A nice new backpack, fancy colored pens, squeaky clean shoes, and a packed lunch. In a time filled with such anticipation and excitement, it is easy to overlook the importance of food safety. Each year, approximately 48 million Americans experience food poisoning. September is National Food Safety Education Month, so let’s discuss how to pack a nutritious, delicious, and safe school lunch!
When packing a lunch, DO:
- Wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water before and after handling food.
- Use an insulated lunch bag and ice pack when including foods that could spoil, and if the food will be out of cool storage for more than 4 hours. (The following link provides an example, as well as some additional helpful packing tips: https://www.parents.com/kids/camp/summer/5-steps-to-packing-a-safe-camp-lunch/)
- Strive to incorporate a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains! For example, a mixture of baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber and cut bell peppers with ranch dip, or your favorite fruit with peanut butter.
On the other hand, here are some things to consciously avoid:
- Cross contamination between raw meat, poultry, and seafood with any cooked or ready to eat foods. Use separate plates, cutting boards, and utensils to prevent this from happening.
- Utilizing the same dishcloth or sponge. These can hold harmful foodborne pathogens and jeopardize your packed lunch. Strive to clean your sponges daily, and try to replace them weekly.
- Tasting your food to see if it’s still good at the end of the day, especially if it’s perishable. It may seem like a nice idea to keep some leftovers as an afterschool snack, but not all foods can last that long in a lunch box.
Wondering what you could pack? Consider giving some of these healthy, non-perishable snacks a try!
- Ants on a log. Rinse and clean celery sticks, then slice in half. Spread peanut butter or preferred nut butter down the middle of each celery sticks. Top with raisins and enjoy! This was a childhood favorite of mine that I still love to this day. Instead of raisins, you can try granola, chocolate chips, or even fruits like blueberries or grapes!
- Homemade apple chips. Preheat your oven to 200F. Cut an apple of your choice into paper thin slices, then arrange slices in a single layer on parchment paper. Mix together a teaspoon of sugar with a teaspoon of cinnamon, then sprinkle over slices. Bake for 1.5 hours, and you’ll have yourself a delicious snack for lunch the next day. You could use bananas instead, or even try your hand at some homemade veggie chips!
- Fall flavors trail mix. Combine pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, dark chocolate chips, and wheat chex with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice. If catering to a nut allergy, consider swapping the pecans for a different dried fruit, seed, or grain.
Wishing you a happy, healthy, and safe start to your school year!
