School dinner flask ideas please

[Tomatojuiceandvodka]

After much nagging, I’ve agreed to let my two dc take packed lunches this year. One eats most foods but one is autistic and more limited. I am fine for the sandwiches etc but to increase the variety of their lunches, I’ve bought some flasks and have been testing what stays warm well. I’d appreciate any hints and tips. I’m preheating the flasks but it’s a big ask of any flask as most days we leave by 7 am and they eat at 12/12:30. One day a week I work from home though so would only leave home at 8:15 which is probably the best day for hot food.

so a few questions.

is it true that “wet food” stays hot longer?
what dry foods have people put in flasks with success? One dc loves fish finger wraps- would fish fingers work?
hot dogs- if I put these in with hot water is it likely to be dangerously hot when they come to open it?

theyre 10 and 11 so not little children and I’ve checked the policy and school doesn’t say anything about flasks being banned.

DD has had fish fingers, chicken nuggets and sausages in her food flask and said they stayed warm.

Mac n cheese, spaghetti hoops and tomato pasta also went down well.

Mine have leftovers from tea the night before:-
risotto (usually chicken)
pasta with variety of sauces
casserole (chicken / sausage / beef)
soup

don't know about fishfingers or hot dogs sorry.

I wouldn't want rice and chicken being left warm for hours due to the risk of food poisoning.

I tend to find kids want the same as their friends and something quick and easy.

At that age, my DCs were making their own packed lunches. We'd clear up from dinner and then our final job was making the lunches for tomorrow. I'd make mine at the same time and we'd be chatting about what their day tomorrow looked like. It was a nice 15 mins of the day and meant that we avoided last minute PE kit or cookery ingredients dramas as we'd already talked about it and got everything ready the night before.
Sandwiches and finger foods work well in schools - there's no guarantee they will even be sitting at a table to eat (they probably won't be at secondary school) and boys in particular tend to shove sandwiches in their mouths at the same time as kicking footballs and jumping on each other.

I may or may not be a secondary teacher and the mother of 3 boys...

I used to preheat the flask with the lid on with boiling water for 10 minutes. Mine liked, and not particularly healthy but better than not eating the school meals - spaghetti hoops with sausages, ramen, tomato soup with a side of grated cheese to add in, buttered pasta with mixed frozen veg, cheese on the side. Always had cherry tomatoes and cucumber as well.

Chicken nuggets etc urgh after sitting in a flask.

I wasn't keen on leftovers because cooling down, heating up in the morning to put in a flask didn't seem great.

They also liked mini quiche, tortilla, wraps etc but obviously all cold.

Sorry just realised the ages. Are they in primary or secondary? I can't see a secondary child taking a flask in. They can make up a sandwich

Jacket potatoes work. Although the skin is quite hard to eat with just a fork from inside the pot. I know a lot of kids don't eat the skin though, so you could just take it out. Top with beans or send with a pot of tuna, cheese, coleslaw.
We cook enough for three days in the oven then reheat in the morning in the microwave.

Spaghetti bolognese, beef casserole and shepherds pie were favourites in our house.

My dcs used a food flask at secondary. Mostly noodles and pasta were taken in it. They liked the SHO flasks.

They’re primary. When I said 11 I meant 11 next week!

I do this for my dd, personally the Sho food flask is the best I have found, they are often on offer too.

Dd often has pasta bolognase, risotto, tomato soup.

I wouldn't send hot dogs in hot water though as there is a risk of spilling and it scolding another child.

I do this all the time for work, I do soup and add noodles or small pasta, which are soft by lunchtime, and make it a more filling meal.
I'd reccomend a Thermos one, definitely keeps it warm from 7 to 12. I fill mine at 7 and its easily hot at 1pm or later. But yes soups stay hotter than drier food such as leftovers (pasta, rice ect).

in mid/ late primary, my dc took pasta (fusilli as it's easiest to eat) with a pomodoro sauce in a flask. Every single day. Yep, autistic. I would buy quick cook pasta and make it fresh each morning. Once the flask was hot, the meal stayed warm enough til lunchtime

(In fact it was a Contigo coffee cup as easy to open)

Spag Bol /pasta with sauce, cottage pie always worked for DD - left overs basically. Filled flask with boiling water while heating the food to maintain the temp.

Mine are secondary and take almost exclusively food in a flask.
Mostly left overs so curry, chilli, bolognese, meatballs, sometimes a burrito. If there's no leftovers then I do that filled tortellini or just some pasta with tomato sauce or couscous with roast vegetables and feta.
They also like to take cold things in the flasks, pasta or bulgar wheat salads.