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10 Best Lunch Boxes for Food on the Go

October 7, 2020 by Virginia Boyles Leave a Comment

At Workweek Lunch, we get a lot of requests for no-reheat meals. We understand that when you’re on the go without microwave access, it’s essential that your food is just as tasty cold or room temperature as it would be hot. Beyond the right recipes, you also need the right lunch box to keep your food fresh. Fortunately, there are so many great lunch boxes out there that can keep your food cold while being portable, affordable, and stylish. 

Check out our list below for our best lunch boxes, whether you need a bag for work, school, travel, or camping. 

What's In This Post

  • PackIt Freezable Lunch Bag
  • Lunch Bots Duplex Bag 
  • L.L. Bean Lunch Box
  • Kichirou Lunch Bag
  • HANGO Insulated Lunch Bag (Set of 2) 
  • Coleman 9-Can Soft Cooler
  • Rubbermaid LunchBlox Lunch Bag
  • Insulated Meal Prep Bag and Containers
  • Ramaka Solutions Insulated Lunch Bag
  • MIER Adult Lunch Box

PackIt Freezable Lunch Bag

lunch box

If your top priority is keeping your food cold for longer, this is the lunch bag for you. You freeze the bag overnight, then pack your lunch the next morning. I would have loved this when I was still working in an office and fridge space was limited. 

Lunch Bots Duplex Bag 

best lunch boxes lunchbots

This one is for the bento lovers. It features two zippered sections: one on the bottom to fit a flat container, and the top where you can put a drink, thermos, or other snacks. You can also use this lunch box with the short handle or an adjusted shoulder strap.  

L.L. Bean Lunch Box

best lunch boxes llbean

This is a solid lunch box for office workers and students. It’s small enough to slip inside a backpack, but spacious enough for your lunch and snacks — perfect if you’re fighting for fridge space. It also comes in a bunch of different colors and patterns so you can find one that’s perfect for your style. 

Kichirou Lunch Bag

best blue lunch boxes

This bag is a great option if you’re looking for something that doesn’t look like others lunch boxes. It features an across the body strap, making it a great option if you’re commuting or hiking (picnic time anyone?). It’s a bit pricier than the others on this list, but according to the reviews, it lasts for years. 

HANGO Insulated Lunch Bag (Set of 2) 

I love that this set is so affordable while still being durable. It conveniently comes with both a small and large option, so you can choose based on what you want to pack. I think this would be super convenient for a road trip — one for the front seat and one for the back! 

Coleman 9-Can Soft Cooler

best lunch boxes for on the go food

This is technically a cooler, not a lunch box, but is a great choice if you need something that is more sizable. This would be super helpful on a road trip or if you are packing lunch for more than one person. 

Rubbermaid LunchBlox Lunch Bag

rubbermaid lunchbox

This is a really popular lunch bag. Reviewers love that it is super spacious, features a water bottle holder, and is very durable. Many reviews say it has lasted them for years! For that price point and longevity, this is the most cost-effective option on this list. 

Insulated Meal Prep Bag and Containers

If you’re in need of both meal prep containers and a bag to carry them in, this is a great deal. It includes six meal containers, a pill dispenser, shaker cup, and two ice packs, plus a large tote to carry them all. 

Ramaka Solutions Insulated Lunch Bag

This lunch bag is nice and spacious, making it great for road trips and picnics. It comes in neutral colors if that is more your style than the more whimsical patterned lunch boxes that are popular today. I also like that it has a zippered storage pocket to make it easy to bring along any utensils as well. 

MIER Adult Lunch Box

lunchboxes mier

This lunch box is wildly popular — it has over 12,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.6 stars on Amazon! It’s easy to see why when you check out the features. It has two zippered containers, making it deceptively spacious, and is revered for how well it keeps food cool. 

We hope that these lunch boxes help you to eat well and save money when you’re on the go. If you need something to prep for your new lunch box, check out our post about cheap no-reheat meals. The Workweek Lunch Meal Prep Program has many lunch-box friendly meals; try it out with a 7-day free trial today!

Filed Under: Blog, Kitchen & Meal Prep Essentials Tagged With: lunch, lunches, meal prep, meal prep tips, tips and tricks

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Workweek Lunch | Talia Koren
Yes, it’s definitely easier said than done but t Yes, it’s definitely easier said than done but this is basically it. 👇🏼
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It seems counterintuitive but the answer to binge eating isn’t more restriction.
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Restriction is generally what fuels binge eating a good amount of time, although not always. This post is meant to address binge eating as a result of restriction, not Binge Eating Disorder. Just to make that clear!
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And I’m sending compassion and virtual hugs to anyone who is currently dealing with binge eating in any form.
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I used to try so hard to avoid chocolate, peanut m&ms (my fave), bread, pasta, cereal and sweets in general by not having them in the house. But guess what I used to think about ALL THE TIME? All the foods I restricted. And when I had an opportunity to eat them, I ate A LOT of them because I thought it was my last chance. Which led to more guilt and more restriction followed by, you guessed it! More binge eating. It’s such a rollercoaster.
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I started making peace with these foods by buying them for the house one at a time until I felt more in control around them. Until I forgot they were even there. Restriction gives food power over us. Permission does the opposite.
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Now I hardly ever binge eat thanks to incorporating all the foods I like into my daily/weekly eating routine AND eating regularly throughout the day, which is why I don’t get ravenous at night. It took time but I feel a lot better.
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Where are you in your journey when it comes to this? What are steps you’re taking/you’ve taken to help make peace with your binge foods?
It feels like a year went by since we put out last It feels like a year went by since we put out last Wednesday’s new meal plan. 😅
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It’s been a crazy and stressful time to be alive yeah? If this week you noticed a change in your appetite caused by stress - that’s NORMAL. Do your best to roll with it and practice self compassion. And maybe cooking can be a good distraction while also giving you an chance to take care of your future self.
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👈🏼Swipe through to see what we have featured this week in the WWL Program for members!
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👍🏼All of these recipes are either new or freshly updated! Lots to try, and if these don’t inspire you, we have HUNDREDS of meal prep recipes to choose from. You can create your own meal plans in our program! Yay flexibility!
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👇🏼We have:
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🍯Honey Dijon Salmon Greens & Orzo Bowls
(Vegan alt: Everything Tofu)
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🥦Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs
(Vegan alt: Chickpea balls)
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🥕Sheet Pan Veggie Soup (vegan)
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🍓Berry Parfaits with Homemade Granola
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🧇Nut Butter & Jelly Waffles!
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❓Which are you excited to try? Share below!
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🙌🏼And if you want to dive in with this plan and our recipes, planning tools and private community, sign up for the WWL Program in my bio link! Can’t wait to see you inside and help you have a little less stress in your life.
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Photos and recipes by me and @pinkleme, our assistant recipe developer, meal plan production by @alyssalash28
This weekend’s prep was super fun and fairly eas This weekend’s prep was super fun and fairly easy! I still had plenty of time this weekend to enjoy the farmer’s market, watch movies with my partner, finish an audiobook and do some deep cleaning.
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👈🏼Swipe left to see the cost breakdown of what I spent on groceries this week. We consistently spend the most on produce each week thanks to having a stocked pantry!
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👇🏼MEALS
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BTW most of these might not end up in the WWL Program - more on that later! But I hope they give you some good inspiration.
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🥑Mission-Inspired Burrito Bowls with avocado, crema and pico de gallo on the side! I made the tastiest carne asada for this recipe in my cast-iron.
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🥦🧀Broccoli cheddar soup!
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🌯Roasted sweet potato and chickpea wraps with avocado, kale and radishes. These are meant to be eaten cold or room temp,
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🫐Homemade Granola Parfaits! These are coming to WWL tomorrow for members - learn more in my bio link. Yes, the granola did get soft but I didn’t mind!
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🍿Snacks: celery, homemade hummus, grapes and homemade popcorn.
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📆All of these meals will be eaten by Thursday! We reheat them in the microwave as needed.
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🤷🏻‍♀️I don’t know the calories because I don’t count!
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😍Feels so good to be back into a regular work/prep routine after the holidays and I’m super motivated by our personal financial goals for 2021 to keep going.
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❓Got questions about this prep? Drop them below!
When I stopped dieting (restricting food to be the When I stopped dieting (restricting food to be the smallest version of me) my world opened up.
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✨It was like all of the sudden I had the time and mental energy to focus on other things like side hustling, dating, planning my move to Colorado, exploring NYC with my friends more and reading more. Oh and learning how to cook with regular butter and flour. 👩🏻‍🍳That’s what I remember about that season of my life. I can’t believe how much time I used to spend in the gym, counting calories and generally avoiding social situations where there would be food  that was outside of my control. And the stress!! All that stress and guilt probably did more harm than what I was eating.
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✨Over the weekend I received more DMs than usual about my food choices and how I “balance” certain things I eat. The truth is I don’t think about it that much anymore. It’s taken years to get here but I can trust my body and thanks to cooking, it’s not a challenge for me to incorporate a variety of health-promoting AND flavorful ingredients.
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✨It’s hard to be fully present when our minds are cluttered with thoughts around food based in guilt and fear (thanks to diet culture). Health is important. But is the focus on it holding us back from actually just living?? We all end up in the same place - I know that’s morbid but it’s true.
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✨Something to think about: does the way you think about food serve you or hold you back? No judgement no matter where you are in your journey.
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✨And if you find the diet mentality helps you or is positive, I’m not here trying to change your mind. My aim is to help folks who may be ready to explore new ways to think about food outside of what’s “good” or “bad.”
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✨This mentality switch doesn’t happen overnight! But I hope this post helps you become more aware of how you think about food. Always come from a place of curiosity when it comes to your relationship with food, not judgement.
Here are mine, what are yours? 👇🏼👇🏼 . Here are mine, what are yours? 👇🏼👇🏼
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🙏🏼I hope if you’re stuck on what to make for the week, this can give you some inspiration.
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🙌🏼These are all easy, versatile and the types of meals I make when I need a break from recipe development - which sometimes requires me (and my assistant developer) to eat food we aren’t necessarily in the mood for. It’s part of the job!
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Stay tuned in stories to watch my meal prep session go down today!! Looking forward to this week already... hoping it’s better than the first week of 2021 🙏🏼
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RECIPES for these meals can be found in the WWL Program for members (except for the freezer preps - they’re not ready yet). Learn more about our weekly flexible meal plans, recipes and grocery lists in my bio link! You can jump in on a free trial before you commit.
Last Saturday I prepped 32 dinners for the freezer Last Saturday I prepped 32 dinners for the freezer and we cracked into a few of them this week! 😅Here’s how the freezer prep stir fry went down.👇🏼
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🥦I froze chopped chicken in soy sauce and honey (a very easy stir fry sauce), along with bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, garlic and ginger.
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😮You’re SUPPOSED to blanch veggies (flash cook them in boiling water) prior to freezing, but I didn’t. And it was fine.
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⏰We took the stir fry bag out of the freezer and put it in the fridge at 12pm and cooked at 6pm that day. So the ingredients were partially frozen. I think that’s why I overcooked my chicken - I thought it was more frozen than it was. This takes practice!
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🍜We cooked noodles on the side (my partner is obsessed with noodles) to go with this meal.
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👩🏻‍🍳Was it the best stir fry I ever had? No, mostly because of my chicken mistake. But it was still WAY better than the stir fries I tried to make when I first learned how to cook. And I’m excited to eat it again in a few weeks since we have another batch waiting for us in the freezer!
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🤷🏻‍♀️Also - we got 3 servings out of this. Not 2 like I was hoping for. But I’m not complaining! My partner enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day.
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👉🏼You don’t have to use a plastic bag for these freezer meals. As I explained in my previous post about freezer meals, this was our first go at this and I want to make sure we LIKE this method of cooking before investing money into specific reusable bags and containers for this. I’m all for using less plastic. And saving money. And being practical.
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🙏🏼I hope you find my sharing this experience useful! If you can’t prep full meals on the weekend, this method of freezer prep still helps save time, money and mental energy on busy weeknights.
It doesn’t matter how real I try to keep it here It doesn’t matter how real I try to keep it here on IG, it’s impossible to share everything. So this is a reminder that IG content is never the full picture! And perfect eating does. Not. Exist.
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😤Finding balance is soooo hard. And once you find it, something in life changes and you’re thrown off again. Circumstances change. Priorities change. The weather changes. And we can only control so much.
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🌮For me, balance is very much about meal prepping to reduce the stress of figuring out and dealing with every meal while leaving room for spontaneity.
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🗓If you’ve been here for awhile, you know I leave 1/3 of meals in my personal weekly plan open for random meals, takeout, etc.
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👉🏼Even in the WWL Program (more info in my bio link), our meal plans consist of 14-16 out of 21 planned meals per week (that you can change of course!) because planning every meal is unrealistic, miserable and will eventually lead to food waste.
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🍔I even plan around my cravings! If I’m craving a burger on a Tuesday but still have meals to eat that I prepped, I pencil in a burger date with my partner for later in the week. It helps us avoid food waste AND honor cravings. I’m not restricting by not “allowing” myself to eat a burger the moment I want it - I’m being practical and eating the food available to me first and having a burger later. This is a way I’ve built trust around my body and its cravings.
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💕TL/DR: food choices are personal. They’re different for everyone. You know what’s best for you. And You can never know the full story based on one IG post or one meal your friend/family member orders at a restaurant.
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Hope you have a relaxing weekend 🙌🏼
If you’re a member of the WWL Program this brand If you’re a member of the WWL Program this brand new meal plan is waiting for you in your inbox! 💌
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🌮Every week we share new and updated recipes so you never get bored and don’t have to spend too much time searching for meals that will inspire you (and also work for meal prep). I’m so excited for you to try our new curry taco recipe!!
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👉🏼About the WWL Program:
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🙌🏼It’s not a diet or lifestyle or reset or rigid plan. We provide a little structure but ultimately you choose what’s on your plate. The goal is to save you time, money and mental energy while eating homecooked food. NOT weight loss. 👉🏼We don’t even include calories or macros in the recipes.
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🗓Each meal plan we send covers 15/21 meals for the week. We leave meals open for you to move things around - also planning every meal for every day is miserable and unrealistic. So we don’t recommend it.
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✏️You can make your OWN custom meal plans and change the one we send out with our meal planning tools that work well on mobile, tablet and desktop.
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🍏A grocery list that you can change and email to yourself will automatically generate no matter how you change the meal plans making the process super fast and easy.
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👯‍♀️Lastly, we have an incredible private community for members that’s completely safe for those in eating disorder recovery. We just talk about meal prep and cooking, not dieting/restriction/weight loss etc. it’s pretty amazing!
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🔗Join today in my bio link! We offer a 7 day free trial and discounted long term memberships if you’re not into subscriptions.
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❓Got questions about this plan or the WWL Program? Drop them below!
Who here has been personally victimized by diet ad Who here has been personally victimized by diet ads in the last few weeks? 🙋‍♀️
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I've seen them on my feeds for intermittent fasting, keto, whole30 and more.
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Seeing these ads only adds fuel to the fire of wanting to overhaul everything in the new year, especially the way we eat and move.
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I'm here to tell you right now: there's absolutely nothing you *need* to fix about the way you eat and move right now.
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Overhauling doesn't work anyway. Too many changes at once lands you right back to where ou started in a few weeks or days.
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Instead, let's continue eating "normally" whatever that looks like for you. And if there's anything you want to adjust so you can feel better on the inside (feel more awake, feel more energized, feel more satisfied etc) do it in baby steps. Maybe that means actually eating breakfast in the morning. Maybe it means ending work 15 minutes early to get a satisfying dinner ready to go.
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Be realistic.
Be compassionate with yourself.
Lower the stakes.
Lower your expectations.
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I need to hear this advice too! I'm still struggling to get into a workout routine that feels doable. My sleep schedule is a mess. I have no idea how to relax properly. Luckily with meal prep, the way I eat is very consistent. 
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We already have enough stress on our plates with the new year and getting back into work and school. Eat the way you normally eat because we all have bigger fish to fry in 2021 than trying to arbitrarily shrink our bodies to meet today's insane beauty standards.
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