Packing safe, healthy and delicious lunches
- col-kate-shumaker
- August 18, 2023
- 660
Confession time: I pack a lot of food. Always have. I was never an “eat school lunch” kid, so I’ve been packing lunches for over 40 years. I also hate paying ridiculous prices for snacks while traveling, so I usually pack snacks for the road. And I’m not an early morning eater, so I’m usually also packing and eating breakfast on the go. So yes, I am always packing food to go.
But what kind of food? How to pack it? How to keep it safe? How to keep your sanity?
The containers
Let’s start with your lunch bag. We’re not talking about old-school brown paper bags anymore. Big or small, soft or hard, look for a lunch box that is insulated and big enough to carry all of your food and a cold source. Some even come with soft freezer packs sewn right into the lining. Also, letting kids choose their own lunch “kit” can affect how they view taking a packed lunch.
Now for the food containers. Containers that are reusable are a better choice for the environment (and your wallet) but be realistic about whether or not they will actually make it back home or accidentally get thrown away. Invest in durable plastic, stainless steel, glass or silicone containers in a variety of sizes that can be reused. Pack reusable utensils. Include water or juice in a reusable bottle. This can be frozen ahead to serve as an extra cold source for the lunch bag. Don’t forget to include tiny containers for dips and sauces.
If you want to pack hot foods (like soup, chili or even a hot dog in hot water) in the lunch, plan on using a thermos or insulated vacuum container to keep the food hot until it is consumed. Fill the container with boiling water, let stand for a few minutes, empty and then put in the piping hot food. Keep the insulated container closed until lunchtime to keep the food hot — 140 F or above.
Keeping it safe
Food safety basics can’t be emphasized enough. Start with washing your hands (warm water and soap for 20 seconds) and making sure you have a clean work area. A solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water may be used to sanitize surfaces and utensils.
Pay attention as you are prepping all foods to avoid the dreaded (and sometimes sneaky) cross contamination. So often our hands are our tools in the kitchen, and we’re not thinking about all of the things we are touching. Consider using one cutting board for fresh produce and bread and a separate one for meat and poultry.
To keep foods cold from when you leave home until lunchtime, you should include at least two cold sources. The USDA recommends either two frozen gel packs (not smaller than 5-by-3 inches each) or a combination of a frozen gel pack and a frozen container of water, juice or yogurt. These cold items are best placed on the top and bottom (sandwich-style) in your lunch container. When possible, place your lunch bag in the refrigerator as soon as possible.
The bottom line for food safety is harmful bacteria multiply rapidly in the Danger Zone — the temperatures between 40 and 140 F. So perishable food transported without an ice source won’t stay safe long. Food should not be left out at room temperature for more than two hours — one hour if the temperature is above 90 F.
What to pack?
You’ve seen the commercials where kids frown over what they find in their lunch box. What can you do?
Involve kids in planning their lunches. Asking your child to make a list of healthy lunch choices they like can be a starting point. Keep the list posted somewhere in the kitchen so your child can change it as their tastes change. If possible, take your children to the grocery store with you. Allow them to choose items for their lunch such as fruit, veggies, single-serve puddings, yogurt and juice.
Take time in the evening to put together lunches for tomorrow. If kids have a vested interest in their lunch, they will be more likely to eat it. Let them watch you pack your lunch to set a good example. Don’t forget to put the packed lunch in the refrigerator overnight.
Have you tried these ideas?
—Celebrate special days.Plan lunch menus around special events or crazy food days. For example, pack an all-red lunch in honor of Valentine’s Day or include a pumpkin muffin on Pumpkin Day (Oct. 26).
—Switch up the same old sandwich routine. Try making sandwiches with mini whole-grain pitas, English muffins or tortillas for a fun change.
—Make a graze-box. Put together a lunch version of a charcuterie board. A selection of whole-grain crackers, small bites of meats and cheese, veggies, and fruits also make for nutritious lunch options.
—Add some veggies for a nutrition-packed lunch. Try mixing fruits and veggies together in one container so a little sweet from the fruit rubs off on the veggies, such as sliced baby carrots mixed with a few raisins or dried cranberries or celery sticks with apple slices.
—Individual packs of raisins or other dried fruit, pudding, canned fruit, applesauce, gelatin and yogurt are easy to pack.
—Fresh fruit is the original fast food. Make fruit easy to eat. Apples, plums, pears, bananas and grapes are ready to go. For oranges or other messy fruits, you may want to prepare it into chunks, slices or strips.
—Offer presweetened cereal as a “dessert” item.
—Choose nonrefrigerated items. Include options that don’t require refrigeration such as trail mix, cereal, granola bars, bagels, nuts and seeds, carrot and celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, whole fruit, dried fruit, single-serve applesauce and whole-grain crackers, and peanut butter and jelly.
And when everyone comes home, it’s time to clear out the lunch boxes. Any leftover perishable food gets discarded. You can determine if shelf-stable foods that come home are still of a quality to be consumed. Wash all food containers. Wipe out the lunch box with hot soapy water or a disinfectant cleaner and allow to air dry. Then it’s time to do it all over again and again.
For more information about upcoming programs in family and consumer sciences, join the Coshocton, Holmes, Wayne Family and Consumer Sciences newsletter at https://holmes.osu.edu/program-areas/family-and-consumer-sciences/fcs-e-newsletter-food-family-finance. You also can follow the Holmes County OSU Extension on Facebook at @OSUEXTHolmes.
Kate Shumaker is an extension educator of family and consumer sciences for OSU Extension Holmes County. Email or call her at shumaker.68@osu.edu or 330-674-3015.