My Kids Have Had This Lunchbox for 10 Years, and We’re Never Going Back

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I knew I needed to find a different approach to lunch packing when my kids started kindergarten. I used to get notes sent home that said, “Your son can’t open his granola bar wrapper without help,” and “Your daughter can’t unscrew the tight lid on her grapes.” I had to find a solution so my kids could actually access their food: enter the Rover stainless steel lunchbox by PlanetBox, which also recently topped Kitchn’s list of the best lunchbox for kids. This sleek and functional lunchbox streamlines the packing process, making it nearly effortless and dare I say: fun?

One of the many genius design elements about the Rover lunchbox is that it’s all one piece. I no longer had to rely on wasteful plastic bags, multiple storage containers and lids to wash and keep track of, and difficulty opening each packed item. With the Rover, my kids simply lift the small latch to release the lid, and all the food is at their fingertips. It’s also dishwasher-safe, and made of non-toxic stainless steel, which makes it super durable. We’ve had ours for 10 years and it’s still going strong!

The Rover lunchbox has five compartments that house each course of my kid’s meal separately. There’s a larger section for the main course, three smaller sections for accompanying sides like fruits, veggies, pretzels, and chips, and a small square in the middle for a treat to end the meal on a sweet note. I love that the compartments encourage healthy portion control and ensure the end of squashed sandwiches, crushed crackers, and intermingling foods. 

The Rover even comes with a big round dipper and a little round dipper with silicone lids to securely house runnier dips and foods such as hummus, applesauce and yogurt. Simply set them inside the Rover and send kids on their merry way without fear of leaks or spills!

Whether you have one kid or five, setting out your Rover(s) and packing them assembly line-style is a cinch. It’s so easy to pop food items into each compartment. A row of raspberries, skewers of grapes, cheese cubes and crackers, carrot sticks and cucumbers, the menu is only limited by your imagination or your kid’s preferences. 

We all know people eat with their eyes first, and opening the Rover’s lid to find a variety of colorful and enticing foods is not only appealing to my kids, but it increases the odds they’ll actually eat their lunch, and it won’t end up in the trash. The Rover lunchbox is perfect for picky eaters who want a sampling of their favorite foods that all stay in their own lane.

If you do need lunch inspiration, though, the Planetbox blog or numerous Pinterest boards have an almost endless array of meal possibilities designed for packing in the Rover.

There are many things to think about and plan for when it comes to starting a new school year, but for me, getting a new lunchbox is not one of them!

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