{"id":19428,"date":"2017-01-26T07:29:02","date_gmt":"2017-01-26T05:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.radioislam.org.za\/wordpress\/2017\/01\/26\/tips-for-keeping-lunches-safe-and-cool-26-01-17\/"},"modified":"2017-01-26T07:29:02","modified_gmt":"2017-01-26T05:29:02","slug":"tips-for-keeping-lunches-safe-and-cool-26-01-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/tips-for-keeping-lunches-safe-and-cool-26-01-17\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for keeping lunches safe and cool (26.01.17)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Moms are always looking for new tricks to keep lunches cold. Perishable food has to be kept cool to remain safe to eat, and lots of food that won\u2019t spoil still tastes better cold than it does at room temp. Try these tricks for keeping your packed lunches cold.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use an insulated lunchbox<\/span><\/strong>
It doesn’t matter if you choose a soft-sided insulated lunchbox or a hard cooler \u2014 use a lunchbox that’s designed for keeping cold foods cold. If you don’t have one of these lunchboxes available, use standard brown paper bags, but layer more than one to add a little extra insulation.<\/span>
Use freezable ice packs<\/span>
You can pick up a freezable gel ice pack for fairly cheap, and it’ll last you forever. Keep one or two in your freezer overnight and add them to the lunchbox in the morning. You can usually buy them for $1 or less, so if they get thrown away or forgotten, it’s not a huge deal.
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Make your own ice pack<\/span><\/strong>
Instead of buying ice packs, make your own. Wet a washcloth, fold it, and place it inside a sandwich bag. Freeze the washcloth overnight and place it in your kid’s lunchbox. The ice in the washcloth will melt throughout the day, and by lunchtime, the food will still be cold. As an added bonus, the washcloth will be thawed but still wet, so it’s perfect to use for any cleanup.
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Afraid your washcloths won\u2019t make it home? We don’t blame you! The same thing will work with a few wet paper towels, and they can just be thrown away after lunch!
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Freeze your drink<\/span><\/strong>
If you send juice boxes with your kids for lunch, make a habit of keeping them in the freezer instead of the fridge. If you put them in the lunchbox frozen, they’ll be thawed, but cold and ready to drink by lunch. They’ll keep lunch cold all day while they thaw, too! This also works with water bottles or juice poured into an empty water bottle. Just make sure the bottles aren’t filled completely, so there’s room for expansion. Your kids will have a safe lunch and a refreshingly cold drink once lunchtime rolls around.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pack cold foods<\/span><\/strong>
Never pack warm or room-temperature foods into a lunchbox that you’re trying to keep cold. Even shelf-stable foods should be refrigerated before you pack them to absorb the cold. Prepare foods like sandwiches and salads ahead of time, and keep them in the fridge for at least a few hours before you pack them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bacteria that cause foodborne illness, commonly known as food poisoning, grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. In just two hours, these microorganisms can multiply to dangerous levels, which can cause foodborne illness. To make sure lunches and snacks are safe for those you pack for, you should follow the four steps to food safety: Clean \u2013 Separate \u2013 Cook \u2013 and Chill.<\/span><\/p>\n

Packing Tips<\/span><\/strong>
\u2022 If the lunch\/snack contains perishable food items like luncheon meats, eggs, cheese, or yogurt, make sure to pack it with at least two cold sources. Harmful bacteria multiply rapidly so perishable food transported without an ice source won’t stay safe long.
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\u2022 Frozen juice boxes or water can also be used as freezer packs. Freeze these items overnight and use with at least one other freezer pack. By lunchtime, the liquids should be thawed and ready to drink.
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\u2022 Pack lunches containing perishable food in an insulated lunchbox or soft-sided lunch bag. Perishable food can be unsafe to eat by lunchtime if packed in a paper bag.
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\u2022 If packing a hot lunch, like soup, chili or stew, use an insulated container to keep it hot. Fill the container with boiling water, let stand for a few minutes, empty, and then put in the piping hot food. Tell children to keep the insulated container closed until lunchtime to keep the food hot – 140 \u00b0F or above.
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\u2022 If packing a child\u2019s lunch the night before, parents should leave it in the refrigerator overnight. The meal will stay cold longer because everything will be refrigerator temperature when it is placed in the lunchbox.
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\u2022 If you\u2019re responsible for packing snack for the team, troop, or group, keep perishable foods in a cooler with ice or cold packs until snack time. Pack snacks in individual bags or containers, rather than having children share food from one serving dish.
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Storage Tips<\/span><\/strong>
\u2022 If possible, a child\u2019s lunch should be stored in a refrigerator or cooler with ice upon arrival. Leave the lid of the lunchbox or bag open in the fridge so that cold air can better circulate and keep the food cold.
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Eating and Disposal Tips<\/strong>
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\u2022 Pack disposable wipes for washing hands before and after eating.
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\u2022 After lunch, discard all leftover food, used food packaging, and paper bags. Do not reuse packaging because it could contaminate other food and cause foodborne illness<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Moms are always looking for new tricks to keep lunches cold. Perishable food has to be kept cool to remain safe to eat, and lots of food that won\u2019t spoil still tastes better cold than it does at room temp. Try these tricks for keeping your packed lunches cold. Use an insulated lunchboxIt doesn’t matter […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36907,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kitchen-tips"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/lunch-ideas.png?fit=400%2C200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-53m","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-07 09:57:12","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36907"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}