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LapTop Lunches Bento Buddies 2.0 : Get Organized, Eat Right
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I'm assuming you know that plastic sandwich bags are not good for the environment, not necessary, and actually do a crummy job of keeping your food intact and attractive.
If packed lunches are part of your life, for yourself or your kids, consider a more eco and organized option: LapTop Lunches Bento Buddies 2.0.
A few years back I reviewed the LapTop Lunch Bento Set , a super smart food carrying system for school lunches and travel. The kit consisted of a snap-shut plastic container approximately 8' x 10" which held several small plastic containers and a fork and spoon. The kit fit into a handy nylon carrying case, which also had room for a water bottle. All very tidy.
Now LapTop Lunches has created colorful Bento boxes for use in their nylon carrying cases (which are now available in many more colors and designs) or in your own lunch box or carrying case.
I love the Bento Boxes because they make the kit easier to use. First, all of the containers have snap-tight lids, which gives me more options for what I want to pack for lunch. The original system had three lid-free containers, which worked fine for dry foods since the containers were enclosed in the main box but wasn't ideal for me because I like to pack leftovers and sloppy foods. I need a secure seal. I also like to have more packing options with the individual containers.
The new Bento Buddies fit in the nylon carrying case, but since they don't fit in the original large plastic container, I can get rid of that piece of the kit (actually, I now use it to store my recyclable batteries and various chargers).
They've reduced the number of boxes from five to four but provide a much larger main course box that's big enough for a sandwich (and more), a huge serving of pasta salad, or a good sized green salad. Another smaller container can hold a lot of baby carrots or a serving size of chicken or fish or, in my case, a piece of vegan carrot cake. A third, smaller container holds a serving size of fruit. Finally, a tiny container is just the right size for some salad dressing or your salt stash. If you're food challenged like me, the lids on the boxes have outlines of various foods, suggesting what you might want to pack. (Check the site link below for exact measurements of containers, as well as complete list of products.)
As you can see in the photo above, your culinary options are only limited by what you can make, buy, or have someone make for you (my favorite option). You can have a fancy lunch and still have room to pack a mid-afternoon snack. If you're out of ideas, Laptop Lunches has a menu and recipe section on their site.
Eco Creds: Products do not contain phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), or lead. Reusable, recyclable.
Bento Buddies are available in a variety of fun colors, and if you check the Laptop Lunches website, you will find a variety of carrying cases and accessories. They're made out of number five plastic, which is now no longer a problem since there's a company that makes a variety of useful home and personal items out of worn out number five items.
Bottom Line: Even though these products are geared towards kids, I really like the organization, size of containers, and easy-to-manage carrying case. It's slim and trim and easy to pop into my tote or back pack.--E.D. (Dec 09)
Buy Online: $12.99 for four containers, click to shop
Manufacturer's Site: www.laptoplunches.com
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"Use leftover paper or plastic bags as liners for your trash cans. You'll save money and time shopping." |
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