After sharing 27 easy bento box ideas for kids, I received many questions like this, “How do you pack hot and cold food?” Let’s talk about how to keep lunch warm or cold in the lunchbox. I’ll share the fail-proof methods that I use for packing a warm meal and cold lunches that stay fresh for hours. Plus, 22 hot lunch ideas and 16 cold lunch ideas!
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How to Keep Lunch Warm
Hot food is my favorite food to pack for kids’ lunches. Most of these foods are leftovers from a previous dinner or breakfast. When I pack these foods in the early morning, I want them to still be warm at lunchtime.
- First, consider if the food being packed actually needs to be warm or hot when served. Roasted vegetables, quesadillas, grilled cheese, pizza, fried rice, and meatballs are usually served in a warm/hot state, but they may also be served at room temperature (use an ice pack for safety).
- There are some foods that just taste best when served warm/hot. If you plan to serve these foods (hot soup and certain leftovers like stir-fry), you’ll need to purchase a good thermos. Using a thermos is the BEST way to keep food warm until lunchtime.
Best Thermos For School Lunch
HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD THERMOS:
- Choose an insulted thermos. This should be clearly labeled in the description of the product (on the tag, website, etc.). All of the recommendations above are insulated.
- Check the number of hours the company says food will stay warm or cold in the thermos. This number should match your need. For example: If you pack a hot lunch at 7am and your child eats lunch at 12noon, make sure food will stay hot for 5 hours.
- Make sure your child can easily open the thermos. Small hands may have a difficult time with a large thermos lid. Test this out with your child. And practice how-to open and close the thermos before sending a thermos in the lunchbox.
How to Keep Food Warm in a Thermos
HOW TO USE A THERMOS STEP BY STEP
- Remove the lid from the thermos and fill the thermos with hot water.
- Let the hot water sit in the thermos, with the lid on, for about 5 minutes. During this time, use the oven, stove-top, or microwave to warm up the food.
- Dump the hot water. Fill up the thermos with hot food.
- Secure the lid on the thermos.
- Place the thermos in an insulated bag.
Step 1: Fill Thermos with Hot Water
Remove the lid from the thermos. Fill the thermos with boiling water. Warm water from the sink also works.
Step 2: Rest for 5 Minutes
Let the hot water sit in the thermos, with the lid on, for about 5 minutes. During this time, use the oven, stove-top, or microwave to warm up the food.
Step 3: Dump Water & Fill Thermos with Food
Dump the hot water. Fill up the warm thermos with the hot food. If you’re filling the thermos with dry food (i.e. grilled cheese sticks, mini burgers), wipe out the bottom of the thermos and around the sides so any leftover water doesn’t get the food soggy.
Step 4: Secure the lid on the thermos.
Step 5: Use an Insulted Bag
Place the thermos in an insulated bag. Do not use a brown paper bag. When packing a thermos in a lunch bag, avoid placing an ice pack directly on the thermos. The ice pack can interfere with keeping the food warm.
How to Pack Hot and Cold Foods in The Same Lunch
There are a few ways to do this…
- Pack Non-Perishable Foods: Avoid perishable foods that require an ice pack and focus on foods that may be served at room temperature: crackers, a sandwich that doesn’t require an ice pack (like peanut butter and jam), fresh fruit or vegetables, etc.
- Separate Hot and Cold Foods: Separate the cold food and ice pack from the thermos. Use a small wash cloth to wrap the thermos, a divided box like the Omielife box, or a small piece of cardboard separating the thermos from the cold food.
- Use a Lunch Bag With Two Compartments: Use an insulated lunch bag with two compartments that separate a thermos from the cold food sources. I love the LunchBots two-compartment lunch bag. I pack the thermos on top and the LunchBots Bento Box with an ice pack in the lower half. Bentgo makes a similar lunch bag.
PRO TIP – PACK REUSABLE UTENSILS: You’ll need a spoon for hot meals like soup, oatmeal, or fried rice. And a fork for anything like macaroni and cheese or spaghetti. I love this pack of reusable utensils.
What to Pack for Hot Lunch
Leftovers from dinner or breakfast make the best and easiest hot lunch as you can easily warm them up the following morning!
And if you have picky eaters, leftovers are a great way to pack a food your child is familiar with and will eat during lunchtime.
Looking for warm food ideas to pack in the thermos? Check out 8 hot lunch ideas for school with pictures of every lunch!
Here are a few of my favorite leftovers to pack for a hot lunch. Each idea is a main that I pair with a fruit, veggie, and crunch (my simple school lunch framework).
22 Hot Lunch Ideas
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Homemade Chicken Tenders / Nuggets
- Tomato Soup
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
- Macaroni and Cheese: Instant Pot Mac and Cheese or Stove-Top Mac and Cheese
- Oatmeal
- Instant Pot Chicken and Yellow Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
- Veggie Fried Rice
- Beef and Broccoli with Rice: Warm up leftover beef and broccoli and add warm rice to the thermos as well.
- Chili
- Chicken Stir Fry with Instant Pot Rice: Pack the rice and stir fry together in the thermos.
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs: Cut the meatballs into smaller pieces for the thermos.
- Oven-Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs: Cut the meatballs into smaller pieces for the thermos.
- Veggie-Packed Spaghetti Sauce with Pasta
- Hot Dogs (like Applegate, Niman Ranch, or True Story brand)
- Ground Beef Taco Meat: Add taco meat to a thermos and add a tortilla on the side for a build-your-own-taco lunch. Or, add the taco meat with leftover rice, mixed together, and top with shredded cheese.
- Hamburger Sliders: Warm up leftover small hamburgers and place on small buns for sliders, then place in a large thermos (works best with a 16-ounce thermos).
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich: Cut a grilled cheese sandwich into sticks, then place the sticks in the thermos.
- Scrambled Eggs: Make a batch of easy scrambled eggs in the morning for a protein-rich thermos lunch.
- Taquitos: Warm up leftover ground beef taquitos from last night’s dinner and place in the thermos. Cut taquito in half for a small thermos.
FREE PRINTABLE
42 EASY SCHOOL LUNCH IDEAS CHEAT SHEET
Nourishing meal ideas for effortless school lunches. Download your free lunch guide.
PRO TIP – HOW TO KEEP FOOD WARM WHEN IT DOESN’T FIT IN A THERMOS: If you want to pack hot lunches that don’t fit in a thermos, like taquitos, grilled cheese, burgers, pizza, bean burritos, or quesadillas, warm the food in the microwave, stove-top, or oven, then wrap the food in aluminum foil. This will keep a warm lunch for a couple of hours. Many of these foods, I serve at room temperature, packed with an ice pack. But if your child prefers a warmer temperature, foil is the best option.
How to Pack Cold Food in the Lunchbox
“Cold food” is anything that is delicate in nature, meaning it needs to be kept in a chilled state in order to taste best and maintain a safe temperature (we don’t want a foodborne illness). This may include yogurt, cheese, chicken or tuna salad, deli meat sandwiches or wraps, eggs, and mayo-based foods.
Now, let’s talk about some cold lunch ideas. Each of the ideas below are main lunch ideas, which I then pair with a fruit, veggie, and crunch (my simple school lunch framework). If you want to see what each lunch looks like (a photo), check out this post: 27 Easy Bento Box Lunch Ideas for Kids and School.
16 Cold Lunch Ideas For School
- Homemade Lunchable: Deli Meat, Crackers, and Cheese
- Homemade Pizza Lunchable: Mini pizza crusts, mozzarella cheese, and sauce.
- Pizza: There’s no need to warm up pizza, serve it cold with an ice pack.
- Egg Muffins: Baked eggs in a muffin tin are a great breakfast and lunch to prep ahead and pack cold in the lunchbox with an ice pack.
- Turkey Roll-Ups: Rolled up turkey or ham with a slice of cheese (add spinach if your child likes leafy greens).
- Classic Sandwich: Deli meat or shredded chicken and cheese and lettuce.
- Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich
- Pancake or Waffle Sandwich: Add cream cheese, jam, or nut butter to make a sandwich with two pancakes or waffles.
- Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Ground Beef Taquitos: Yes, this lunch can be served hot in a thermos, but it’s great to pack with an ice pack and eat at room temperature.
- Yogurt Parfait: Spoon plain yogurt into a leak-proof container, add honey and fruit. Then place granola on the side to sprinkle over top at lunchtime.
- Banana Sushi Roll Ups: Smear peanut butter or sunflower seed butter on a tortilla, add a banana, then roll up and slice.
- Pancakes: Eaten at room temperature, with an ice pack in the lunch bag. Add a small leak-proof container of maple syrup and a protein, like rolled up turkey.
- Hummus and Turkey Pita Sandwich: Spread hummus in a pita, add sliced turkey, and cucumber.
- Salad with Homemade Ranch or Vinaigrette Dressing
- Banana Bread Cream Cheese Sandwich: Spread cream cheese between two slices of banana bread. (I love this almond flour banana bread or turn these einkorn banana muffins into bread.)
- SEE 27 EASY LUNCH IDEAS HERE
FREE PRINTABLE
42 EASY SCHOOL LUNCH IDEAS CHEAT SHEET
Nourishing meal ideas for effortless school lunches. Download your free lunch guide.
