Ohio State nav bar

Skip to main content

The Ohio State University

  • Help
  • BuckeyeLink
  • Map
  • Find People
  • Webmail
  • Search Ohio State
  • Home
  • Food
  • Family and Relationships
  • Money
  • Mind and Body
  • Webinars
  • Authors

Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Topics:

The Ohio State University
You are here: Home / Food / What’s Growing in Your Lunch Box?

August 11, 2015

What’s Growing in Your Lunch Box?

lunch bag with cold packMany of us pack a lunch for work every day and soon we will start packing lunches for children going back to school(PDF)Links to a PDF document.. One of the fun things I remember about back-to-school shopping was picking out a lunch box for that year. Believe it or not, my husband still enjoys carrying his lunch in a metal Star Trek lunch box from when he was a kid. Using the same container everyday is an environmentally smart choice, but is it a smart food safety move?

Let’s start by looking at what goes in those lunch boxes and bags . . . and where those boxes and bags go. We put food of all kinds into the bags. Sticky food, greasy food, crumbly food, gooey food, hot food, cold food and the list goes on. Sometimes little bits of that food seem to stay behind in our lunch boxes. From the time we leave the house in the morning until we return home at night, our lunch boxes and bags can touch many things – car or bus seats, floors, desktops, cafeteria tables, lockers, and more.

So what can you do to keep your lunch bags and boxes clean? The first thing is to use hot soapy water or disinfecting wipes to clean both the inside and outside after each use. If you have a hard plastic or metal lunch box, you can probably run it through a dishwasher. Some (but not all) soft sided lunch bags and boxes can be put in the washing machine with hot water.

Packing the food

Packing the food for your lunch also requires some planning ahead:

  • Be sure to wash your hands and work surfaces before starting any food preparation.
  • Wash all fruits and vegetables before packing. Use clean food storage containers.
  • Use separate cutting boards for different types of food to prevent cross contamination.
  • If you are planning to pack foods that need to be kept hot or cold, be sure you have a way to maintain their temperature. Insulated containers work well to keep foods hot or cold. Frozen beverages or ice/gel packs can also be used to keep foods cold.

Lunch can be a pick-me-up in the middle of the day. Make sure your lunch fills you with good nutrition and energy to finish the day . . . not unsafe food and bacteria to that can make you sick.

Written by: Kate Shumaker, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension Holmes County

Reviewed by: Christine Kendle, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension Tuscarawas County

Like this:

Like Loading...

Categories: Food
Tags: clean, food safety, lunch, lunch box, school lunch

Avatar for Kate Shumaker
Avatar for Kate Shumaker

About Kate Shumaker

Kate Shumaker, MS, RDN, LD, has enjoyed being an Extension Educator for over 15 years. All that time in the garden and kitchen with Mom and Grandma and the years in high school and college spent waitressing and cooking in restaurants have finally paid off! In addition to nutrition, Kate has developed specializations in food safety and food preservation. She is also a registered instructor and proctor of the ServSafe program with the National Restaurant Association.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

Diabetes Awareness month 2024 3

November Diabetes Awareness Month Webinars

2024 Food Preservation webinar series presented in Summer 2024

Kids Eat Free

Here Comes the Sun, Sun Meals, and Sun Bucks!

winter seed sowing timeline

Winter Sowing

How to Can Tomatoes in a Water Bath Canner

Food Videos

  • Freezing Green Beans
  • Ohio Days – My Plate My State Video
  • Water Bath Canning Of Salsa
  • Water Bath Canning of Sweet Pickles

Follow Us!

  • Facebook

Footer

Need Assistance?

If you are having issues logging into the site, need assistance with updates, or need to request an alternate format please send an email to the EHE Service Desk at servicedesk@ehe.osu.edu stating the nature of your issue and we will assist you. Thank you.
Are you a Live Smart Ohio Author? Log in here!

Categories

  • Food
  • Family and Relationships
  • Money
  • Mind and Body
  • Webinars

Follow us!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
The Ohio State University
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN ECOLOGY
COLLEGE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

© 2025 Live Smart Ohio - Family and Consumer Sciences | The Ohio State University - College of Education and Human Ecology | Accessibility | Privacy Policy

%d