Drinks in lunchboxes?

[mamalle]

small water bottles, juice boxes or organic milk boxes. I put in the icy pack to keep things cold. I didnt bother with the thermos thing except for the smaller one for sending in warm or cold food items. They didnt always keep things warm but the kids liked the designs.. I had wondering how to clean that drink spout so I didnt buy that one..

 

[bzkds]

I use those Rubbermaid plastic juice-box things too. I fill it halfway with juice, water or milk and put it in the freezer. In the morning, I fill it the rest of the way. By lunchtime, it is still cold. I also got a couple of the short plastic sports-bottles with the freezer insert that screws into the lid. I think I got them at Walgreens, 2/$1 but I've seen them at Target as well. They are small enough to fit in a lunchbox. I also have the nice taller ones from Target (water bottle size) that we use, they fit in the outside elastic mesh pockets of the kids' backpacks. I was at Target last night and saw in the Back To School section with the lunch boxes that they have the little metal bottles that match the lunchboxes. I didn't check the price because I'm down to my last lunchbox toting kid (lol it's not cool in Middle school to bring a lunch box!) and I have so many other plastic sports bottles.
Beth

 

[IDoDis]

The metal Thermos brand drink containers (FunTainers or something like that) are expensive, but so worth it! My DD has been taking water or milk in one for a couple years now. We've definitely gotten our money's worth out of it.

Funny you should mention these because I just bought one for DS to take to school with his lunches in the fall. I balked at the price, but he said he'd be fine taking ice water. I thought about it along with the price I pay for juice boxes and the unneeded sugar he wouldn't be getting and decided to buy the "Funtainer." I spend $2.50 a week on juice boxes a week for him and DD, so his will pay for itself in a few weeks.

 

[kellia]

Thanks for all of the great advice!!

 

[Xcited4Disney]

Horizon Organics also makes a shlf-stable milk 'juice box'. It is available in regular, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Again, it's more expensive than filling a reusable bottle, but you don't have to worry about spills, spoilage or excessive sugars or artificial sweeteners. My kids like the regular (might also be non-fat, can't remember just now) and the chocolate so we get them periodically.

Where do you find these?

 

[marcyinPA]

Where do you find these?

I've never bought these, but I've seen them at BJ's.

 

[java]

Where do you find these?

Shoprite also sells them in the organics dairy section.

 

[jamesmommy]

It's nice to know that they sell the replacement straws! Thanks! We've had ours since my oldest DS was about a year old....so it's about 12 years old now! And still very much usable!

I used to use one of the Rubbermaid juice boxes for my son when he was a toddler. At that time, it was very easy just to replace the straw with a cut-down regular straw. Don't know if it still works, but thought I would throw it out there.

We use the $15ish dollar metal funtainers mentioned in the first post. They are awesome, I can put an iced drink in it, and still have ice in it several hours later. Since the drinks stay colder, bacteria growth is much slower than in typical sippies and because it's double walled, so it doesn't sweat. We have found it ideal for our hot summers here in Florida.

 

[ceecee]

Oh, I hear you! My oldest is 13 and going into 8th grade, and it is SO not cool to carry a lunch box!! Everything must be disposable or he won't pack lunch. Of course, he hates buying too So, brown bags and Capri Suns it is...

DD is going into 7th and starting middle school, she informed me last year that 6th graders do not drink Capri Sun! I always bought the flavored water so we wouldn't waste half the bottle and they froze well. I was a room mom last year and we had a pizza party, so I asked volunteers to bring drinks (soda and water) someone sent in Capri Sun We had all of them left so we gave them to a younger grade! Funny how everyone conforms when someone decides they are too old for something.

 

[dlstc]

Although I ended up doing the Rubbermaid milk container because it held more, I have used the milk boxes before. They can be found all over here. There are organic versions at Kroger, even in strawberry. At Kroger I also used to buy them in the juice aisle of all places. Hershey's (the candy bar co.) made them in white and chocolate. I have seen them at Walmart in the cereal aisle next to the fiber/energy/nutrition bars.

There is also a moo mix product similar to the crystal light juice mixes. It is flavored powder for milk in individual servings.

HTH,
Diana

 

[churchpilot]

We have used the Rubbermaid containers with the flip-up straws and these work pretty well, but you need a way to keep milk cold in them. I too have switched to the Thermos brand funtainers ($15 at Target) and they are the bomb. They truly keep cold drinks cold for hours. The price evens out because the Rubbermaid container's straw eventually loses its "grip" and you have to buy new. The Funtainers also have a straw and round seal that you can order from Thermos if you need another one. We haven't needed a replacement for over 2 years. You can now dilute your juices to your hearts content or send milk/skim chocolate milk and know that it will still be cold and delicious.

 

[medalla74]

Toysrus.com has the funtainers on sale!!!!!!!!!! The beverage thermos are 11.74 each while the food jars are 9.74...Get them while you can. They have Hannah Montana, Batman, soccer, etc....

 

[marcyinPA]

DD is going into 7th and starting middle school, she informed me last year that 6th graders do not drink Capri Sun! I always bought the flavored water so we wouldn't waste half the bottle and they froze well. I was a room mom last year and we had a pizza party, so I asked volunteers to bring drinks (soda and water) someone sent in Capri Sun We had all of them left so we gave them to a younger grade! Funny how everyone conforms when someone decides they are too old for something.

Oh, that's funny!! DS13 has never complained about the Capri Sun. In fact, sometimes he asks for two in his brown bag! LOL But when he lost his lunch box (really a lunch bag) at the very beginning of last year, and I complained about having to replace it, he told me he didn't want one because they aren't cool anyway! I think he "lost" that lunch box on purpose!

 

[Bibbidi]

We have one of those as well, the lid pops up and it has a pop up straw, it never leaks and the kids don't take the lid on and off just pop it open. We've had it for years. It's by Thermos and they can in cute designs. We also have the container for hot foods, but when DD was young the lid didn't get screwed on right sometimes and the lunchbox would come home a mess!

I saw these at Target for about $15 the other day--how do you wash the straw though? Just throw it in the dishwasher? I'm a freak when it comes to those straws getting clean.

 

[bentleygirl22]

I buy the big box of the hugs drinks that comes in a 24 pack for $2
and send a straw to pop in the top . Very cheap and the kids love them

it cost me $2. every 12 days for the drinks
and $1 every 50 days
can't bet that ....

 

[kinntj]

Toysrus.com has the funtainers on sale!!!!!!!!!! The beverage thermos are 11.74 each while the food jars are 9.74...Get them while you can. They have Hannah Montana, Batman, soccer, etc....

Thank you! I bought the Hannah Montana drink thermos and food thermos. These sound like the best thing for my upcoming 1st grader. I don't like juice boxes or water bottles (unless special occasion) because of the waste they produce. I always love suggestions and tips on school drinks and lunches.

 

[kinntj]

I saw these at Target for about $15 the other day--how do you wash the straw though? Just throw it in the dishwasher? I'm a freak when it comes to those straws getting clean.

I'm not sure if this would work with these straws, depending on size, but I use to wash them by hand and use a pipecleaner with dishsoap on it to clean it out.

 

[Xcited4Disney]

Great. I'm going to look for the milk boxes at BJ's since it's close by and I'm also going to buy the funtainer at ToysRUs!