Healthy Habits for Back-to-School Lunches

by Cascade Ice on August 22, 2011

It’s that time of year again! Youngsters are gearing up to go back to the classroom with that spiffy new lunchbox in tow. However, packing a healthy lunch can be a challenge, especially if you have a picky eater!

A recent study from the University of Texas at Austin has revealed that most packed lunches aren’t safe. Most parents do not included ice packs in their child’s lunchbox, and the ones who do don’t provide as much as they should. Even if your child’s perishable items (like yogurt, cheese and deli meats) stay cool, they most likely aren’t staying cold. This temperature difference can cause a breeding ground for germs and cause your child to come home sick.

There are easy steps you can take to preventing this. Put your child’s beverage in the freezer the night before, it will serve as a second ice pack. Refrigerate items that may not necessarily need it, like oranges. Once again, it will help keep the lunchbox cold. Also, make sure to purchase a well insulated lunchbox for your kiddo. Thin plastic and tin lunchboxes may be cheaper but aren’t nearly as healthy.

How do you keep your child’s food from spoiling between home and school? Which of these tips will you use this school year?