7 Stay-Fresh Solutions to Baon Storage Problems

No more messy meals!

From thinking of new snack ideas to actually packing lunch, preparing your child’s baon is on every mom’s to-do list day in and day out—and if your child comes home with an untouched lunch box, it’s a heartbreaking sight. To make sure your little one eats their baon, we’ve rounded up seven tips on how you can banish culprits for baon rejection so your child’s food stays irresistibly fresh and tasty until mealtime.
 

1. Cut sandwiches into bite-sized pieces to keep them from getting smashed
   Aside from making sandwiches easier to eat for your child, slicing them into bite-sized bits also allows you to easily store them in a lunch box. Unlike sandwiches in plastic bags, sandwiches packed in a sturdy container are less prone to being crushed, making them more presentable and fresh when your kid eats them. You should also pack only what your child can consume if you’re making a bunch of sandwiches.
   
   
2. Prevent food like apples from browning
   Browning is a process that turns to brown the color of the food due to natural chemical reactions that happen to certain food like fruits. After slicing an apple, secure the slices back together with a clean elastic band to keep the core intact and the air, which causes oxidation, out. This won’t only reduce the unpleasant browning, but will also keep the sweet juices sealed in. You may also soak the pieces in a bit of salt and water solution for about 10 minutes to prevent oxidation, then rinse them to get rid of the salty taste. Pack the apple in an air-tight container for your kid to bring to school.
   
   
3. Make DIY cold packs to keep cold food cold
   No freezer bag? No problem! Make your own cold packs with readily available household items so you can finally say yes to your child’s Lady’s Choice macaroni salad requests. Freeze a batch overnight inside a freezer-friendly container along with the water-soaked clean sponges, water bottles, juice boxes, or cold compress bags that you will use as cold packs. In the morning, simply place the frozen macaroni salad inside your kid’s lunch bag with the DIY cold packs to keep food cold. Come mealtime, the food has defrosted but is still cold, ready to be enjoyed. Make sure the bag is lined with a clean cloth to absorb moisture.
   
   
4. Use insulated containers to prevent hot food from turning cold
   Nobody likes to eat mushy chicken nuggets or cold spaghetti. To keep food like soups and pasta hot, store them in a thermos or metal-lined container instead of your regular plastic lunch box. You can also double wrap dry food in aluminum foil to keep them warm for some time.
   
   
5. Strategize to avoid messy meals
   For foods with dips and sauces, you may either store them in separate containers or put them together strategically: Put burger condiments like mayonnaise and ketchup in between the greens and cold cuts instead of on the bread to keep the burger buns dry, so they don’t slip around while in transit.
   
   
6. Prevent wet food from touching dry food
   Avoid contamination and mushy food by putting different items into compartments. If you don’t have a bento-style lunch box with partitions, you can simply use silicone muffin cups or paper cupcake liners as dividers and containers for each food type.
   
   
7. Use quality containers to keep food fresh and presentable
   Investing in a good lunch box set will save you a lot of trouble. Look for one with insulated walls to keep food at the right temperature, a leak-proof lid to avoid spills, and partitions to avoid food from mixing together.
   
   By doing these stay-fresh baon solutions, your kid won’t be embarrassed to whip out their lunch boxes or hesitate to finish their packed food. And nothing’s more satisfying for a mom than to see her child finish a meal that’s packed with care and love.