Keep it fresh

Top tips for keeping your lunch – and your kids’ lunches – fresh on the go.

• Squeeze all the air out of sandwich bags before sealing them.
• Keep “wet” foods such as cucumber and tomato out of sandwiches, as they’ll only make them soggy. To keep that crunch factor, pack them separately and pop them in right before eating.
• Separate all wet foods from dry foods, not just those for sandwiches. For example, if you’re packing ham and cheese with crackers, they should be kept in separate air-tight containers or compartments.
• Pack salad dressing in a small jar or tub and drizle over your salad just before you eat. You’ll never have to eat limp lettuce again!
• Freeze cartons of juice or tubes of yoghurt and add them to the lunchbox straight from the freezer. Not only are they nicer cold, but they’ll help keep the rest of the food fresh, too.
• Jam-jar salads: Layer your lunchtime salad into a jar in the following order: dressing, pulses and/or grains, veggies, then leaves. At lunchtime, just shake it up and dig right in.
• If you’re slicing apples for younger kids, put the slices back together and secure with a rubber band to prevent the flesh from turning brown.
• Investing in a small insulated lunch bag will help to keep food at its freshest every day.
• Lunches can be made the night before and kept in the fridge, but it’s best to pack them into your lunch bag in the morning when they’re chilled.