Packing lunch every morning? It’s an art form. Between keeping fruit fresh, sandwiches soft, and snacks exciting, it can feel like a full-time job.
Here are our favourite lunchbox hacks to make mornings easier and keep food fresh all day.
🍎 1. Keep Apples from Going Brown
Cut apples ahead of time, then dip the slices in a splash of orange juice or sprinkle with a pinch of salt before rinsing. It keeps them looking fresh and crisp right till lunchtime — no sad, brown apples here.
🧀 2. Freeze Snacks to Double as Ice Packs
Pop yoghurt pouches, cheese sticks, or mini muffins in the freezer the night before. They’ll thaw by lunch and keep the rest of the lunchbox cool (and safe from squishy fruit).
🥪 3. Wrap Sandwiches Right
Skip cling film - it makes bread soggy. Use baking paper or reusable wraps and add a layer of lettuce between fillings and bread to stop moisture soaking through.
🧂 4. Add a Sprinkle of Salt to Veggie Sticks
Chop carrots, cucumber, and celery in bulk. Add a light sprinkle of salt or lemon juice before refrigerating, it keeps them crisp and tasty for days.
🍓 5. Paper Towel Trick for Berries
Line the bottom of your berry container with a paper towel before packing. It absorbs moisture and keeps strawberries and blueberries fresher for longer.
🧁 6. Bake Once, Snack All Week
Whip up a batch of mini savoury muffins or bliss balls on Sunday. Freeze them, then pull out what you need each morning. By lunchtime, they’re defrosted and ready to eat.
🥣 7. Keep It Warm the Easy Way
Warm leftovers (like pasta or rice) and place them in a small, insulated container. To boost the heat retention, pour hot water into the thermos for a minute first, tip it out, then add the food.
🍌 8. Ban the Bruised Banana
Wrap the top stem in a bit of cling film or beeswax wrap to slow down ripening. Or pre-slice it (with peel still on) so it’s easy for little hands to open.
💧 9. Hydration Hack
Half-fill your kid’s drink bottle with water the night before and freeze it sideways. Top it up in the morning, instant ice-cold water that lasts all day.
🧃 10. Keep It Fresh, Fun & Easy
Use silicone muffin cups to separate food, cut sandwiches into shapes, or pop in a fun note or sticker. It’s the little touches that make lunchtime magic.
With a few clever tricks and an insulated Ratbags backpack, you’ll have food that stays just right and you'll have a few extra minutes for your morning coffee!