Meet My Two Favorite Lunch Buddies: Prepd and Monbento

Lunch monotony is real and we know it all too well. You were excited to have prepped a lunch the night before, but those leftovers look kind of sad and boring now that noon is rolling around and your stomach is grumbling. Today I’ve got two bento boxes that are total lunch gamechangers: Prepd Pack and Monbento. They’re super functional (compact, wash easily, no leaks) and super cute. Check out my review and the unboxing video below — this just might be the end to lunch boredom, once and for all.

Chris and Will kicked off the Prepd pack with a Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaign back in early 2016. Inspired by the lack of inspiration in their daily lunches, the two created this fancy lunch box (can we even call it a lunch box?) and its accompanying app. It received an overwhelming amount of support and preorders, and debuted at the NYNow gift show this August.

The pack comes with three containers — you can order extra if you want to prep for multiple meals at once — along with a pair of chopsticks. Other add-ons include a magnetic silverware set and a fabric sleeve. Downloading the Prepd app is the best way to get started: it has links to loads of Prepd recipes that offer great lunch #inspo along with a shopping list to get everything you need for it (the recipes even tell you the grocery store aisle where you can find each ingredient). And for our religious Pinterest users out there, check out their recipe pinboards to search variations like low-carb, post-workout, vegan, gluten-free, and more. Each recipe is designed to fit perfectly in the boxes, and will tell you the exact nutrition information for you to track.

Monbento has come to us from France, launched by Emilie Creuzieux in 2010. She discovered the Japanese bento box by chance and found it beyond useful for her everyday life — but difficult to find anywhere in her everyday life! Thus the MB Original was born, followed quickly by a roll-out of different colors, sizes, and a wide variety of accessories. With the ability to customize your own box, the Monbento appeals to the child in all of us — making your lunch box as unique as whatever you choose to pack. And like Prepd, Monbento provides a plethora of recipes as well.

While Monbento is certainly on the lower cost end when compared with Prepd (most boxes are around $30), they are now offering a more “sophisticated” wood version that is available for pre-order and coming in at $109.

Anyone who needs a good shake-up to their lunch routine — and also wants to save money doing it. With back-to-school season in full swing, it’s the perfect time to add another option to all the great lunchbox options out there (because, let’s face it, you’re never too old to want a delicious packed lunch).

Have you tried either of these lunch packs or any of Prepd’s lunch recipes? Let us know in the comments!

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