Tips to Pack a Safe and Healthy Lunch
Easy Food Safety Tips Every Parent Should Know When Preparing School Lunches
As another school year kicks off, families everywhere are settling back into routines, including the daily decision of whether to buy lunch at school or bring one from home. While making school lunches nutritious and tasty is a top priority for many parents, food safety is just as important when it comes to keeping children healthy and in school.
Some assume that if a lunch is nutritious, it’s automatically safe. However, food safety should never be overlooked. In fact, one in six Americans gets sick from contaminated food each year, and children are especially vulnerable due to their still-developing immune systems. That’s why safe food handling and storage are crucial when preparing your child’s lunch.
Tips to Safely Pack Your Child’s School Lunch
1. Keep Everything Clean
Proper handwashing is your first line of defense. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling food. Next, you should ensure all surfaces and tools, including cutting boards, utensils, and countertops, are cleaned with hot, soapy water before and after food preparation to help prevent cross-contamination. Also, don’t forget about the lunch containers themselves. Paper or plastic bags should not be reused unless properly washed. Reusable lunch boxes and containers should be emptied daily, sanitized with wipes or spray, rinsed, and air-dried thoroughly.
2. Control the Temperature
Keeping food at the right temperature is essential. Harmful bacteria can grow quickly between 40°F and 140°F, so keeping cold foods cold and hot foods hot helps reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. Cold foods should be packaged inside an insulated lunch box with freezer gel packs or a frozen juice box to maintain a safe temperature. Pack soup or hot food in a pre-heated insulated food jar. It is recommended to fill the jar with boiling water, let it sit for a few minutes, then empty it and add the hot food when preparing it for lunch.
3. Practice Safe Storage
It’s absolutely fine to prep your child’s lunch the night before. Just be sure to refrigerate everything overnight and pack it straight into the lunchbox in the morning with an ice pack. If possible, make sure your child stores their lunch in a cool or room temperature spot once they arrive at school. Also, try to pack only what your child will eat. Leftovers that sit unrefrigerated during the day can pose a safety risk and should be thrown away.
Know the Symptoms of Food Poisoning in Children
Children are more susceptible to foodborne illnesses due to the increased risk of bacterial growth in improperly stored or handled lunches. Watch for common symptoms of food poisoning, which may include:
Common food poisoning symptoms include:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Stomach cramps
- Fever
If your child experiences these symptoms and you suspect food poisoning, it is important to seek medical attention to quickly alleviate their symptoms and help them feel better.
Immediate Pediatric Care – Available 24/7
If your child is experiencing severe symptoms of food poisoning, Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital is here to help—day or night. Our team of dedicated physicians specializes in 24/7 pediatric care and is committed to helping you and your loved ones feel better faster. From administering IV fluids to conducting onsite laboratory tests, we strive to make it easy for you to return to your everyday activities with comprehensive care and treatment all in one place.
Disclaimer: As a service to our readers, Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital and Nutex Health state no content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.