Do you do a hot packed lunch?

[ChocFudgeCake]

My DSs are asking to be on packed lunches. I'm a first timer I like that they have something warm for lunch in this season. So, do you all use a flask? Which one? I cannot picture very well my 5 year old pouring his soup from a tall flask... Or are there special insulated boxes? But maybe it isn't good to have hot food on plastic containers, and glass is a no-no...
Thanks!

Yes. It's great as it's easier than getting the nice ham and faffing on with a sandwich every morning. I bulk cook pastas and soups and freeze them in those little IKEA bowls, heat them up in the morning and put them in a Thermos funtainer

They are metal inside so they don't stain with all of the tomato soup and it goes in the dishwasher too! They just eat straight out of it.

They keep warm for 6-8 hours I think. My dd's lunchtime is 1.30.

Silly question, but how does it work if school refrigerates all the lunchboxes (as ours does)? Do they still stay warm?

Mine also have mini Thermos for their lunch. I do pastas, stir-fries, risottos etc. They eat about 1:30 ish and it stays warm until then with no problems. I got them Sporks (from Amazon) which is a plastic spoon/fork which they take with them and it works out fine.

I don't think the lunch could be refrigerated though. Perhaps if you wished to give a hot lunch, you could request that the lunch was not put in fridge.

Can you buy those thermal containers for adults? Taking leftovers would be much nicer than sandwhiches everyday.

I have bought quite a few and I haven't just bought the cheap ones. I haven't found one yet that stays hot until lunchtime or warm even for that matter

I've never had any problems with mine keeping food warm. You have to fill each one with boiling water, stick the lid on and leave them for a few minutes before you put the food in. This heats them up and they stay lovely and warm for several hours.

Are there cheaper versions of those containers? £15 a bit much in case of breakage or loss.

Boiling water does the trick, I agree with Fernie.

Mine is a normal thermos but fatter and smaller. I like the ones linked too.

I've got these which I like as they are very wide so easier to eat out of than a thermos, they have a removeable devider and you can fit extra little containers in (I use silicon muffin cases) to keep things seperate so you can have more of a variety rather than only one pot meals. Its not metal so you can microwave it but the downside of that is I don't think the insulation will be as good and they stain a bit with tomato or curry. Mine eat at 12 so it only needs to be warm for 4 hours and its scalding when it goes in.

I've just emailed Thermos to ask what would happen if you put them in the fridge! Will report back in case anyone else is interested...

Fantastic. Thanks a lot. That's what I was looking for: a chunky thermos. I'd be even more delighted if I could find it cheaper, as I need 2 I guess I'll be giving them left overs, because I cannot imagine finding the time (or the will) to cook extra

Many thanks for this thread, have been having exactly the same thoughts as dd has been asking about changing to sandwiches.

I'm going to try first of all putting a more liquid soup in my 'normal' stainless thermos - but was thinking of investing in a widemouthed one if she decided to change permanently. That Thermos one looks ideal, savoycabbage, thanks for the link!