THE MORNING ROUTINE

Cook ahead.
Pack with confidence.

One substantial main, with separate tubs of vegetables and fruit. The easiest morning starts with a cooked meal in the fridge.

The evening before

Reserve lunch portions before serving dinner. Divide cooked food into shallow containers so it cools quickly, and refrigerate within 2 hours. Use refrigerated leftovers within 48 hours or freeze them. Thaw frozen portions in the fridge and use within 24 hours of defrosting. Rice needs quicker cooling, ideally within 1 hour, and use within 24 hours refrigerated.

In the morning: a hot main

Use an insulated food flask intended for hot meals. A heat-proof tub may tolerate heat without retaining it.
Preheat the flask with boiling water for a few minutes, following its manufacturer’s instructions.
Reheat only the portions needed until steaming hot throughout, stirring and checking the centre. Reheat leftovers only once. The estimated recipe times are not a substitute for checking.
Empty the preheating water, fill immediately with piping-hot food and close securely. Keep closed until lunch.

Check the actual container: test a representative meal at home over the same interval between packing and lunch, using a food thermometer. Aim to keep the food at least 60°C until eating. If the container only keeps it lukewarm, use a chilled lunch with ice packs or school refrigeration and reheating instead. Handle hot flasks carefully and check eating temperature before the first bite.

A chilled lunch

Pack food straight from the fridge in an insulated bag with two frozen cold sources, or refrigerate at school on arrival. Keep yoghurt, tortilla and other perishable sides cold too. A pasta or vegetarian meal still needs temperature control.

Side tubs and portions

Pack washed carrot sticks, tomatoes and fruit separately from the hot main; keep cut produce cool. Add bread or another side according to appetite. These recipes make four generous portions: two dinners plus two lunches, or a meal for four. For four dinners plus two lunches, multiply ingredients by 1.5 and use a suitably large pan; do not automatically scale Bimby loads or timings, and never exceed its maximum fill mark.

Start here

For the simplest cook-ahead options, try turkey, pea and small-pasta lunch or chicken, carrot and potato stew. Each uses one pan and includes morning reheating instructions.

Chicken couscous is a straightforward quick cook. Turkey meatballs and chicken chilli are useful cook-ahead choices. Tortilla gives you a cold option.