Back-to-school season is right around the corner, which means it’s time for a whole year of packing lunches for the kids. Along with plenty of lunch ideas, you’re going to need back-to-school lunch essentials to help you pack like a pro!
To choose the best lunch essentials at Walmart, I picked out items similar to what my family and I use to get through the school year, including ice packs, water bottles, and snacks. And the best part? They’re all available at Walmart!
Here’s everything you need to make the perfect kids’ school lunches.
Reviews of Back-to-School Lunch Essentials at Walmart
1. Best Ice Pack: Bentgo Ice Lunch Chillers
To keep my kids’ lunches cold, I make sure to add ice packs to their lunch bags. These ice packs from Bentgo have a thin design and can keep food and drinks cold for up to 4 hours! At 0.3 inches wide, you can use them to line a lunch bag without taking up too much space, leaving extra room for more lunches and snacks.
2. Best Insulated Water Bottle: Simple Modern Summit Water Bottle
A water bottle is a must for keeping kids hydrated throughout the school day, and the Summit Water Bottle from Simple Modern is the perfect pick. It’s made of stainless steel with double-walled insulation that can keep water (or your kid’s favorite drink) cold for hours. And with a leak-proof design, there’s no need to worry about spills in the backpack or lunch bag. My older two boys love these!
3. Best Fruit Snacks: Mott’s Fruit Flavored Snacks
If your kids love a sweet treat (because who doesn’t?), they’ll love these fruit snacks. These gummy treats are made with real fruit and veggie juices and are not only delicious but also give your kids some vitamin C. Not to mention, they’re individually wrapped and make snacking at school easy.
4. Best Reusable Snack Bags: Stasher Reusable Silicone Storage Bag
Every school snack you buy doesn’t have to come in bite-sized packaging. Reusable storage bags, like the ones from Stasher, are great for packing sandwiches or snacks. They’re also dishwasher safe, making cleanup after the school day a breeze.
5. Best Utensils Set: Your Zone 4-Pack Plastic Utensil Set
Rather than single-use plastic utensils, give your kids a utensils set that they can reuse. This set comes with a fork, knife, and spoon, and is dishwasher safe. It also comes with a case to keep all the utensils safe and together, whether they’re in a lunch bag or backpack.
6. Best Insulated Bento Box: OmieBox Bento Box for Kids
The OmieBox Bento Box is one of the best lunch containers for school, and for good reason. It’s equipped with multiple compartments to store all different snacks and food. One of the best parts is the insulated thermos that can be used to keep soup or leftovers hot or cold, or removed completely to house larger pieces, like a sandwich,
7. Best Cookie Multipack: CHIPS AHOY! Mini Original Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cookies are always a fun snack to pack for a school lunch. These cookies are mini versions of the original Chips Ahoy! cookies, but packaged in small snack packs that are perfectly sized for lunch. They make regular appearances in my boys’ lunchboxes!
8. Best Lunch Bag: OPUX Premium Insulated Lunch Box
These may not be the exact lunch bags my family and I use, but they’re very close! These lunch bags are compact, lightweight, affordable, and leakproof. It also has a side pocket that can fit a water bottle or extra snacks.
9. Best Divided Food Container: Rubbermaid TakeAlongs
If there’s one thing that changed the lunch game when my boys were younger, it was meal prepping their lunches! One essential that helped was divided food storage containers, like this pick from Rubbermaid. The separate compartments make it easier to pack different snacks throughout the week. I even labeled each container with a sticky note to cut back on any guesswork!
10. Best Trail Mix: Kar’s Sweet & Salty Trail Mix
There’s nothing like a sweet and salty snack to get your kids through the school day. That’s why trail mix is the ultimate school snack! This trail mix comes in individually wrapped packages filled with roasted nuts, salted nuts, raisins, cocoa gems, and sunflower kernels. All of my boys enjoy these grab-and-go options!
11. Best Food Dividers: JJBNSH Snack Containers
Food dividers made the list of the best back-to-school lunch essentials because they’re a great way to mix and match fruits, vegetables, and other snacks. These small containers come with four compartments, a lid, and food picks. You can use them on their own or put them in a lunch bag. They would be especially great for preschoolers, who like small portions of different foods — with nothing co-mingling!
12. Best Cheese Sticks: Frigo Cheese Heads Variety Pack
My kids love cheese sticks for lunch! A variety pack like this option from Frigo gives you and your kids different cheese options throughout the week. Since they’re individually wrapped, they’re easy to eat on-the-go or throw into a lunch box.
13. Best Stainless Steel Food Jar: Thermos 10-Ounce Kid’s Funtainer Food Jar
If your kid loves a cozy lunch, like a chicken vegetable soup, you need an insulated food jar. This Thermos food jar keeps food hot for up to 5 hours and cold for up to 7 hours! It also comes with a spoon that folds into the container.
14. Best Freezable Lunch Bag: PackIt Freezable Upright Lunch Box
If you’re worried about keeping your kids’ food fresh and cold until lunchtime without having to use ice packs, try a freezable lunch bag. The PackIt lunch box is made with built-in freezable gel that keeps food chilled for hours. All you have to do is place the empty lunch bag in the freezer overnight and pack your kids’ lunch in the morning!
15. Best Chips: PopCorners Popped Corn Snack Chips
Chips are a delicious way for kids to get their crunch on during lunchtime. This multipack comes with three flavors, sea salt, kettle corn, and white cheddar, for a mix of sweet and salty.
16. Best Applesauce: GoGo SqueeZ Applesauce Pouches
Applesauce is a healthy snack that’s easy to pack for kids’ lunches, especially when it comes in pouches. This 12-pack of applesauce pouches includes multiple flavors, including apple, apple strawberry, and apple banana. They’re made from 100% fruit and are free of allergens, like gluten, nuts, and dairy. Even my teenagers still grab these on occasion!
17. Best Raisins: Sun-Maid Yogurt Covered Raisins
To switch things up from regular raisins, swap them out for yogurt-covered ones! The fruity flavor of raisins is balanced with a layer of vanilla yogurt, making them a tasty snack to munch on during snack or lunchtime. They also come in small boxes that can be added to lunch boxes or stored away in a backpack pocket. Another staple in our pantry!
Why You Can Trust Me
Hi, I’m Blair! As the founder of The Seasoned Mom, I share my favorite recipes and must-have kitchen essentials to make mealtime easy for even the busiest home cooks. My work has been featured in print and online publications, including Taste of Home, Parade, BuzzFeed, and Today.com.
As a mother of three, I know a thing or two about everything you need to pack the perfect school lunch for kids. When picking out the best back-to-school lunch essentials at Walmart, I included items similar to the ones I use for my kids, including snacks, ice packs, water bottles, lunch bags, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time of publication.
