Non-fridge sandwiches.

[Arch]

Here's a teaser:

When Oli moves up a group at nursery soon, they will apparently not be able to guarantee that his lunch will be stored in the fridge. (seems a bit unorganised - if you have a max of 12 kids, then you just make sure you have a fridge that will take 12 of a standard size box, and give that out to parents as a lunch box, but hey...) So my sister has been trying to think of sandwich fillings that can be stored out of a fridge without going a bit sweaty or nasty (apparently the place does tend to get pretty warm with all the kids running about).

So far, all we can think of is Marmite.... Peanut butter maybe, but a) he doesn't like it much, and there's the whole allergy risk (if another kid got hold of it) Jam, perhaps.

I know I wouldn't be bothered, frankly, I'll eat day old warm cheese or ham or anything, but I guess it doesn't hurt to be careful when dealing with a little one.

Of course, what she'll probably do is get a lunch box with a cooler block in it, but the point was that we couldn't really think of many sandwich fillings that aren't at least supposed to be refridgerated (or would benefit from it)...

Any ideas?

 

[Flyingfox]

Why not put the sandwiches in a box that will take one of those chiller blocks that you put in the freezer and reuse in picnic boxes. Or a trick used in Australia was to include one of those juice boxes that have been frozen. By the time lunchtime comes the juice drink has thawed out and can be drunk and the sandwiches have been kept cold all morning.

 

[Crackle]

I must admit to not even thinking about it now. I think we went down the route of the cooler box when ours were little and I can't remember when it ceased to matter.

What about, pre-cooked Bacon or a tuna mix (tuna, yoghurt and a pickle/sauce), taste OK warm. Primula type cheese spreads are good on Ritz crackers or bread. Wraps are popular in our house too, don't go as soggy as bread can.

The lunchbox and snackbox conundrum is a familiar theme here.

 

[srw]

Anything at all. There is nothing (apart perhaps from raw fish that's already a day or two old) that will become inedible or dangerous between being taken out of the fridge and being eaten at lunchtime. And I can't think of a sandwich I've eaten that has become offensively sweaty within four hours.

Refrigerating bread is a bad idea, anyway - it badly affects the starch and it becomes chewy.

 

[Maz]

My son uses a cooler bag type thing for his lunch which doesn't get refrigerated at school. He quite often has tuna/mayo filling in his butties - never had a problem with it going sweatyish. On really hot days he keeps a small bottle of frozen water (also technically known as 'ice') in the lunchbox. It keep the sarnies cool and his water is drinkable by lunchtime.

 

[Arch]

Anything at all. There is nothing (apart perhaps from raw fish that's already a day or two old) that will become inedible or dangerous between being taken out of the fridge and being eaten at lunchtime. And I can't think of a sandwich I've eaten that has become offensively sweaty within four hours.

Refrigerating bread is a bad idea, anyway - it badly affects the starch and it becomes chewy.

Yeah, I know, and left to me, I'd eat anything, warm or not (Mum once found me eating an old piece of toast out of the bin). But I guess with a first child, you feel the need to be ultra (almost too) careful. Maybe I should just plug the 'it'll be fine' idea as much as possible.

The frozen juice box is a good idea, cheers for that Crackle. I reckon Primula might be a good one too - surely that's so synthetic it can't go off?

 

[Landslide]

Honey and bananas. Honey lasts for ages and remains edible, bananas are squishy anyway, so it doesn't really matter if the butties get a bit sweaty.

 

[Maz]

Honey and bananas. Honey lasts for ages and remains edible, bananas are squishy anyway, so it doesn't really matter if the butties get a bit sweaty.

Yeh but the bananas go brown.
To kids: Brown bananas=poisonous.
Same as end-slices of bread (and crust) are poisonous.

 

[Hover Fly]

...Primula might be a good one too - surely that's so synthetic it can't go off?

The army once spent thousands removing Primula cheese spread from its ration packs as it was starting to poison soldiers.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Anything at all. There is nothing (apart perhaps from raw fish that's already a day or two old) that will become inedible or dangerous between being taken out of the fridge and being eaten at lunchtime. And I can't think of a sandwich I've eaten that has become offensively sweaty within four hours.

Refrigerating bread is a bad idea, anyway - it badly affects the starch and it becomes chewy.

+1
Our kids don't have any refridgeration for their sarnies... I do and never use it.
We're all still alive and eat the usual sandwhich fillings (cheese, ham, chicken, pate, cream cheese, egg, salad stuffs etc.) and recently wraps (ain't we posh) using pre-cooked cajun chicken/chicken tikka from Tesco.

Sure he'll survive the school sandwich regime. Most kids do...

 

[Kovu]

A lot of children don't have fridges at nursey or whatever? I didn't, my brother doesn't.

 

[Over The Hill]

Not getting over the problem but my kids like cream crackers with marmite - makes a nice change from bread for them. They like crunchy stuff more than squishy stuff.

Other tip is to get them to make a pasta salad the night before - they will eat it if they make it but not if you just give it to them.

 

[Landslide]

Yeh but the bananas go brown.
To kids: Brown bananas=poisonous.
Same as end-slices of bread (and crust) are poisonous.

Carry this brown=poisonous thinking through, and you'll never have to buy 'em chocolate ever again!

 

[bonj2]

don't worry about it - it's only half a day. Nothing can possiby go THAT off in half a day. Anyway, if it does go slightly off a few bacteria aren't going to do the lad any harm, it'll only toughen up his immune system. People are far too insistent on wrapping children up in cotton wool these days, it's all far too nanny-state britain sitting inside on games consols instead of playing in the woods 'cos there might be nasties around.

 

[badkitty]

There is no answer. Basically thanks to the total dismantling of the school meals service by our council, all kids here have to have sandwiches everyday of their primary school lives.

The only option is to get the wee one used to sweaty/warm sandwiches as soon as possible so they think thats normal, or we'll be able to detect the sound of a rod for someone's back being gently whittled into existance..