I’ve already started sending some hot lunches to school with my kids. Â Whilst it’s not winter weather here on the beautiful Gold Coast just yet there have however been some cold wet days that are perfect for last night’s left overs. Â The kids love having something in their thermos, keeps them warm at lunch time, plus it is something fun and different to the typical sandwiches I give them.
HOW TO USE A THERMOS
- Warm up thermos by filling it with boiling water and allow to sit for 10 minutes, empty water.
- Fill Thermos with hot contents (eg, hot noodles, hot dinner left overs)
- Secure lid tight, place in lunch bag and remember to include a spoon/fork.
WHERE TO FIND A THERMOS
Prior years I have used a thermos from Kmart, however I have found a new one that we LOVE.
GOOD SIZE THERMOS – INSULATED FOOD JAR
Available in a range of colours, so my kids can have a different colour each, it stores a fork in the lid and it’s large enough for a good serving of left overs.  Sealed to perfection they will keep your food hot or cold for approximately 6 hours, great for school lunches – soup, noodles, leftover dinner, stirfries, pasta salad, green salad, rice salads, desserts. Available here.
FUN AND BRIGHT INSULATED FOOD JAR
These insulated food jars are very cute featuring some loveable zoo characters will be perfect for keeping lunch nice and fresh for hours, many designs available. Available here.
THERMOS DRINK BOTTLES AND CONTAINERS
The Thermos range of products for mums and kids includes insulated lunch boxes, food containers, drinking bottles, sippy cups, food jars, snack jars and more!! Â View range here.
STAINLESS STEEL WATER BOTTLE
I’ve also been using this Stainless Steel Water Bottle for the day’s the kids aren’t feeling on top of the world, but still good enough for school, filling it with some hot chocolate. Â The kids said it was still hot at lunch time which was 6 hours after I made it!
Hot school lunch ideas
Beef Chow Mein – a great way for the kids to get some extra vegetables into them! View Beef Chow Mein recipe.
Meatballs – a hearty lunch idea, serve with pasta or vegetables. View my meatball recipes here. Â Idea found via Nom Nom Paleo.
Pasta – Pasta bakes or one pan pasta dishes make great reheatable lunches.
Chicken Nuggets – The morning of packing kids lunches, put some nuggets in the oven, pop into a thermos and send to school with a little tub of tomato sauce.
Fried Rice – This would have to be one of my kids favourites, my recipe is really easy and can use up any vegetables you have in the fridge or try this terriyaki fried rice from epicurious.
Taco mince – pack some corn chips into the kids lunchbox so they can scoop the mince from the thermos for a little mini taco bite.
Ravioli – I don’t make ravioli, I quite like the ones you can buy in the cold section at the supermarket, they also have different flavour of sauces you can easily heat and pour over.
Casserole – Filled with chunky meat and vegetables
Macaroni and Cheese – make your own Macaroni and Cheese or purchase from supermarket, to make it a little more nutritious add some carrot, capsicum, celery and stir through some meat such as ham, chicken or mince. Find a Veggie Mac and Cheese recipe here at HuffPost.
Spaghetti Bolognese – Place spaghetti on the bottom and top with some bolognese sauce.
Soup –Â Serve the kids with their favourite soup and some bread for dipping. This chicken and wild rice soup sounds delicious from Simple Bites.
Porridge – Breakfast for lunch or morning tea, stir through some fruits such as apple or peaches.
More kids hot thermos lunch ideas:
- lasagna
- 2 minute noodles
- beef stroganoff
- homemade sausage rolls
- homemade pies
- stir fry with vegetables
- pumpkin soup
- tuna mornay
- shepherds pie
- butter chicken and rice
- pad thai
- curried sausages
- chicken carbonara
- silverside and veg
- casseroles
What hot food do you pack your kids?
7 THINGS I DO EACH DAY TO KEEP THE HOME CLEAN AND ORGANISED
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter to receive blog updates in our inbox + this FREE eBook sharing some of my top tips that you can adapt in your own home.
67 comments
This is brilliant!! I love this idea. My partner is always complaining he can’t take leftovers to work as the microwaves are never available and by the time he gets to it, lunch time is over. I will be using this idea for him going forward.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Your ideas are amazing.
Oohh thank you, Anne.:) It is such a great idea for hubby’s and they too get a nice warm lunch.:) Hope your hubby enjoys it x
Thank you! I use a lot of the kids lunch ideas for myself as an adult to take to work 🙂 Our toastie machine is extremely neglected so it’s hard to find something yummy to bring to work to enjoy on a cold day (like today)!
I agree Hannah, nothng better than taking a nice warm lunch on these oh so chilly days.:)
Love the idea for winter school lunches but wondered if the lids are easy enough for young ones to open if they say you must secure the kids tightly??
Wendy my kids haven’t had any issues with getting the lids off, i think they should be fine for younger ones too. I don’t tighten them overly tight either.
My son is 4.5 and will only eat hot foods. We’ve been using a thermos all preK. Chx nuggets, mac n chz, soup, etc have been our go to bc his school is peanut free.
The niggets don’t get soggy?!?
The niggets don’t get soggy?!?
The niggets don’t get soggy?!?
The niggets don’t get soggy?!?
The niggets don’t get soggy?!?
stick some paper towel in the bottom to soak up any extra moisture. 😀
My youngest has trouble with the lids but the teacher always helps 🙂
OMG! Do you know that I just realised THAT’S how you use a thermos??? I didn’t realise you have to fill it in with hot water to set the temperature first! No wonder the food in my kids thermos didn’t stay hot for long. We’ve abandoned the thermos (sitting in my cupboard) but it looks like it’ll be out again!! Thank you for sharing that tip.
Ooh Norlin don’t worry i didn’t know either! The ones from Kmart don’t come with instructions. You are not alone x
My kids have a hot lunch at least 3 times a week. We started this when we stopped eating sandwiches for lunch. Most days it’s leftovers from the night before, although we do also do lots of fried rice, it’s a family fav. xx
I think it is nice for them to have something warm in their bellies on those really cold days too Nicole.:)
These are all such great ideas and I’ve never seen a lunch thermos before… My little toddler is still a little young for these treats but so perfect to remember for the future x
Absolutley Caley.:)
My son doesn’t like sandwiches so hes been enjoying taking a thermos of hot food. Today meat and vegetables soup just like his Nana makes, with a bread roll.
Thanks for some new ideas, I’m sure he will enjoy them over the next few weeks.
Ooh that sounds like a delicious lunch, Rebecca! I must say my kiddies get over sandwiches too
I’ve never thought of doing this for hubby but I might have to start given how cold it is here in Sydney! 😀
Ooh yes i imagine it is freezing down there, Lorraine! It has been so cold on the Gold Coast the last few days. I am sure hubby will enjoy his nice warm lunches.:)
I’ve never had any success with keeping nuggets warm/hot & not going soggy or rubbery. Any tips? The only things my kids would probably take in a thermos are nuggets, sausages or meatballs, but even the sausages went cold.
Hmm i’m not sure on how to stop the nuggets from going soggy, great question Liisa!
Quick question did you heat the thermos up first? Pouring boiling water in and leave for 10 minutes, it should them stay hot most of the day.
Yes, I always heat with boiling water first. It may just be that Nuggets are unsuitable, as when the steam leaves them but is contained in the thermos, it makes them soggy. If anyone finds a solution is love to know!
Piece of bread in the bottom to absorb the moisture!
slice of bread in the top &/or bottom to absorb the moisture 🙂
Wrap them in paper towel & foil?
I think I actually read somewhere if you put a paper towel on the bottom it helps soak the moisture instead of going to the nuggets, or maybe less. I havent tried it since I dont pack my baby lunch yet, I will soon try it though lol.
Great tip thank you Lexx 🙂
I HAVE discovered how to make the nuggets from going soggy, and it’s very easy.
Just put your piping hot water in the thermos for about 5 mins or more, like usual, then do a quick wipe inside with a paper towel and then take a new, dry paper towel (I use 1 sheet from the select a size types) and wad it up and put it in the bottom of the thermos, then add your cooked chicken nuggets on top of the paper towel. The paper towel absorbs all the moisture and leaves the chicken nuggets moist, but not soggy, just like you made them at home.
My daughter LOVES them and says they are not soggy at all 🙂
Awesome! That makes sense. I’ll definitely give the paper towel a go. Thank you!
Thanks, I will give this a try!!!!
Great ideas, we have been doing hot lunches for a few weeks as already brrrr, cold in Sydney. I love the fried rice idea – just tend to stick to mince and soup, the kids will be thrilled to have me expand my repertoire…I have the thermos range and they are super…I do recall from my Boarding School days on The Coast that it can get mighty chilly up there too, stay warm..x
Thanks Monique.:) Yes the mornings are super chilly.:) My kids love fried rice in their thermos, soups are a big hit too. Just a nice variation and to give them a break from sandwiches, i can’t blame them i tend to get a tired of sandwiches too.:) x
One thing my girls love are marinated chicken wingettes and drumettes. Taste great hot or cold.
Ooh sounds delicious, what a yummy lunch to take to school.:)
Hi. Great Idea. Can you share the recipe? Thanks!
You have inspired me to make extra dinners and send it warmed up for the kids school lunches seeing that its cooking down so much. I’m excited to get this happening! (But I need to buy a thermos). The Bento website says that theirs are out of stock just now. What is the best one to keep the food warm/hot and what size would you recommend for an 8 year old? Looks like it comes in the 240 and 500ml size ..
Hi Emma, the Bento ones are great! You can pre order them but i also know that there is another shipment arriving this week, i would get the 500ml thats the size my kids take.:)
OK. Thermos (x2) all purchased. Gave some leftover spaghetti Bolognese a try today – was a HUGE hit. I think I might try your curried sausages next. I have a quite few recipes on my site that would be good too – some pasta bakes, mild lamb curry, meatballs etc. Thanks for the inspiration Katrina.
wonderful idea! I’m just wondering would it still keep the food at a safe level to be eaten hours later? Would be for a toddler so don’t know if you have to be a little more cautious? Also any experience with particular brands that seem to hold the heat better? Thanks so much
Hi Sarah, i haven’t had any worries with any of mine. The Kmart one is also great too. The food stays lovely and hot most of the day so even when eaten at lunch time.
This is great!
I’ve used the Kmart brand for the last 2 years for my girls (now 10 and 12). They LOVE having a hot lunch. Devilled Sausages are a big fav, and the both really enjoy Chicken and Chorizo Stew. I also use them in Summer, to send smoothies for them. I keep them in the freezer, fill with the smoothie, pop back in the freezer, and they grab them on the way to school.
i love this!! Thank you so much for the ideas and the change of thought process. My three kids are starting at a new school this year that requires us to pack a lunch every day. I have wanted to have some new ideas so lunch isn’t totally boring. Thanks
I love the idea of putting the prepared food into a thermos to satay hot. This way they can still eat their pack lunch hot and fresh.
This is perfect!!my kids do not like the schools food but I hated the idea of them eating sandwhiches daily!! Now they can enjoy a hot meal!! Thanks ladies!!
glad these ideas can help 🙂
Other ideas: Chili. Risotto. Pad Thai noodles.
This question may sound like a,”duh” but I have to ask: ” do you make the hot lunch the night before and put it in the container or wait until the morning to warm and then fill the container”? Thanks
This question may sound like a,”duh” but I have to ask: ” do you make the hot lunch the night before and put it in the container or wait until the morning to warm and then fill the container”? Thanks
This question may sound like a,”duh” but I have to ask: ” do you make the hot lunch the night before and put it in the container or wait until the morning to warm and then fill the container”? Thanks
This question may sound like a,”duh” but I have to ask: ” do you make the hot lunch the night before and put it in the container or wait until the morning to warm and then fill the container”? Thanks
This question may sound like a,”duh” but I have to ask: ” do you make the hot lunch the night before and put it in the container or wait until the morning to warm and then fill the container”? Thanks
We reheat leftovers in the morning typically. You will want to put hot food into a hot thermos to send in the morning, so either cook it in the morning or reheat.
I recently started doing this again for my kiddo. I cook a few meals over the weekends and freeze them in 1 or 2 cup containers. I take one out to thaw in the fridge each night, and heat it up for his thermos lunch each morning. He loves it! Thanks for the different food ideas! I’ve been sending the same 3 or 4 dishes for awhile now and we needed something new.
Home made mini quiches work well also. I heat up the flask with boiling water for 10 mins, wipe dry, put freshpaper towel scrunched up in the base of the flask and fit 3 quiches (that have been heated in the microwave from frozen) on top. Stay warm for at least 6 hours and don’t go soggy as the paper towel absorbs any moisture.
I’m having lunch box envy! Don’t have kids to make lunch for, but I totally wish my school lunches were this delicious all those years ago 🙂
When making macaroni cheese I always stir in either peeled grated zucchini (once peeled it’s invisible) or cooked puréed cauliflower ((also invisible in cheese sauce)
smuggling in the veggies is a fabulous idea Juli!
I know this is an old post, but just wondering about fried rice is it made the night before and nuked in the morning then put in a warmed thermos?
These are all very great ideas. My kid will be starting kindergarten and I know for sure I don’t want him eating school lunch. I’ve been practicing for the past two weeks by placing hot meals in the thermo and making him open it to test it, it’s worked out so far. I think I read 1 mommy say she sends warm lunches a few days a week, I think that is an idea I will def steal as well. Thanks for these delicious meal option, we have def benefit from this.
Have any of you had your child’s yam toy their meal isn’t even warm anymore arty lunch time? I have a 13 dollar Thermos brand, that is supposed to keep hot for 5 hours, but it’s not even warm. I warm up at around 7:20 and lunch is around noon. You would think it would at least be warm. What am I doing wrong?
do you add boiling water to the thermos before adding in the warm food? Empty the water out before putting in the food of course 🙂
Did anyone have luck with the Mac n cheese?