Sack Lunch Ideas: Keeping it Cool

For this week's tip on making a better sack lunch you have probably already heard about the easy little trick of freezing a juice box overnight to include as a drinkable ice pack in the lunch. But let's just take this one step further shall we?

You can freeze all sorts of things to be edible ice packs: pudding cups, fruit cups, Jello cups, yogurts or cups of applesauce. Things with a high sugar content won't freeze as thoroughly as water will and smaller containers thaw more quickly than a large juice box so you don't run the risk of having your edible ice pack still frozen come lunchtime. Having to thaw your dessert tends to guarantee that you'll eat it last--an added bonus.

One word of caution however, because these frozen items will sweat as they thaw you'll need to include them in a plastic bag to catch all the water. I learned that lesson after complaints of soggy sandwiches. Learn from my mistakes I beg you.

***

Have you entered this month's Write-Away Contest yet? The topic is learning.

Check in with Rocks in My Dryer every Wednesday for other good tips.

Technorati tags: WFMW, sack lunches, bentos, school lunches