At Out and About Mom, we love finding ways to make outings with your family more fun and less stressful. Sometimes we do that by showing you were to find the bathroom (we’re kinda famous for taking restroom pictures LOL), and sometimes we do that by letting you know what gear to bring (mud alert–pack those rubber boots!).
While I admit that I’m always quick to take advantage of the convenience of onsite food for sale, sometimes we just have to pack a meal or snack. Over the years of packing food for outings (and also just plain packing school/camp lunches), I’ve found some products that really make the task easier. Even better, they help ensure that the lunch you packed is as appetizing at lunchtime as it was when you packed it three hours earlier. Because what good is packing a meal if your kids refuse to eat it, right?
All the products featured in the post are things that I actually own and use. So I can vouch for them 100%. Like all things Out and About Mom, we have to experience it firsthand before we’ll recommend it to you, so you can be sure it’s worth it!
That said, we do earn a small commission on these products if you choose to purchase them using the links provided (or visit our Amazon shop where you can find all these items and more in our Out and About Mom Amazon Storefront).
While we never want to strongarm anyone into buying products they don’t need or won’t use (check out this blog post on my own family minimalism journey if you don’t believe me!), purchasing items through our Amazon Store helps support our blog at no extra cost to you. So if you enjoy our content here, and would like to support us to keep scouting your outing, this is a small (and FREE!) way to do so.
Alright, onto the gear!
My kiddos aren’t really the “sandwich type,” so I’ve had to get creative with my containers over the years. I found these divided containers on Amazon a few years back and they have been a game-changer. They come in several different variations and there’s even one with room for a sandwich if you’re kids are so inclined 🙂
Over time, I’ve also accessorized with silicone liners and sauce containers.
Easy Lunchboxes: 5 compartments; 4 compartments; 3 compartments(sandwich-friendly)
Reusable Muffin Cups (also work great for baking!)
Sauce Containers
Plastic Utensils
For snacks on the go, we rely on a variety of washable and reusable bags. For little hands, I especially love the zipper pouches, which are really easy to open and close (no more spilled goldfish all over the car floor!).
Bumkins Resuable Bags (Snack; Sandwich)
Stasher Bags (Mini; Snack; Sandwich)
Fabric Bag Set
Temperature regulation is key. I love these slim ice packs, which get the job done without taking up lots of space. The mini thermos is perfect for warm pasta, scrambled eggs, soup, etc.
We’ve gone through a lot of lunch boxes, but this one has some features I appreciate like an inner mesh pocket that you can slip one one of those slim ice packs right into to hold it in place. It fits all the different Easy Lunch Box styles (my go-to containers mentioned above), and I also like the outer pocket for quickly stashing away utensils, wrappers or napkins that may not have made it back into the zip compartment after mealtime 🙂
There are so many waterbottles out there now, but I still love our Camelbak. It’s lightweight, dishwasher safe, and you can buy replacement parts for it so you don’t have to trash the whole bottle just because you misplaced the straw or your toddler used the spout as a chew toy (is that only my kids??).
Ice Packs
Thermos
Lunch Bag
Water Bottle
And if you’re heading to a park or playground or someplace where you might be lunching in the grass, here are a few products that up the comfort and convenience factor 🙂
Fold & Carry Picnic Blanket
SCOUT Tote Bag
Camp Chair
Looking for more Momsense for everyday life? Check out these posts for some of our best tips, tricks, ideas and inspiration for managing our home life in a way that leaves us plenty of time and energy for what we love most: experiencing new things with our families!
Stress less about dinner (and spend less on takeout!) by stocking your freezer with easy meals that cook while you’re out having fun.
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