{"id":151995,"date":"2025-03-23T16:50:14","date_gmt":"2025-03-23T16:50:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/recipes\/category-a-b\/blw\/keep-food-safe-at-school-feeding-littles\/"},"modified":"2025-03-23T16:50:14","modified_gmt":"2025-03-23T16:50:14","slug":"keep-food-safe-at-school-feeding-littles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=151995","title":{"rendered":"Keep Food Safe at School \u2013 Feeding Littles"},"content":{"rendered":"


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One big question we always get is, \u201cHow do you keep lunches cold?\u201d Since we are self-proclaimed lunchbox experts<\/a>, we wanted to share some food safety guidelines for lunches! Keep reading below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Below are food safety\u00a0tips about lunch, straight from the\u00a0USDA<\/a>\u00a0guidelines:<\/p>\n

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  1. Perishable food must be refrigerated or stored with 2\u00a0ice packs. A frozen water bottle or other frozen drink can count as one of the ice packs, but it is recommended to do an ice source on the bottom and the top of the\u00a0Bentgo<\/a>\u00a0(shown) itself. Store the lunch in an insulated bag to help keep it cold. (We have some of our favorite insulated bags in our\u00a0Amazon shop<\/a>\u00a0too.)<\/li>\n
  2. Perishable foods include meat, poultry, fish, eggs and most dairy. Cut up veggies and fruits should also be kept cold.<\/li>\n
  3. According to USDA, foods that do not need refrigeration include: whole (uncut) veggies and fruits, hard cheese, canned meat or fish, chips, breads, crackers, PBJ, mustard and pickles. We do ice packs in our lunches no matter what just to be safe.<\/li>\n
  4. Food should be kept out of the \u201ctemperature danger zone\u201d (40-140F)\u00a0as much as possible. It is not recommended to leave any perishable food out longer than 2 hours.<\/li>\n
  5. If you pack lunch the night before, keep it in the fridge overnight and pack it with ice right before you leave for school the next day.<\/li>\n
  6. It is not recommended to eat uneaten perishable foods that come home unless you can guarantee that it has been kept cold.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Don\u2019t forget that these safety guidelines apply to any food out of the fridge, even snacks you send with your preschooler or diaper bag snacks.<\/p>\n

    Want non-perishable lunch ideas and 75+ unique, simple lunches? Check out our highly-anticipated lunchbox inspo book,\u00a0Feeding Littles Lunches<\/a>!\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n