While you're including notebooks, pencils and backpacks on your list of supplies for school, don't forget one of the most important -- a safe lunch box and cold source.
"There are a lot of differences between a safe lunch box and one that will just carry the lunch," said Ruthann Swanson, a food specialist with the University of Georgia Extension Service.
"Some boxes or bags don't have enough insulation to keep foods safe," Swanson said. "And even of those, some are too small to carry enough food to get a child through a long school day."
Swanson is researching the types of lunch boxes that best keep foods out of the "danger zone" -- between 40 and 140 degrees.
"When perishable foods stay in the danger zone for two hours or more, their safety becomes questionable," she said.
Insulated lunch boxes and bags with reusable cold packs are the best way to keep cold foods below 40 degrees. Nontoxic chemical packs can keep foods cold without the mess or bother of ice.
Swanson said the hard plastic cold packs stay colder than soft-bag packs. And they're less likely to break or get punctured.
"Many parents freeze drink boxes to keep sandwiches or other foods cold. And that is another option," she said. "But then you have to be sure it thaws enough for your child to have a drink at lunchtime."
Boxed drinks can leak, though. Freezing makes the liquid expand and that may tear the box seams. One option for a lunchtime drink is UHT milk your child can safely drink at room temperature. Swanson said most children like cold drinks, though, so freezing or chilling makes them more appealing.
Using a cold source gives parents and kids more variety for lunch, too. If your only choices are room-temperature foods, you don't have a lot of choices.
"But one food that does stay safe and is nutritious is peanut butter," Swanson said.
Many children will eat peanut butter on apples, bananas, crackers, celery or in sandwiches.
But what about sandwiches with meats or salad-type fillings?
Swanson said it's vital to keep any protein-rich food like beans, eggs and meats -- processed or leftover muscle cuts such as roast beef or chicken - - cold with chill packs.
"Mayonnaise or margarine spreads, as long as they're commercially prepared, are safe to use in sandwiches," she said. "They keep the bread moist and keep it from becoming soggy from the sandwich filling."
Parents can cut the fat content in their child's lunch with a low- or reduced-fat mayonnaise, salad spread or margarine.
A good rule of thumb for lunch foods is if you buy it from a refrigerated case or it came from the refrigerator at home, keep it cold.
Hot foods require another type of container: a vacuum bottle. Swanson said a good vacuum bottle will keep hot foods safe for four to six hours. Fill the bottle with boiling water for two minutes, then empty it and immediately fill it with the food that has been heated to boiling.
"But you have to make sure your child can easily handle the bottle to empty it into a bowl or plate without spilling the hot food onto themselves or others," she said. "Hot foods may present more of a burn risk than a food safety risk."
Other safety factors to watch include pull-tops on food containers that may cut children's fingers.
Good lunches help your children get through their day and stay healthy. But lunch with food safety risks can ruin their day and yours.
