Some schools used to let their students reheat their lunch with microwaves in the lunchroom. But the Covid-19 crisis changed the game. Many parents came back to us to ask for alternatives and best practices to allow their kids to enjoy a hot lunch at school. We already made a review of the best Hot Lunch Containers For Kids. The next question is how to keep your kid’s food warm until lunchtime?
We are parents with kids at The Lycee Francais de San Francisco, where the reheating solutions had to be banned when returning to school after the shelter in place. That’s how we started to use insulated containers daily. We are happy to share below an easy step-by-step and some tricks to help you keep your kids’ food warm until lunchtime!
1. The day before at dinnertime – Set food aside
Prepare dinner with extra servings or prepare dinner and lunch at the same time, so that you can set portions aside in a food storage container overnight in the fridge.
Match the capacity of the food storage container (glass container if possible) with the capacity of the insulated lunch container. It will make the transfer easier the following morning, and it will help avoid food waste!
We noticed that the small Glasslock containers had the same capacity as the Thermos Funtainer (10oz). Bigger Glasslock containers have the same capacity as other Thermos or containers like S’nack by Swell 24oz. We like to use smaller insulated lunch boxes when we add an extra side, and bigger insulated containers when there is only one main dish.
2. In The Morning – Reheat the insulated lunch container first
When you wake up is a good time to reheat your insulated lunch container. Boil water, 212C/100C (very easy with an electric kettle). Fill your insulated lunch container at full capacity, close it, and let it stand. You’ll have then plenty of time to eat your breakfast, get ready and or finish preparing the rest of the lunch.
3. Before Leaving The House – Reheat the lunch
Take what you prepared out of the fridge and reheat it until it’s super hot. We like to use a pan or saucepan, which takes about 5-7 minutes. You can also use a microwave, which takes about 2-3 minutes, but depending on your microwave oven, the final result (your kid getting a hot lunch) may not be as expected.
4. Transfer the hot food to the hot insulated container
Empty the hot water from the insulated container. Pour the hot food into the insulated container.
Note that liquids tend to stay warmer than solid foods and that solid foods tend to stay warmer if you compress well and fill in the insulated container at maximum capacity.
5. Place everything in the lunch bag
Close carefully, and voilà! Your kids will be very happy to enjoy a warm meal, especially during cold, windy, foggy days like what we have in San Francisco. Ask for feedback when your child is back from school, and tell us how it goes, we want to know! Don’t forget to share a photo of your hot lunches on Teuko.com to inspire our mornings as well!
Do you have other tips to keep the kids’ food warm until lunchtime? Please share in a comment or by sending an email! Meanwhile, you can find hot lunch ideas on Teuko, as well as all the favorite accessories of the Teuko Community in our Teuko Store on Amazon.
Disclaimer – This post is in partnership with The Lycee Francais de San Francisco. All opinions are our own. Also, as an Amazon affiliate company, if you buy some products from some links inserted in the text of this blog post, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale. This helps Teuko.com remain free! Any feedback? Email us at contact@teuko.com.
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