Can’t you feel the excitement? School is back in session and it’s time to think about filling those lunchboxes. Packing a child’s lunch for school is not an easy task. Finding the perfect balance between healthy and inexpensive foods for a picky eater can be a challenge, and keeping your child safe from food-borne illness may be even harder. "The easiest food safety rule to remember is to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, or send foods that don’t require refrigeration," according to Judy Harrison, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension foods specialist. A general rule is to make sure perishable foods are not left at room temperature for more than two hours. Using a thermos or vacuum jar to insulate hot foods or placing ice packs in the lunchbox for cold foods can prevent foods from going bad and becoming unsafe. Frozen juice or water can also be used to keep the food at or below 40 degrees. Lunch foods that can be quick to make and kept at room temperature include peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, tuna lunch kits and whole fruits such as apples, oranges and bananas. Bacteria grow quickly in moist foods that aren’t very acidic but are high in protein. Items such as deli meats, dairy products, cut fruits and vegetables and cooked foods like soups or stews should be kept at an appropriate temperature. Do remember to wash your hands before handling foods and make sure your work area, utensils and containers are clean before you start assembly. It’s also important to make sure your children know that washing their hands before eating is a must. To make it easy for them to clean their hands, slip a moist towelette into a zip bag. While hand sanitizer gets rid of bacteria, it doesn’t do much in terms of cleaning. You might also talk with teachers to make sure students have the opportunity to wash their hands before lunch. Teaching young children the importance of food safety practices will help them know how to safely pack their own lunches as they get older. Kid-friendly lunchbox ideas If you’re making your child a lunch every day, it doesn’t mean you’ve got to pack the traditional sandwich and chips meal every day. Spice up their lunch with homemade snacks and dipping sauces in small, colorful containers. Kids love to play, so food should appeal to their sense of fun. Use these ideas for inspiration: Dip it: Skewer it: Toss it: Wrap it: Bake it: Check for radon More than 25 percent of homes in Northeast Georgia have dangerous levels of radon seeping in from the soil and rock beneath them. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Reduced cost radon test kits are available at the Hall County Extension Office. The only way to know if hour house has high radon is to test for it.
Ginger Bennett is a Program Specialist II-Radon Educator with the UGA Cooperative Extension in Hall County. Contact: 770-535-8290, www.hallcounty.org/extension.
Around the Home: Preparing safe and kid-friendly school lunches
