Lunch Box: Make the packed lunch easier to carry

Let their lunch decide the shape

Look at what they usually pack. A sandwich needs a broad enough space; several small dishes may work better with separate sections. Compare usable compartment dimensions instead of taking the total capacity as the size of the main section.

This is a food-containing box. An insulated lunch bag carries it and is a different purchase, often used with an ice pack. A rigid box alone does not promise a particular safe holding time or keep a meal hot.

A seal has more than one job

Read whether the lid is intended for dry food, sauces or liquids, and whether each compartment has its own seal. One gasket around the whole lid may keep food inside the box while letting dressing move between sections.

Clips should be comfortable to use. A removable seal is useful only when the recipient can take it out, wash it, dry it and refit it properly. Dividers and small dressing pots add cleaning as well as choice.

Pick the material for their day

• Plastic is often lighter; check the exact reheating and washing directions.

• Glass may suit reheating when its instructions allow it, but can be heavier to carry.

• Stainless steel gives a durable food container; a lid or seal may still be plastic or silicone.

Ordinary steel boxes should not go in a microwave. A few specialist designs have their own manufacturer instructions, so never transfer a claim from one model to another. Container and lid limits may differ.

A steel-bodied box can acknowledge the traditional eleventh-anniversary theme. A silver-coloured finish, or a steel fork supplied with a plastic box, does not establish the box’s material.

Look beyond the styled lunch

Confirm the supplied containers, dividers, cutlery and any outer bag. Food in the photograph is illustrative. Check the facilities where they eat and whether they want to reheat lunch; a box that fits that routine is more useful than extra compartments they will never fill.