News Taffy

I have always made my children lunch to take to school. While school lunches have improved marginally in the last couple of years, I feel better knowing exactly what they are eating and providing fruit and vegetables instead of chips and cookies. The main problem in sending a sack lunch is keeping food at the proper temperature. Having the right storage containers and a good lunch box or bag is essential to providing a safe, nutritious lunch. This year, I have found a number of new containers and a great new lunch bag that has made this task much easier. If you take your lunch to work as many of adults do, you will find these items useful for yourself.

Over the years, we have tried just about every bag or box out there but this year I think I have found the best bag of all. Packit personal coolers feature a eco-gel lining around the entire bag. Simply fold the bag and place it in the freezer overnight and it will keep food cold for 10 hours. We have tested ours since the start of school and it works beautifully. You can find it locally at Bed Bath and Beyond or view it here.

There is nothing wrong with slipping a sandwich in a ziploc bag or wrapping it in foil or Saran Wrap except that it might be mashed flat by the time lunch rolls around. The same goes for chips or delicate fruit like strawberries. None of my plastic containers ever seemed to be the right size to fit into a lunch bag. This year I invested in a few plastic containers made just for lunchtime solutions. I found the KLIP IT storage containers at The Container Store while shopping in Little Rock but you can also find these products online here or here. They have made packing lunch a breeze and my daughter’s lunch isn’t a mushy mess. The large blue container is especially nice as it is divided into three compartments separated by a lid so you can pack a sandwich in the largest section and then a side dish such as grapes or carrot sticks in the other compartments.

When the weather turns cold, it’s nice to be able to take some soup or other hot food. A small thermos is a good investment that can be used to take coffee to those cold, early morning soccer games as well as soup for lunch. Make sure the mouth of the thermos is wide as it can be hard to get food in or out of a narrow opening, especially for children.

Get shopping and get organized. A few key pieces makes packing lunches easier and you will have the satisfaction of knowing your children have a good lunch.

Until next time, Lisa