How To Pack A School Lunch So It Stays Fresh

Packing your child's lunch in the morning is many hours away from when they open up their lunchbox at school. Perishable foods should not be left in the 40 to 140°F heat for more than two hours as bacteria can potentially grow making the food unsafe. The USDA recommends packing a frozen gel pack or a frozen water bottle along with certain foods to keep them cool. These include deli meats, dairy products, cooked vegetables, rice, hard-boiled eggs and any foods from leftover dinners. Some foods to pack that don’t require being kept cool are raw vegetables, crackers, cookies, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and trail mix. If you’re sending your kid to school with a hot meal, have a proper thermos or insulated food jar! It will keep mac and cheese or soup hot for hours. Before putting the hot food in the container sterilize it with boiling water to kill any lingering bacteria.

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