My oldest is about to start school and will probably bring a packed lunch most days. I'm good with what to pack him and know what he likes. I'm just looking for the best suggestions on keeping the food fresh. Do you pack with a ice pack? Use a thermos for warm stuff? My son likes things like lunch meat, cheese, yogurt...I just want to make sure it's fresh and safe to eat!
What are some suggestions for packaging a lunch for school? Thanks!
We use an insulated cooler bag and stick in an ice pack (or two on warm days) to keep it cold. The one we have also has an outside pouch for things that do not have to stay cold.
If you freeze the yugurt tubes they work great to keep other items cool in an insulated lunch box. You can also purchase small ice packs for lunch boxes and lunch boxes with icepacks built into them. Also if you are using name brand lunch meats they can withstand a couple of hours in a lunch box with no problems as long as it isn't sitting in the sun on a super hot day. Good luck & best wishes.
I froze juice boxes. Ran them under hot water in the morning to defrost them about half way. Voila! Cold drink and fresh food!
:)
Fit n fresh makes these great containers that have snap in ice packs for each piece. They work great for keeping things cool and they don't get lost.
Insulated lunch bag
blue-ice, ice pack
Thermos if, you are gonna pack warm stuff.
It will be fine.
Only pack what he WILL eat.
I work at my kids' school, and everyday, there are kids that do NOT eat, even if they are hungry... because, their Mom packed stuff that they do not like, no matter how cutesy or fancy it looks.
And if a kid does not eat lunch in school... they go ALLLLLL day, without food in their tummy. And that creates, low blood sugar, bad attention spans, moodiness, and hunger pains in their tummy and they cannot concentrate, in class. Or they get really tired, too. Before school even ends.
That is my, advice to you.
Pack what he WILL eat.
Or kids do not eat lunch, at all, even if hungry.
I see this, EVERYDAY, in the cafeteria.
I saw this nifty container at Pottery Barn Kids a few weeks back, and bought it: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/spencer-dual-comp...
It has a flat, removable ice pack in the lid that does a great job of keeping a sandwich cold (or whatever else you want to pack in there - the size is perfect for a sandwich though). We have been using it as the kids have been in day camp these past few weeks, and they say it does a good job of keeping their sandwiches cold until lunchtime.
I've never had the world's greatest success with hot items in school lunches. The problem I've always had is that the cafeteria tends to be a chaotic place for kids to eat anyway, and entrusting a grade-school aged child with the task of pouring the soup into the attached cup is a challenge (since most thermoses are not of a size where you could eat out of the container - and you have to pour the soup into the cup or whatever... always a mess in my experience). And then the ones you actually CAN eat out of, leak all over the lunchbox before you even get to lunchtime. So... yeah. I've had more success with cold lunches than hot lunches. :)
I always freeze my juice boxes and yogurt the night before and still use an ice pack in an insulated "31 Gifts" lunch bag. :)
