Bag

   

   Bentology Lunch boxes are free of:

   • lead
   • BPA (bisphenol A)
   • phthalates

   To Clean just wipe it down or hand wash and air dry.

   Here is a link to the boy themed lunch boxes

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• Hydro Flask Food Flasks (lead-free)
• Onxy Stainless Steel Sandwich Boxes
• Thermos Stainless Food Jars and FUNtainers
• Wean Green Glass Sandwich and Snack Bowls (lead-free)
• Kleen Kanteen Insulated Food Storage (lead-free)

Alternative Snack & Sandwich Bags For Lunch

1. Bee's Wrap - Lunch Pack - Certified Organic Cotton

   

   Bee's Wrap is the perfect alternative to plastic sandwich bags. Here are the reasons we love Bee's Wrap products:

   • Made in the USA
   • Plastic and Silicone free
   • Certified Organic
   • Re-usable

   To Clean: Just wash and rinse with warm soapy water.

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2. Lunchskins Reusable Snack Food Bags

   

   Lunchskins is a SafeMama favorite. They have been at the forefront of offering alternatives to plastics for snacks and lunches. These are the reusable bags; they now have a line of paper sandwich bags.

   • BPA-Free, PVC-free & Phthalate-free
   • re-usualbe
   • dishwasher safe

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3. Lunchskins Recyclable + Sealable Paper Sandwich Bags

   

   Finally, a paper sandwich bag that works! Thank you LunchSkins.

   • BPA-Free, Phthalate-Free and Lead-Free
   • Made from all-natural glassine; pure wood pulp
   • Sealable
   • Wax free

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4. Bumkins Sandwich and Snack Bag

   

   The Bumkins sandwich and snack bags have an easy-to-open zipper. They come in many different patterns, from plain to superhero and princess.

   • easy to open
   • Food safe, BPA-free, PVC-free, vinyl-free, phthalate-free and lead-free

   To Clean: Can be tossed in the dishwasher or the washing machine.

   Additional Patterns and designs are available HERE

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5. Stasher Silicone Sandwich and Snack Bags

   

   I love these silicone lunch bags. They come in multiple sizes and are perfect for sandwiches or snacks. Stasher also sells silicone bowl-style bags that stand upright in the fridge. Perfect for leftovers.

   • Free from BPA, BPS, lead, latex, or phthalates
   • Can be labeled with a dry erase marker
   • Leak Proof
   • Oven and microwave safe up to 425 degrees

   To Clean: Simple toss in the dishwasher or handwash

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6. Fluf Reusable Snack & Sandwich Bag

   

   We love Fluf. Their products are built to last. My daughter and I are still using are Fluff lunch bags that we bought 10 years ago! How cool is that!

   • free of BPA, PVC, all PFAS chemicals, PFCs, phthalates, heavy metals, AZO, fire retardants, formaldehyde and more.

   To Clean: Machine wash, or spot wash as needed.

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Further Resources and Reading:

SafeMama’s Safer Backpacks Cheat Sheet

Pre-School Snacks, How to Handle Unhealthy Snacks At School

Healthy After School Snacks

Note: This is not a comprehensive list – if you think a brand should be on here, please let us know and we’ll verify it!

*CPSIA put a limit on lead in children’s products and as of August 14, 2009, products designed or intended primarily for children 12 and younger cannot contain more than 300 ppm of lead. So on each product I noted whether the company says their product is lead FREE or lead SAFE. Usually, lead SAFE means it tests below the legal limit for lead. The limit went down to 100 ppm after August 14, 2011.