How to Pack Soup for Lunch

The key to packing soup for lunch is keeping it at a safe temperature for eating later in the day. Hot foods should remain at 140 degrees F or higher to prevent growth of harmful bacteria. When making your lunch in the morning, prepare a preheated thermos to store your soup. It will take mere minutes and ensure that your soup remains at safe temperatures in your lunch bag. Discard any leftover soup after it has cooled down.

Things You'll Need

• Boiling water
• Wide-mouth thermos
• Insulated lunch bag

Instructions

1. Bring the soup to a slow boil on the stovetop.

2. Pour boiling water into a wide-mouth thermos to preheat the thermos interior while you are heating the soup on the stove.

3. Empty the hot water from the thermos, and fill it with the soup.

4. Secure the lid on the thermos immediately. This will ensure that you do not lose any of the heat from the soup. Do not reopen the lid until you are ready to eat the soup.

5. Pack the thermos in an insulated lunch bag. Place other lunch items, such as sandwiches, in the bag and use an ice pack to keep them cold.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use the preheated thermos method for many different types of hot foods, such as chili, stew and beans.

References

• Pack a Healthy and Safe Lunch
• Food Safety a Factor When Packing Lunch for School or Work