Packing Safe Lunches
You have sent your daughter off to school with a nutritious packed lunch and assume that she will be safe. But will she? Even the most nutritious packed lunches can contain food borne illness-causing bacteria.
If foods are properly prepared and kept at the correct temperature until eaten, they can be considered safe. As a general rule, if a food must be kept in the refrigerator, it is generally not safe for school lunches, unless it can be kept cold. Some examples include, meat, dairy products, eggs, seafood, cooked leftovers, and recently cooked or warmed foods.
Keep foods cold by using insulated lunch boxes, using a frozen ice brick or gel pack, or by freezing a drink bottle of water or fruit juice. Pudding or yogurt can also be frozen.
Know which foods work best in lunches:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Bread
- Crackers
- Peanut Butter
- Jelly
- Nuts
- Chips
- Pretzels
- Pumpkin & Sunflower Seeds
If you keep these general guidelines in mind when choosing items for your child's lunch you can ensure their safety from food born illness at lunchtime.
