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Back to School... Lunchbox Basics!

With a little planning, it's a snap to pack a delicious, nutritious and safe lunch for your kids.  Let them help and soon they'll be packing their own lunches!

The Night Before:

• Wash hands!  Safe food begins with clean hands.
• Prepare and refrigerate any perishable foods.
• Use an insulated lunchbox.  If the lunchbox can fit in the fridge, consider putting it in the fridge with the lid open to pre-chill.
• Freeze water bottles or juice boxes; as well as any freezer gel packs.

In the Morning:

• Put freezer gel pack and frozen water/juice in Ziplocs to prevent consensation from wetting other items.  Wrap the bottles in a paper towel before bagging and your kids will have a "wet" towel to use for their hands! 
• Place a gel pack on the bottom of the cooler and put the most perishable lunch items directly on top.
• Use a cloth napkin or paper towel to cover lunch items, and then put snack items on top.  This helps to keep the cold air in with the lunch items when the lunchbox is opened for snacktime.  Tell your child to leave the napkin in place until lunchtime.
• If you are packing hot items in a thermos, consider sending that separately.
• Place frozen water/juice in with the snack on top.  This will keep the snack cold as the drink  thaws.
• Be sure the lunchbox is well closed.

After School:

• Lunchboxes can be a breeding ground for germs.  Clean out your child's lunchbox daily with a disinfectant and soapy water and let air dry.

Click here for more information on packing a safe lunchbox and well as some healthful lunch ideas!

Kids in the Kitchen!

We are often asked if a parent can bring an older child to Dinner Done.  As parents ourselves, we love to see kids learning how to prepare healthy meals!   An added benefit is that kids are much more likely to try new foods when they've had a hand in preparing the meal.

Mom & Me Sessions

We have a special "Mom (or Dad) & Me" Session the last Saturday of each month.  This is a great time to bring a child with you!  Space is limited in these special "Mom & Me" Sessions, so please reserve early.  We'd love to have you!

Other Session Times

Bringing an older child to work with you in the kitchen during any Dinner Done session is no problem, provided the following safety guidelines are met:

·         Your child must be able to work with you the duration of the 2-hour session.  We also ask that no more than two people (per reservation) be working in the kitchen - your child will be your partner!

·         Your child must be tall enough to work with you.  Our counters are standard kitchen-counter sized.  For safety reasons children may not stand on stools in the kitchen, nor are strollers allowed in the kitchen.

·         Your child must follow all normal guidelines in the kitchen – thoroughly washing hands between each table, using spoodles and spoons to work with ingredients, etc.

·         Your child must not be allowed to touch or work with any items that may be dangerous to him or her.  Dinner Done is a working kitchen. It is up to you to ensure your child is with you at all times and is properly supervised. 

        Although kids are welcome in any Dinner Done session, private parties are also great fun!  Consider arranging a parent-child private party. Your group gets the kitchen all to yourself and everyone takes home a complimentary dessert!  Click here to learn more about our Private Sessions.

As always, please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions.  We hope to see you in the kitchen soon!

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