Shelf-Stable Food To Pack For Lunch
No worries with these foods. They can stay at room temperature. Try some of the following for lunches and snacks:
- Breads and grains: various breads (including multi-grain), bagels, pita, crackers, single-serving boxes of cereal, trail mix, energy bars, granola bars, and cereal bars, popcorn, chips, or pretzels
- Raw vegetables: carrot and celery sticks; broccoli flowerets, cauliflower buds, pea pods
- Raw fruits: grapes, cherries, raisins, single-serve applesauce, sliced or whole apples, other whole fruits (bananas, peaches, pears, plums, oranges), dried fruit or dried fruit mix; flip-top cans of fruit cocktail, fruit juice cartons
- Dairy and dairy alternatives: soy or rice milk (if in asceptic, single-serve boxes); single-serve pudding cups (if they are sold as shelf-stable, were not taken from the store’s refrigerated cooler, and are labeled “no refrigeration needed”), individually portioned (3 oz.) tuna cans with easy-open tops
- Protein sources: nuts, peanut butter sandwiches (or with jelly or jam), single-serve packages of peanut butter and crackers (Be aware, however, that most schools have barred peanut butter due to serious allergies in the school population. It’s best to check with your child’s school before sending your child to school with peanuts or peanut products.)
- Meal muffins: Some of these can work as lunch entrées (for example, ham and cheese or Mexican cornbread). Keep them in the freezer, and pack them in a lunch in the morning. By lunchtime, they should be thawed, still chilled, and ready to eat safely. But experiment with this method before trusting it to see how long it takes them to thaw to about 50°F, and, in very hot weather, add a frozen gel pack. Remember, bacteria grow rapidly in the “danger zone” between 40°F- 140°F.
- Desserts: pie (not cream pie), single-serve pudding cups from the store shelf, cookies, brownies, cake without cream fillings or frostings
- Condiments: Pickles, mustard, catsup, commercial mayonnaise, and most commercial salad dressings are fine at room temperature if they are in single-serve, sealed packets.
Sources:
American Dietetic Association: “Lunchbox Lowdown”. http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=3809&terms=lunchbox
Emergency Food Cache and Sack Lunches: “Foods Safe to Keep Unrefrigerated”. http://www.foodpres.com/emerg.htm
Susan Brewer, Ph.D. University of Illinois, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
About the Author
JANIS GUGGENHEIM, a free-lance writer with many years’ experience, has a long-standing interest in food safety and history and an extensive book collection on food-related subjects. For http://shelflifeadvice.com, she has authored product write-ups on canned tomatoes, apple juice, orange juice, flour, and sugar as well as the section on unrefrigerated lunches and some of the book reviews. As a one-time columnist, reporter, and correspondent, she has published many articles and reviews.
Lunch Box Makeover
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