Well it's hard to believe that summer is coming to an end. For many of you, your children have started back to school or they'll be heading out very soon. My daughter leaves for her sophmore year up in Boston tomorrow. As always, I'll miss her and shed a few tears before she goes, which I've already managed to do.
However, not everyone is sending their children off to college, many of you have grown children or none at all. For those with kids still living at home that you send off to school with a lunch bag, I have a few tips that I hope you'll find helpful.
When you send your kids to school with a lunch bag, how can you be sure that the food will stay fresh and cold by the time they sit down to eat it at noon?
Here are a few tips that might insure the freshness of their brown bag lunch.
If packing a juice box for lunch, put the box in the frezzer the night before. When you pack it in the morning it will be frozen keeping the rest of their lunch fresh. By lunch time the juice box will be very cold but thawed and perfect for drinking.
Use an insulated lunch bag
Purchase a mini ice brick - these stay colder longer keeping food fresh and free of any bacteria developing
Freeze bread slices cut in half before making sandwiches. The food remains cold and doesn't get soggy.
Food should not be left out at room temperature more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is above 90 °F).
So before you send your son or daughter off to school with a lunch bag, make sure you've insulated it or added something cold to the bag to keep the food fresh until lunchtime. Not taking the time could cause your child to get very ill. It only takes a minute. Don't forget.
