Beyond bento: This lunch box rocks!

We were skeptical of the stainless steel lunch boxes from PlanetBox.

But then we tried The Rover ($59.95 with necessary accessories), designed for kids (or even adults) who like a wide variety of foods in smaller not-touching portions.

Yes, it’s heavy — 2.5 pounds empty, including the must-have carry bag.

But we loved packing lunches in the TV-dinner/bento-style compartments.

It cleaned up easily in the sink and the dishwasher. And it was especially nice not fiddling with plastic containers and lids. 

The Rover holds 4.5 cups of food, which is a lot, but you can even bigger with The Launch (6 cups of food) or smaller with The Shuttle (3 cups of food).

Kids can customize all the PlanetBoxes with magnets, too.

It’s an investment, but a good one. These things are tough!