What germs are festering in the kids’ lunch boxes? It is a thought that may or may not occur to parents as they quickly pack all those wonderfully healthy snacks, sandwiches, and drinks for their children’s school lunch in the morning. Using a few lunch box safety tips could help to avoid the possibility of illness due to food spoilage, contamination, and germs.
Keep Bacteria Away from Kids’ Lunches
When putting together a school lunch, parents should practice good hygiene by making sure that their hands and countertop work surfaces are clean. Wipe the work area down with antibacterial wipes or spray before getting started on preparing food and snacks for the children’s lunch boxes, and this will help avoid cross contamination.
Check the lunch box to be sure that it is clean. Doing a daily wipe down of the lunch box inner lining and making sure that it is completely dry before packing the new lunch is an important lunch box safety tip.
Along with the kids’ lunches, pack two antibacterial wipes and teach children to wipe away the germs on their hands before and after eating the contents of their lunch boxes.
Avoid School Lunch Box Spoilage
One of the biggest issues with lunch boxes is the potential for food spoilage. Most schools do not provide an opportunity for children to refrigerate their food until it is time for lunch. Therefore, things like milk and mayonnaise will sit out for several hours at room temperature where harmful bacteria may grow. Using a cold pack is one way to keep a lunch from spoiling.
If a lunch box item is meant to stay warm, use a thermos to keep the food at the appropriate temperature. Thermos products will also keep cold items such as milk from spoiling. Insulated lunch boxes are designed to keep food at the correct temperature as well and this would be a smart purchase for children that prefer bagged lunches to school lunch offerings.
Other Lunch Box Safety Tips
There are many other important lunch box safety tips that can help to keep a child’s lunch from spoiling or being contaminated. Try some of these ideas to keep kids’ lunches safe:
- Freeze water, juice, and milk before packing
- Keep packed snacks chilled in the refrigerator overnight
- Freeze items such as grapes, sweet bread slices, and carrots before packing
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly
- Teach children to throw away perishable leftovers
- Use small, reusable containers or sealed bags to keep wet and dry snacks separated
Children will need to contend with plenty of germs on doorknobs, swings, and water bubblers at school. Parents can help to keep them at bay by packing a healthy lunch in a safe and germ free lunch box. Use the sensible lunch box safety tips listed above to keep kids’ lunches free from spoilage, contamination, and harmful bacteria.
Karen Plumley - Karen Plumley is a writer specializing in parenting and education. She works for Parenting NH and the Hippo, NH's most widely read ...
