*This is a sponsored post on behalf of PackIt. My opinions are my own – of course! Thanks for supporting FootballFoodandMotherhood.com.
School lunches are something that haunts parents just like August is one big Sunday night for teachers. What do we pack? What is healthy yet my kids will actually eat? And how do you keep things actually safe/edible when you “PackIt” at 6am for a 12pm lunch?!
Something so simple has gotten so complicated. so KISS (Keep It Simple, Sweetheart) BTS blues goodbye.
Thankfully, there’s a bag for that. PackIt actually is a lunch “bag” you can freeze – yes toss the entire thing in the freezer so it is ready to keep food cool (ahem, edible) ’till lunch. This makes your mornings so much easier.
What is a PackIt exactly?
PackIt is a freezable, gel-lined bag that will become your bestie, I mean, all-in-one cooler, keeping items cool for hours. Just toss the entire thing in your freezer overnight (12 hours) and it’s a tiny portable refrigerator! Yes, I know lunch bags have come along way since we carried those brown paper bags in the 80s.
Here are 5 things you can actually add to your lunch bag without fear this year:
- Yogurt. It’s a simple little thing that kids like and you don’t feel bad to give – unless it reaches room temp 3 hours before they eat it. No fear here – PackIt keeps it as cold as it would be grabbing right out of the fridge for a snack.
- Cheese sticks. No one likes a warm, droopy cheese stick. Enough said.
- Fruit. Maybe your kid likes soggy, mushy fruit. But mine won’t touch it unless it looks like it’s picked right off the tree. PackIt is basically the next best thing. Keepin’ em cold makes them easier to eat (and moms happy worldwide).
- Meats. Ew. We can all agree on that one. Max loves these homemade mini corn dogs (I actually use “vegan” dogs and he can’t even tell – also swap almond milk and cashew butter!) I make for school lunches, which again hold up better when chilled.
- Condiments. I’m from Pittsburgh (aka the home of ketchup), and we keep our ketchup cold. No one likes room-temp ketchup, that’s child abuse.
And, what about things touching and running together?
So you have one of those kids, huh? Guess what, PackIt has you covered with their Bento Box (which, I actually secretly love for work lunches, too). Plus this all-in-one container is designed to fit in PackIt freezable bags!
This Bento Box comes with three removable slots that allow you to change the size – AND! the best part – they actually work! Liquids like honey mustard and ketchup and hummus won’t get your chips and pretzels soggy before lunch. See the proof above! And, you also saved the environment by not using all those plastic bags this year. Did I mention it’s also BPA-free, and freezer and microwave safe (without the lid!). Everyone’s happy.
Beyond school
We love PackIt cause it keeps lots of stuff cold for days beyond school. Such as – beers at a tailgate or baseball game (you were thinking it!), waters and snacks for that hot day hike, and even just storing some stuff on a long road trip (it takes 6 hours to get to Canada – someones gonna want a snack before then!). Having an icy bag on hand comes in handy for more ways that you think – and the New Yorker in me in cheering because I just decluttered my freezer from all those collected ice packs.
