Great New Stuff for Back to School.

Ready to get the kids back in school? What a relief. Buy new school gear, including a new lunch bag and the kids are off for another year. Just in time for this year, Built NY has new cat and dog lunch bags that will add dazzle to the youngest lunch crowd.

Before sending your children off to school, take heed from the new warning sent out from the journal of Pediatrics. A new study shows more than half the lunches packed for the children in this study were at unsafe temperatures by the time the kids opened their lunch packs.

Some, but not all of these bagged lunches had a freezer pack included. We at Cool Lunch Bags always suggest using two freezer packs in an insulated bag if it is really hot. Now it seems that some foods should not be sent to school in the kids’ lunch packs. For a list of these foods and some tips for packing safe lunches visit these web sites: U.S. Department of Agriculture School Lunch Safety Tips and Lunch Ideas Recipes.

Now, on to things you and your family can look forward to: our newest insulated kid’s lunch totes. And topping the list for this year, a new Cat and a new Dog from Built NY. Leave it up to the Built designers to come up with a winner. Everything this innovative company has put on the market has done well. The cat and dog, called Big Apple Buddies, are sized from three years old up. Even teenage girls are going to think they are cute.

This is not the usual neoprene we expect from Built NY but a soft microfiber with a lining that wipes clean under the kitchen sink. Use of antibacterial wipes helps to insure the surface is safe to pack a lunch. This bag is special with its kid friendly strap that buckles to attach to a backpack. We also carry backpacks in our Cool Lunch Bags Store.

Also from Built is a new scatter dot so bright your child would have a hard time misplacing it. Cartoon character lunches are always popular, and we once again have stock on all the favorites including Cars, Mario Brothers and Pokemon.

For teenage girls, or their moms, check out the new patterns in Koko bags, including a hot red stripe and a blue denim. As always our most popular totes are the colorful designer Cool Totes, these also in cats, dogs, tropical fish and dolphins. Remember, all our Lunch bags ship with a free Freezer Pack and are BPH and lead free.

Kids Pick their own Lunch Bag for Summer Camp.

Is picking a lunch box for your kids more work than actually packing their lunch? Why not put them to the task by letting them choose their own at our website coollunchbags.com. Spending time on the computer looking for a lunch sack is probably safer than some of the other trouble they can get into on internet searches. And your children may need a new lunch sack for the summer months and can save you some time by searching for their own new Insulated lunch sack.

The favorite lunch box on our website for children is the original Cool Tote insulated lunch bag promoted to replace the brown bag and save a tree. This is the same style Cool Tote introduced to the world in 1985 and sold in hundreds of better stores for 25 years. The designer Cool Totes are still produced in some of the original fabric patterns (most popular and recognized being the rainbow cat) as well as more than 40 other patterns.

Now your kids have three cat patterns to choose from, the original “Bright Cat” plus a blue “Styling Kitty” and “Pink Cat”. If your child favors dogs, we have three patterns, some of which will be new to those of you who originally bought Cool Totes in the stores. Maybe we caught some of you by surprise, letting you know the Cool Totes are still available, mostly on the internet and only on our website.

Why not let the kid or kids make a game of it. Name a favorite sport, and they can probably find it on one of our designer bags. Maybe a little girl loves to ride horses. A couple of choices there. Not a domestic animal lover? There is plenty of jungle animals or tropical fish, even flamingos on coollunchbags.com.

If your little girl likes “pretty things” we have several floral and tropical choices, including some for adult women. A classy practical blue check may be appropriate for a man’s lunch bag. And some of the other brands feature men and women’s lunch tote choices.

A reminder for anyone searching our website, not all patterns are available in all three sizes, the Lunch Sack, the Lunch Sack Grande and the Mini Back Pack. All items are available as shown in their category.

Built NY Lunch Bags Last a Lifetime.

Built for you, built for life. You could be talking about Built NY neoprene lunch bags. Why? This fabric is tough enough to last many years. The neoprene in these bags is made from the same fabric used by coral reef divers, strong yet flexible.

These lunch totes are so attractive, you may not get tired of yours. Of course, we have many styles of Built NY in our store. including several Built NY Gourmet Getaway Lunch Totes. You can also find the smart, stylish Extra Relish bags. These include a shoulder strap so you can convert it into a purse. Our website offers you a free freezer pack with each bag, and you can order extras at the same time.

Built NY has brought the era of insulated lunch boxes to a new level of high fashion. Built NY designer lunch bags are reusable but also possibly the most convenient way to carry a lunch. The neoprene is stretchable which allows for flexibility in packing a lunch. The abrasion resistant neoprene is a substantial 5mm thickness which insulates while it protects.

The totes are not only durable but "Lead Free" and "PVC" free. They fold flat when not in use for easy storage or for carrying in your luggage. The Extra Relish totes are small enough to carry your lunch in a briefcase. Whether you want to keep your lunch sack for years and years or change it out for a new look, Built NY probably has the answer for you.

Built NY is a company that was built on very unique and fashion oriented design. They took common neoprene wetsuit fabrics to a new level and made these fabrics into stylish insulated lunch bags and totes. Built NY lunch bags are both attractive and durable, and they are "Lead Free" and "PVC Free". They fold flat when not in use for easy storage. Cool Lunch Bags includes a Free Freezer Pack that allows your lunch to stay cold all day. This is a $2 value. Pack a healthy lunch for you and your children every day.

Women can look sophisticated with any one of several choices of women's insulated lunch bags found on CoolLunchBags.com. Currently, one of the favorites is an abrasion-resistant neoprene insulated and waterproof lunch sack by Built NY in black, stripe or polka dot. Sleek and simple, this sling style designer lunch sack looks like a purse.

For the fashion conscious lady, Built and Built NY offer an abrasion-resistant neoprene gourmet getaway insulating lunch tote. This waterproof sack comes in sleek black or many designer multi-color bags that actually look like a purse. Built NY’s lunch bags have the obvious advantage of being waterproof, flexible and a great insulator. These zippered insulated totes also fold flat.

If you want something blue to match your mood, try jazzing it up with a Built NY Gourmet Getaway Lunch Tote in French Bull Scatter Dot, or for a more sophisticated look try the designer NY Built Extra Relish in Black. This one includes a handy shoulder strap. Built NY also offers a rainbow of colors in an exciting array of patterns from paisley to stripes, dots and floral. Shopping to boost your mood can be fun.

Purse Lunch Bags for Women

Is the weather putting you in a blue mood? Changing seasons can do that. Packing lunches for children, a husband or just for your self can be tiresome also.


To get out of the blue mood, try a new tactic by switching your lunch bag for a new version of the lunch purse. Use it along side your purse or actually use it as your purse for the day and put yourself in a livelier mood. Especially handy when you leave work and go right to your evening entertainment or appointment. No need to lug around an extra bag when your insulated lunch cooler bag can pass as a purse. Buy it for yourself or give it as a gift for a friend.

Several lunch totes in our store Cool Lunch Bags will make an attractive accessory for you all day and into the evening. You can coordinate all of your clothes with just one bag or keep several to make a fashion statement.

If you want something blue to match your mood, try jazzing it up with a Built NY Gourmet Getaway Lunch Tote in French Bull Scatter Dot, or for a more sophisticated look try the designer NY Built Extra Relish in Black. This one includes a handy shoulderstrap. Built NY also offers a rainbow of colors in an exciting array of patterns from paisley to stripes, dots and floral. Shopping to boost your mood can be fun.

Chef Mario Batali’s Roletti Stripe is an eye turner in Burnt orange while Picnic at Ascot offers a more subdued look in a multi stripe, a canvas tweed and a nautical navy and white. These insulated bags are large enough to hold a family picnic.

Among the most popular insulated lunch bag is a military look in black or brown by Koko Christy. These lunch purses actually look a bit like the old lunch box and can be given to a man. Shopping couldn’t be easier.

A more feminine version of the Koko bags is the Koko Kate with its whimsical drawstring closure. Shop for these lunch totes in black, dots Plaid and taupe. Shopping for clothing and accessories for yourself or your family can be economical when you think of the savings you create by packing your own lunches.

If You are a Man, is it Masculine to Carry a Lunch Bag?

Or who cares? In our economy, it seems everyone is carrying an insulated lunch cooler bag, Mom, Dad and the kids.

Carrying your own lunch box can have more significance than just feeding your hungry stomach. So don’t be embarrassed to tote your own lunch to the office or worksite. You can even hide your insulated Lunch box inside your brief case. This makes an insulated lunch bag hands free, plus the brief case acts like extra insulation. Carry your water bottle inside to keep it cool also. Ice inside the water bottle helps keep your lunch cooler. Be sure you have a water bottle with a secure closure such as those on our website. Also, inside every lunch cooler we sell, you will find a free freezer pack.

In our Cool Lunch Bags store you can find five lunch bags for men in different shapes or colors that fit inside a man’s briefcase. Of course we have others that are masculine in looks, but do not fit inside the Briefcase. Specifically, the best lunch/ briefcase combinations are:

Built NY Tasty Black Lunch Tote in a neoprene fabric that stretches to fit into any space.

The Koko Man’s Lunch Bag in Black or Olive holds three items if you pack the water bottle inside or five items without the water bottle inside. This fits snugly into any man or woman’s briefcase.

Cool Totes original Lunch Sack holds three to four items without a water bottle inside. This comes in Burgundy or Black and includes the freezer pack inside. This soft-sided nylon bag easily squeezes in between items in your briefcase.

If you prefer a little larger Lunch Box, Easy Lunch Box with its two Plastic Tupperware style inserts, helps organize your packing and in either Black or Olive is a good choice for a man. It comes in several other colors for women and children.

The benefits of bringing your lunch to work far outweigh the inconvenience of taking time to pack your own lunch. The advantages of packing your own lunch include better health, saving money and saving your time. Instead of spending your time walking to the local fast food stop, use your extra lunch time to take a walk in the park or stroll the mall.

Waste Free Lunches to Save Our Environment

Environmental Flashback to the Sixties

I knew it was bound to happen. I’m reliving some moments from the past.

When I was in my twenties (and the world was in the sixties) one of the organizations I joined sponsored a series of skits demonstrating the various ways to avoid environmental waste. I wrote the script. Somehow in the 40 years since, I and many of my friends slipped back into the wasteful, lazy days of life. Having more spendable income may have had something to do with forgetting or dropping these waste-free habits.

Not entirely forgotten, my old habits die hard. I still catch myself saving and reusing quart size zip lock plastic bags. You can always find one or two hanging from a jar or vase in my kitchen drying out.

What did I do with the sandwich sized ”baggies” as we called them? I don’t recall using that many as I always tried to reuse the grocery store bags that hold the fresh fruit and vegetables while I checked out of the store. These baggies,I recall, are what I packed my kids lunches in during the seventies. Now, I know some people turn them back in to be recycled. Not sure this is any help to the problem of managing the accumulation of trash in landfills (and now in the ocean). We should probably decide to do away with using plastic bags at any time.

Flash Forward to 2010

Now my grandchildren are learning how to cut waste in school, in particular their lunch packing. We find the best way to save on ”baggies” is to start with the kids lunch tote itself. Several websites and blogs suggest using laptop lunch style lunch boxes, many of which we carry on our website including Laptop Lunch Box Bento Systems and Easy Lunch Box. However, other styles, such as the Cool Tote Lunch Sack Grande and Built NY also hold plastic Tupperware style containers avoiding the need for plastic bags. The sizes on plastic containers have changed to include smaller choices for children sized lunches. . I reuse my salsa and other plastic containers and save money at the same time. Also, the flexibility of cloth such as the Cool Tote and Built neoprene lunch bags make them easy to pack.

Newest small bags make big impact.

There’s a new way to avoid using “baggies”. Whoever would have thought someone would have come up with manufacturing reusable sandwich and snack bags? But that’s just what two Seattle mothers did. The clever and simple design of ReUsies sandwich and snack bags is saving us all money and making them successful business women at the same time.

ReUsies are a re-usable alternative to sandwich and snack bag. ReUsies are manufactured in the United States and are 100% cotton lined with leak-reistant nylon and are secured with Velcro closures. Reusies are a small step toward helping create a waste free environment.

Are Girls Lunch Bags Different than Boys?

Is there any other color but pink for a little girl to choose for her lunch box? Probably not, if you give her the choice. When most little girls carry either a pink or purple lunch bag, it could be easy to get it mixed up with another person’s lunch tote at school. Why not surprise your daughter with a gift of a new lunch tote in a whimsical floral or cat pattern?

Dare her to be different, just like her mom. Rainbow cats for her, pastel wine vines for you and Periwinkle stripes for big sister.

Oh, and maybe an orca or sports print for little boys. And a plain nylon sack for Dad.

One thing is certain, when choosing a new lunch box, make it an insulated bag. Cool Tote has been making thermal totes of different shapes, sizes and colors for men, women and children for over twenty years. Many of our sales are from repeat customers who often tell us in their email or phone order how happy they have been with their lunch bags. And how long they last. Cool Tote has been a leader in designing fashionable lunch totes, and we credit our success to high quality manufacturing. Our reusable lunch tote comes in two sizes, one smaller size for three to four items (sandwich, juice box, fruit or veggies). This size works well for a boy to carry inside a backpack. The larger bag holds plastic lunch size containers and is good for the working woman and can double as a purse.

High performance insulation and a free freezer pack help make this an easy choice for a lunch sack. Cleaning a Cool Tote is easy. We recommend washing the lunch sack out at the kitchen sink because the water repellent nylon lining helps to keep food from sticking. However, many mothers are too busy and will put the tote in the washing machine. In this case, we recommend using a net bag to hold the lunch sack before placing it in the washing machine. Cool Totes fold flat for easy storage.

Back to the discussion of little girls and pink, you can find pink in several of the Cool Tote lunch sacks, woven into the fabric pattern. This helps your little girl to keep track of which pink bag belongs to her, the one with the cats or the one with the flowers. She could also pick a blue bag with cats or dolphins on it. And even dogs or frogs.

We also carry several other lines of lunch totes on our website including Built NY, Koko, Laptop System and our newest, Easy Lunch Box.

CoolLunchBags.com offers only insulated bags because we are dedicated to food safety. For this reason we offer a free freezer pack with every lunch tote we sell. Another guarantee we offer is lead free lunch boxes and water bottles that are BPA free.

Kids Lunch Bags for Snacks and Summer Camp

Have you figured out what your kid’s favorite lunch or snack is? And the first three items don’t count if it is candy, pop or chips.


At this time of year when most kids are out of school and may be packing their own lunches to take to an outdoor event or the beach, it’s a good idea to let them learn and experiment with new lunch ideas. How do you let them learn good lunch habits? You might start with leftovers you know they like. Let them pack up the leftovers in a plastic bag or container. If labeling the plastic sack, provide your child with a non-toxic dry-erase marker. This way there is no confusion as to which items go in the lunch box or which stay in the refrigerator. Using tasty leftovers is time saving and also a money saving plan.

Take your children to the store with you to pick out their pre-packed snacks, using these hints from the Cleveland Clinic and discussed on the Doctor Oz show: “The following guidelines for reading food labels are helpful in the selection of pre-packaged snacks. First determine the number of servings per package. Calories, carbs and fats are usually listed per serving. Those numbers can really climb if the package contains more than one serving.

Ideally, healthy snack labels will list:

Calories: 50 to 250
Carbohydrates: 25 grams or less
Protein: 7 to 4 grams
Fat: 5 or fewer grams (and 0 grams of trans fats)”

Another tip from WeightWatchers is to count the fiber grams as well as the fat, the more fiber grams (2 or more), the better.

Now, how do you pack a lunch that won’t wilt in the hot weather? Generally packing a lunch box or lunch sack should start with choosing the right insulated bag. Start by packing by placing the item you want coldest (and this is usually the protein or meat) at the bottom of the pack, In hot weather pack with two freezer packs right on top of the protein item. Then add the other lunch items gradually to end up with non-refrigerated items at the top. Preferably, the items at the top will be the first things you eat so there is less packing and unpacking. Remember, every time you open that lunch tote, you are letting the cold out and the heat in.

Using our newest Easy Lunch Box on our website might make all the lunch packing efficient and quick. Each Easy Lunch Box comes with two 3-compartment plastic food containers. And, of course it comes with a free freezer pack as do all of the lunch totes in our line.

Our original Cool Tote Lunch sacks make for great fun in their whimsical variety of fabric patterns and are easy to clean.

One last thing to consider in making your lunch box choices is that all of the lunch bags on our website are lead free, and our water bottles are BPA free.

What to Look For in Kids Lunch Bags.

Packing your child’s lunch bag with healthy foods may be as important as getting him to exercise in these new and troubling times of growing adolescent obesity and diabetic concerns for children. There are a lot of good suggestions for choosing healthy lunches and snacks for children. One most important rule should be to pack in an insulated lunch bag. You can pack a lot more fresh ingredients into your child’s lunch by choosing a lunch sack that also comes with a freezer pack.

Coollunchbags.com has many design choices in stock depending on what kind of lunch or snack your child wants to eat. Our site only carries insulated bags because we are committed to food safety. We also offer free freezer packs with most models and sell extras so you always have a spare in the freezer. Packing lunches for kids couldn’t be easier.

Before you decide on your choice of thermal lunch totes, let’s look at good ways to make healthy lunches. First thing first, be organized. Spend one day chopping and making items for the school week ahead of time. Slice lettuce, Cube cheese. Make healthy trail mixes. Hard boil eggs. Have it ready before the school week starts. Repeat these steps later in the week to insure freshness and to vary the choices. Kids get bored with eating the same things all week.

Another thing to consider, don’t overestimate how much food or water your son or daughter will eat or drink. Lunchroom volunteers will tell you that your kids throw away a majority of what parents pack. One helping of a whole grain bread or cracker with 4 ounces of protein and one or two fruit or vegetables are enough for a child in elementary school. Avoid sugar treats and substitute with something fun like stickers or a cartoon. Train kids early that dessert doesn’t need to follow every meal.

Get kids involved. Kids are more likely to eat fruit and vegetables if they have had a hand in picking out items. Pack small containers of crackers, cheese and ham and let your child make up his or her own mini sandwiches. Provide small containers of vegetables with dip. Also popular right now are lunch boxes built with different reusable and washable containers. Find these on our site as Laptop Lunch System and a new addition in our store, Easy Lunch Box. Or if packing in our Cool Tote Lunch Sacks, use different sized reusable plastic containers similar to Tupperware.

You will like the convenience of the Cool Tote Lunch Sacks since they are easy to clean at the kitchen sink, fold for simple storage and come in a variety of colorful themes. Of course, if your child is a fan of cartoon character boxes our store has many choices including Hello Kitty, Thomas the Tank and Sesame Street Elmo. These lunch boxes have plenty of room to hold containers and come with a water bottle.

One last thing to consider is to make sure your lunch tote or lunch box is lead free and water bottles are BPA free. There have been warnings on this issue for several years now, but there are still some on the market that haven’t made the change. If the lining of a lunch bag is PVC, you probably should not buy it. Of course, all our lunch bags meet the highest safety standards and have been lead free since we started selling lunch bags on this site over 6 years ago.

Spring Brings Great New Looks in Lunch Bags

Ready for spring?  We thought so.   The buyers at Cool Lunch Bags have added several new “summer looks” to our collection of insulated lunch totes.  They are ready for shipping. You can find new and currently stocked lunch bags in summer colors and sophisticated looks ready for spring.

Lunch bags are no longer just for children.  Many of our insulated lunch totes can double as a purse. Think one lunch tote is enough? Treat yourself. Just think of the money you are saving by packing your own lunch.  You will find our newest lunch bags (purses, if you like) in anything from lime green to traditional navy and white colors for spring and summer.

One of the more popular insulated lunch “purses” is the abrasion-resistant neoprene lunch bag by Built NY.  One of the advantages of this sling style designer zippered lunch tote is that it stretches to hold different shapes and sizes of containers. The newest in our store is the Extra Relish in French Bull Vine which comes with a shoulder strap and a new Built tote in Rainbow Flower. Also look for our original colorful Get Away Lunch Totes in Dot, Micro-dot, Nolita Stripe, Raspberry or Ski Patrol Red.

                                                        

Our newer line of attractive and functional Koko Christy purse style lunch totes features several spring and summer colors; the popular Megan Preppy Plaid, Geranium, Nicole in navy and white, and Spearmint.

Picnic at Ascot has a dynamic new lunch tote looking very nautical in navy with white trim. .Perfect for lunch at the beach or on the boat, these lunch totes are insulated and feature a waterproof liner. Picnic at Ascot features several canvas and cotton purse style lunch totes for summer or all year use.

And, of course, our best seller is the original Cool Tote established in 1985 and still going strong. The purse size Lunch Sack Grande comes in several summer patterns including tropical fabrics.

All lunch sacks on our site are shipped with a Free Freezer Pack.  Of course, all our lunch bags meet the highest safety standards and have been lead free since we started selling lunch bags on this site over 5 years ago.

New Koko Lunch Totes Really Look Like Fine Purses.

Imagine that.  Before I even got a chance to tell everyone about our hot new Koko Christy lunch bags, we sold out.  It seems everyone was searching for a fashionable and functional approach to healthier food choices by packing a lunch tote everyday. Koko's new styles were the answer for many of our customers. So we got busy and added more new Koko designs of insulated lunch totes. 

Cosmoda Lunch Bags promotes healthier lunch ideas with its Christy Lunch Bags and now with newer Koko designs. Their motto Eat Well, Be Green, Take Lunch tells the story to the environmentally conscious.

Taking a healthy lunch is a must for people on special diets, such as diabetics and the new wave of obese adults and children.  For those within a healthier range of weight and health, it never hurts to take special care to eat well,

On our website, you can find the newest models including Koko Christy Black, Brown and Geranium.  The newest arrivals are Koko Kate Lunch Tote and Koko Megan Preppy Plaid Lunch Tote.

These lunch bags all come with a Free Freezer Pack and promote the same healthy way to eat lunch as our original Cool Tote (no brown bags, please) and our newer lines of Built, Built NY, Laptop, Bento Boxes and Picnic at Ascot.

All of our Lunch bags are fully insulated and feature lead free materials and insulation.  All are easy to clean with a quick spray and wipe clean at the sink.

Insulated Lunch Tote Cooler Keeps Food Safe

Still using a brown bag or plastic sack to carry your lunch to work or play? Why not try a reusable insulated nylon lunch tote and make your lunches or snacks healthier? Let’s look at the options opened up for you if you use a lunch tote cooler bag plus a freezer pack to tote lunch or snacks.

If you are using any old bag or sack, your choices are limited to dried foods, nuts, bananas or apples and oranges, energy bars, PB & J sandwich, crackers and other pre-packaged products. Cheese would be okay, but wouldn’t taste as good as it does when it’s cold. Vegetables like celery and carrots would get limp in a brown bag, while in an insulating lunch tote, it would remain crisp until lunchtime. You could also pack other healthy food like yogurt and a hardboiled egg, fresh turkey sandwich. Leftovers do double duty by saving you money and time.

Coollunchbags Store has many design choices depending on which type of insulated cooler tote fits your lifestyle. Our site carries insulated bags because we are committed to food safety. We also offer free freezer packs with most models and sell extras so you always have a spare in the freezer. Our original product, Cool Tote, was designed in the USA with careful planning to make sure the insulation and fabric is lead free and that the product works for you and you family’s lunch and snack time. Cool Tote’s fashionable insulated lunch totes are very colorful and give you enough choices to fit your family’s personalities. Another plus is the fact that Cool Totes lunch bags fold flat for easy storage.

Our website offers many choices in lunch bags and boxes by other designers. If you like to serve leftovers or a wide variety of foods in each lunch, you should consider the Laptop Lunch System which comes with plastic containers. These insulated zippered lunch totes look like the old-fashioned lunch box.

For the fashion conscious lady, Built and Built NY offer an abrasion-resistant neoprene gourmet getaway insulating lunch tote. This waterproof sack comes in sleek black or many designer multi-color bags that actually look like a purse. Built NY’s lunch bags have the obvious advantage of being waterproof, flexible and a great insulator. These zippered insulated totes also fold flat.

For adult men, there’s a perfect stainless steel Bento Box which looks like the old metal lunch pail, and it is masculine. Even liquids and soups can go to work with you. Two versions, one with two compartments and one with three can hold hot or cold foods.

Lunch Bags for Women

Are you a woman on the go? Are you trying to save money by bagging your lunches? It doesn’t have to hinder your lifestyle. You, as a woman in the know, have options to making that lunch experience a good one, not just the pb&j lunch experience.

Cool Tote has been making insulated designer lunch bags for women, men and children for 25 years. Cool Tote’s light weight and flexibility make it easier to carry and store. High performance insulation and a free freezer pack with each lunch sack guarantees freshness. Our reusable lunch totes come in two sizes, one smaller size for three to four items (sandwich, juice box, fruit and/or veggies) This one is perfect for a boy or girl to carry inside a backpack. The larger tote holds plastic lunch size storage containers and works well for women on diets.

Cool Tote’s motto long has been to save a tree by recycling a cloth lunch bag and not using a brown bag. One quick wash and rinse at the kitchen sink, and your lunch bag is ready for the next day or wash it occasionally in the washing machine.. The extensive choice of fabrics (everything from cats and dogs to sunflowers) gives a buyer many options. Cool Tote’s seller reviews are very positive and include customers who have ordered for many years.


Now our website CoolLunchBags.com offers many more choices in lunch bags and boxes by other designers. Built NY’s neoprene lunch tote is a natural with its obvious advantage of being waterproof, flexible and a great insulator. Picnic at Ascot is a favorite of many busy women. These stylish lunch totes look good enough to double as a handbag. Women’s accessories have never looked so stylish as the ones we offer.

Back to School Lunch Bags for your Child

It seems hard to believe that summer vacation is just beginning, yet we are busy getting ready for the Back to School Lunch Bag rush. So many schools now start in August that it seems parents and kids don’t get much of a break. I am certain you are not ready to think about back to school shopping.

If you can afford it this year, there is nothing like a new lunch bag and back pack to get your child excited about the new school year. Unlike new clothing, you only need to buy one and most are not expensive. Probably last years model is pretty much worn out anyway.

If your child is grade school age, I highly recommend a cute and colorful design for school lunches, and let your child pick the fabric. This will let them show a little of their personality in the lunch bag choice. It has the added benefit that it is unlikely to get mixed up with other kid’s lunches since most will be different.

Coollunchbags.com has many design choices depending on what kind of lunch and or snack your child wants to eat. Our site only carries insulated bags because we are absolutely committed to food safety. Nothing like an upset stomach, or worse, to ruin a child’s school day. We also offer free freezer packs with most models and sell extras so you always have a spare in the freezer. Since most lunches sit in a cubby or locker all morning, it is best to also put a freezer pack in your lunch box every day.

If their favorite food is a sandwich and a drink, you will like the Cool Tote Lunch Sacks since they fold up after use and are very colorful. If you like to serve leftovers, or several different foods, you might consider the Laptop Lunch System which comes with plastic containers. Of course, if your child is a fan of Hello Kitty, Thomas the Tank, Hanna Montana, or many other cartoon characters, you know what your kid will choose. These bags have plenty of room, will hold containers, and come with a water bottle.

One last thing to consider. Make sure your lunch bag or lunch box is lead free and water bottles are BPA free. There have been warnings on this issue for several years now, but there are still some on the market that haven’t made the change. If the lining of a lunch bag is PVC, you probably should beware of that item. Of course, all our lunch bags meet the highest safety standards and have been lead free since we started selling lunch bags on this site over 5 years ago.

Pack Lunch in an Adult Lunch Bag. Save Money. Stay Healthy

 

If you work in an office or factory, it is very tempting to go out to lunch everyday with your friends. While this is fun, and may have been the expected norm, it also isn’t good for either your body or your pocketbook. Packing your lunch in a lunch bag may seem a bit old fashioned, but if you get into the habit, you will see some awesome benefits.

Keep your body Healthy

Are you one of those folks on a constant diet? Could it be that you eat fast food or restaurant food every day at lunch? All restaurants add lots of salt and fat to their food because they want it to taste great so you will come back, and guess what? You do. If you pack your own lunch each day, I am certain you will eat just as well and save 3-400 calories or more per day. This alone can make the difference and let you get off the dieting merry-go-round.

If you use an insulated lunch bag and load it with a hardboiled egg, fruit, yogurt, and a healthy drink, or a myriad of other healthy choices, you will start to treat your body right. You may also have some other diet requirements such as low sodium, sugar free, or gluten free foods. You can never be sure what you are getting in a restaurant, and even small amounts of foods you are allergic to will affect your health.

Save Time and Money

In these tough economic times, we maybe should put this consideration first. Lunch will cost at least $5 at a fast food joint, and more like $15+ at a standard restaurant. You are looking at a minimum $100-$300 per month which is a big chunk out of the average budget. If you use lunch bags and some plastic containers, your lunch can be almost free since you can use leftovers and food from home.

Another big saving is your time. If you eat in at your workplace, you probably with have an extra 30 minutes each day to use in a productive way. Maybe you are taking a class and this can be extra study time, or catch up on your favorite novel. You also might use this time to get some work tasks taken care of that are hard to do when everyone is around.

What type of Lunch Bag Should you buy?

There are many different choices from a cheap nylon lunch box available in most supermarkets to very attractive shoulder bags available primarily in web stores. One thing for sure is it must be insulated. Insulated lunch bags will give you much more flexibility in your choice of foods. This is particularly true if your workplace has no refrigerators. If you don’t keep perishable food cold, it can quickly start to grow bacteria and spoil.

If you like hot foods such as soups, or rice with veggies and meat, you might consider a thermos style bento box. If you prefer a diet of sandwiches and a drink, go for an insulated fabric lunch bag. If you plan to pack leftovers or maybe a salad in plastic containers, make sure your bag is large enough to accommodate them.

Packing your lunch is a little extra work, but start to think about what you can buy with that extra money, and how much better you will look and feel if you get into the healthy lunch habit.

Designer Insulated Lunch Bags for Men and Women

Attentiion Adult Lunch Baggers: Do you feel like a kid carrying your PB&J sandwich in your purse or briefcase? There is a much easier solution, and it helps keep you organized. You don't need to pull out a soggy paper sack buried with your personal items or papers. CoolLunchBags.com sells designer lunch bags that actually look like a purse or for men, a lunch pail.

There are lots of reasons for carrying a lunch sack to work, among them the fight against diseases like diabetes or food allergies. I, personally, have an allergy to gluten, so sandwiches don't work unless I use gluten-free crackers or bread. But there are plenty of healthy options to add to a lunch bag, starting with fruit, vegetables and nuts.

Women can look sophisticated with any one of several choices of women's insulated lunch bags found on CoolLunchBags.com. Currently, one of the favorites is an abrasion-resistant neoprene insulated and waterproof lunch sack by BuiltNY in black, stripe or polka dot. Sleek and simple, this sling style designer lunch sack looks like a purse.

Another version of the purse style are the lunch sacks (also insulated with a waterproof lining) by Picnic at Ascot. These come in the popular Santa Barbara stripe canvas, Santa Cruz summer stripe and Hamilton Canvas and Tweed.

And for adult men, there's a perfect stainless steel Bento Box which looks a bit like the old metal lunch pail, masculine. This holds soups or other food items in two or three compartment stacking plastic containers. Also, the Stainless Steel thermos is an option for men or women to carry liquids.

We can't forget the always popular original Cool Tote Lunch Sacks established in 1985 and still going strong in solid colors and printed patterns for men, women and children. These are still the best sellers on our web site.

Of course, all of these mentioned lunch sacks are BPH and lead free.

My Child always wants Peanut Butter

There is no doubt the PB&J sandwiches are a staple of children's lunches and have been the norm for many years. I had one for lunch myself today, although I skipped the jelly. I don't need extra sugar. Should you worry if that is all your child wants to eat? Not at all, peanut butter is actually very healthy. Diets of peanut butter eaters are high in vitamins A and E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and lots of fiber. Peanut butter is 14% carbohydrates, 15% protein, and 71% fats, but fats are monounsaturated fats which are linked to lower cholesterol so, unless your child has a weight problem, its a great lunch.

I recommend all natural peanut butter since there are no added transfats and stablizers which are not as healthy. Spread on some on healthy whole wheat bread, and serve with a glass of milk and your child is ready for the afternoon. There is a lot you can do to provide variety, even if your child wants peanut butter every day. One of my favorites is PB&Bananas. Try using a bagel or pita bread and adding lettuce and a little crisp bacon. Peanut butter on celery or crackers makes a great snack.

Of course, variety is the spice of life so you should encourage your child to try other foods for lunch, and eventually they will come around and want a lot of lunch foods. Peanut butter can still make a great lunch later on for special occasions.

Don't Get Far From Your Healthy Snacks

I am going back to basics. My friend Sue needs my help. She is joining WeightWatchers for the second time. When she joined with me two years ago, she quit before she reached her goal weight. So I decided to write down all the rules that helped me the first time when I lost 20 pounds. I gave these suggestions to Sue. I also decided it wouldn't hurt me to try to lose that nagging five pounds that keeps creeping back onto my hips and thighs.

This time to get started, I didn't need to go through my cupboards and get rid of fattening and junk foods. I rarely stray from buying only healthy foods at the store. That is Rule Number One.

However, I have been known to eat a French Fry or two at the restaurant when we go out. I could blame it on my husband, because I don't order the french fries. He has no weight problem, so he orders french fries. Somehow, it doesn't seem to count if I filch from his plate. So Rule Number Two for me is to carry two lunch sacks. One filled with healthy food for lunch, another for snack food. This I do every day and try to avoid restaurant and fast food. If I do get caught in the trap and end up in a restaurant, I will have a healthy snack before I get there. I have a second Lunch Sack packed with healthy snacks to help curb the hunger so I can avoid the French Fries.

I find that packing one Lunch Sack with non-perishable snacks like apples and nuts help me stay organized because I don't have to do it every day. Pack it once or twice a week and snacks are ready to go. The first Lunch Sack is packed daily and gets the lunch items which are often perishable.

I also carry a washable stainless steel water bottle with filtered water from my kitchen. This is so much better than drinking from a plastic bottle. Rule Number Three: drink lots of water. I sometimes count my cup of green tea as water.

Rule Number Four: write it down. I keep track of the food and the number of calories I eat. On WeightWatchers I track the point value as calculated by a team of experts. Sometimes I'm surprised by the count total and how early in the day I can go over my limit. This limit is also calculated by WeightWatchers depending on height and weight.

Rule Number Five for me is to eat smaller portions of everything except vegetables. This is a suggestion that can't hurt anyone, especially overweight people. By eating lots of vegetables, I'm sure to get plenty of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. For me, I try to eat two or three portions of fruit each day and vary it by color and type. Fruit does have more sugar than most vegetables, so I load up on the vegetables. I always eat some fruit each day for the health benefits.


Rule Number Six is for me is to get 30 minutes of some kind of exercise each day. There are many more lessons and suggestions made by WeightWatchers, but I feel these are the ones that worked for me the first time.

Good Luck, Sue.

Lunch Bags Saved My Waistline

Imagine my amazement two years ago when a friend asked me to join WeightWatchers with her. Who me? I wasn't THAT overweight. Turns out I was putting on five pounds a year and creeping up towards 30 pounds overweight. Now that doesn't sound like a lot to some people, but figure out what it would be if I kept adding five pounds every year. Yikes, my mother had almost reached 200 pounds, and she is my size. Lucky for her, she had joined WeightWatchers years ago, and has maintained a healthy weight. Up to age 40, I had no weight problem. But figure in a lower level of activity (no kids to chase, less gym activity). I had a problem.


Now you may wonder what my mother and my overweight problem have to do with Lunch Sacks? Everything. I carry healthy lunches and my snacks are geared to ward off the hunger that comes from filling up with "Bad" snacks, causing an energy crash, repeated by more over eating.

The first thing I had to change was my grocery list. No more large buckets of cashews (which I bought as healthy snacks for family and guests, but finished off what was leftover by myself). That and the potato chips and dip were the first things to go. The lucky thing for me was I like almost all vegetables, cooked or raw. So I headed for the vegetable aisle first stop at the store. . Now, when I start dinner or pack a lunch, I start with vegetables. When I do eat a meal, I eat the healthiest food first and get a full feeling before I hit the heavy stuff. That, plus a couple helpings of fruit a day changed my weight problem plus gave me the added bonus of a much improved cholesterol and general health checkup.


My favorite "good snacks" are nuts (less then 10 per day), fruit (usually an apple or half an apple), sometimes a small banana or blueberries. I try to vary the fruits to get the most out of the "good" things they do for my body. I usually carry a few carrots and celery because they keep so well in a Lunch Sack. My "bad snacks" that I try to avoid are chips. I don't eat bread or most crackers because I also have a gluten problem. (More about this in another blog.)

Are your Kids Bored with their Bag Lunch?

Does your child eat his lunch everyday, or are they trading it or discarding it? How many days in a row do you fix the same thing just because it is easy, or you forgot to go the the store? How can you give your child a healthy lunch with lots of variety without a lot of extra work and stress?

• A little planning will go a long way towards making lunch time more enjoyable for your child. Sit down with your child and find out what is happening to his lunch. Have a monthly discussion about likes and dislikes. What new things might we try. It is also a great idea to take them shopping and point out some new alternatives.

• What is Healthy for your child? Does your child have any allergies or special dietary needs? If so, this will make your job more difficult, but much more critical. They may trade off something they don't like for a food they are allergic too and not realize what they are getting. You will also need to work with your child to help them find a balanced diet that they like. Introduce new foods at meals served at home so you can see their reactions before you send them off to school with something new.

• Plan for variety. After you have worked through the items you will serve, plan a menu for the next week that is different for each day. Make sure to include a fun food each day. Your child will look forward to lunch if you include either cookies, chips, granola bars,chocolate milk, or other favorites on the menu. If you also plan your weekly dinners at the same time, you can plan to use some leftovers in the lunch menu. Turkey sandwiches the next day are always the rage.

• Go Shopping. Nothing sucks up your time like a trip to the store every night on the way home from work. After you have your menus planned, make a list and do your shopping. In addition to the menus, you should include extras of things like fruit, granola bars, trail mix, nuts, dried fruit, cookies, and other favorite snacks so you also have after school snacks when you need them.

• Pack the night before. If there is only one suggestion you follow, this one will reduce your stress level immeasurably, and it is guaranteed to give your child a healthier lunch. There is never enough time in the morning so we are prone to forget things. Also, if the lunch stays cold in the refrigerator all night, then goes into a insulated lunch bag with a freezer pack, there is little chance of it spoiling.

Maybe we have added to your immediate workload by taking these suggestions, but I am willing to bet that lunches will be better and your life will be less stressful in the long run. Best of all, your child will have fun at lunch opening a surprise food every day.

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Lunch Bags in the 21st Century

We have been selling lunch bags for 20 years and decided it would be helpful to share some of our ideas and suggestions. When I was growing up, there was one lunch box. It was black, made out of tin, round on the top and square on the bottom. The top held a thermos and the bottom several sandwiches and maybe an apple. That was the Henry Ford approach and worked well in the fifties.

Today there are thousands of different options. What happened? As with most products in this century, people want lots of choices so they can carry a lunch bag that reflects their own style. Cool Tote Lunch Bags offer over 25 different fabrics. There are lunch bags for Hello Kitty, Spiderman, and many other comic book characters. We even have lunch bags that look like a purse in many fashion colors.

More importantly, medical research has discovered a myriad of food allergies in the past 20 years so many of us need special lunches. Gluten Free, Peanut Free, Low Sodium, Sugar Free, and many other types of lunches are needed.

In addition, this generation is gaining weight at a rapid pace, so a healthy lunch is essential to maintaining your waistline. There is WeightWatchers, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, and, of course, the latest fad diet that needs special food to be carried to school and work.