Contain This Blog

Bans on School Junk Food Pay Off in California

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

| May 8, 2012, 12:02 PM

Five years after California started cracking down on junk food in school cafeterias, a new report shows that high school students there consume fewer calories and less fat and sugar at school than students in other states.

Heather Ainsworth for The New York TimesA vending machine that sells baby carrots in a high school in Manlius, N.Y.

The findings suggest that state policies can be successful to some extent in influencing the eating habits of teenagers. The study found that California high school students consumed on average nearly 160 calories fewer per day than students in other states, the equivalent of cutting out a small bag of potato chips. That difference came largely from reduced calorie consumption at school, and there was no evidence that students were compensating for their limited access to junk food at school by eating more at home.

While a hundred calories here or there may not sound like much, childhood obesity rates have more than tripled in the United States in the last four decades, and many researchers say that most children and adolescents could avoid significant long-term weight gain by cutting out just 100 to 200 extra calories a day.

“I would definitely say that 158 calories is significant,” said Daniel R. Taber, an author of the study and a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “When you combine this study with other studies on California law, the body of evidence suggests the schools in California really have made healthier changes by getting rid of things like sweets and candy bars.”

California is one of several states that have sought to reduce childhood obesity by targeting junk food in schools. A decade ago it became the first state to ban the sale of soft drinks in grade schools, and it later enacted a similar ban in high schools. Since 2007, the state has also enforced nutrition standards for “competitive foods” in schools, the snacks and foods that are not included in meal plans but that students can get on school grounds — from vending machines, for example. California law limits the amount of fat, sugar and calories that can be found in these foods.

To study the effect of this policy, the researchers examined data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the eating habits of high school students in California, comparing it with data on students from 14 states that did not have nutrition standards for vending machine snacks and other foods sold outside of school lunches and other meal plans. Over all, 680 students were included in the study, which was financed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

California students had the lowest daily intake of calories, fat and, especially, added sugars. And it seemed clear that their eating behaviors at school played a large role. California students got a lower proportion of their daily calories from school foods than students in other states: about 21.5 percent, compared with 28.4 percent among students elsewhere.

The reductions in fat, sugar and calorie consumption among Hispanic students “are particularly encouraging given the high prevalence of youth obesity among Hispanic individuals in California and the United States over all,” the authors wrote. “It is also encouraging in light of research that documented the high presence of convenience stores, mobile food vendors and other food outlets surrounding schools in Hispanic communities.”

Still, California’s students had not suddenly become health nuts. They were still eating junk food — just slightly less of it than their peers in other states. And their vitamin and mineral intake was similar to that of students in other parts of the country.

“Students may not be buying as many candy bars at school, but that doesn’t mean that they’re necessarily eating salads instead,” Dr. Taber said, noting that schools still offer items like baked chips and desserts that comply with the regulations but offer little in the way of nutrition.

He said that schools could take an additional step by replacing some of the junk food being filtered out with healthy options like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Iowa, for example, began requiring in 2010 that at least half of the foods available outside meal plans contain whole grains. Other than that, no state has laws that require whole, unprocessed or fresh foods to be available outside of school lunches for high school students.

School initiatives could also focus on students’ eating behaviors at home, Dr. Taber said.
“We have to recognize that school-based laws have a limited scope because students only consume about 25 percent of their calories at school,” he said. “No one sector or environment is going to be the magical cure. Obesity is a very complex problem with many answers, so we really need to target different aspects of students’ environments.”

Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/08/bans-on-school-junk-food-pay-off-in-california/

Reviewed by My Springfield Mommy

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:55:00 GMT

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Contain This Makes The Perfect Sandwich

How many of you has skipped taking a sandwich in your lunchbox because you know the sandwich will be soggy by the time you get to eat it? I know I have many times. The Perfect Sandwich from Contain This!is the perfect solution to this issue. The Perfect Sandwich is "A sandwich container that separates the wet from the dry ingredients while keeping the contents chilled and protected."

Here is a description of Contain This! Perfect Sandwich from the package:

Perfect Sandwich is an innovative wet-dry solution designed to solve the age old problem of the soggy sandwich. By separating fresh ingredients such as meats, lettuce, tomatoes, etc, in a sealed, watertight compartment and away from the bread until mealtime, you get a Perfect Sandwich every time.
Have a sandwich that doesn't require you to keep the bread separate for the contents? No problem! Simply push down the FLEXtech divider and the entire sandwich fits into the compartment while still being kept cool and fresh until mealtime.

How do I use Perfect Sandwich?

1. Add PerfectCHILL cool pack from the freezer to the bottom section, put the wet ingredients on top.
2. Pop-up the rubber FLEXtech divider to allow room for the fresh ingredients, or push the divider down to hold a full sandwich.
3. Close the middle divider to seal in the wet ingredients, then place bread on the dry top
4. Close entire container and secure the latch creating a water-tight seal.
5. Enjoy a cool, dry, fresh sandwich every time. Just perfect!

For condiment users--Contain This! recommends spreading the condiment on the bread before placing the bread in the dry container (their research shows that it is the wet ingredients, not the condiments, that make the bread soggy).

The Perfect Sandwich is BPA and phthalate free and is top rack dishwasher safe (except the PerfectCHILL, which requires handwashing). It contains stainless steel hinges, so it is not microwave safe. Test have shown the PerfectCHILL keeps contents under 40 degrees for 5 hours and under room temperature for up to 8 hours.

I love the Perfect Sandwich. It is so useful when you or your child packs a lunch. My child is only 5, so I send pre-assembled sandwiches in his lunchbox, but I love that the PerfectCHILL keeps the sandwich nice and cool. For myself, I love that I can pack my favorite sandwich with all the wet and dry parts and assemble it when I am ready to eat and all the ingredients still taste and feel fresh!. It is well constructed and I also like that it has a hinged design (except for the PerfectCHILL) so I don't have to worry about loosing a part or having to search for the lid.

The Perfect Sandwich is a perfect way to keep the sandwich in your lunchbox fresh and non-soggy, just perfect for your meal.

Thank you to Contain This for my sample used in this review, opinions are honest. Review by Michelle.

Reviewed by 5MinutesforMom.com

Wed, 02 May 2012 22:09:00 GMT

Is There a Solution for the Soggy Sandwich? Yes!

by momontherun

I have not so good memories of school lunches as a child. My mother packed the same lunch every day…a sandwich, a pudding cup, an apple, and maybe a cake or cookie. By the time lunch started my sandwich was a soggy mess. The lunch meat and mustard combined led to a very unappetizing sandwich indeed.

Never fear, the soggy sandwich is a thing of the past. A new product called the Perfect Sandwich is out to eliminate the soggy sandwich mess. The Perfect Sandwich is a sandwich shaped box — looks a little like a clear plastic fast food hamburger box. The clear plastic lid is attached to a white plastic base with a hinge. This new product is designed and distributed by Contain This.

So how does it all work? Well, you eliminate the “soggy” by separating the moist ingredient from the bread with two dividers. One of the dividers is a PerfectCHILL ice pack — see the green ice pack in the photo above. The other divider is a Pop-up FLEXtech divider — it’s the green and white divider shown in the photo above. The beauty of the Perfect Sandwich is that you can use it both ways. Look at the diagrams below…

In the first diagram, you can see that the two slices of bread are on top of the PerfectCHILL ice pack with the filling for the sandwich snugly placed underneath. In the second diagram, the two slices of bread and the filling sit on top of the PerfectCHILL divider. In both situations, your sandwich will be ready to eat by lunchtime, but not soggy!

The PerfectCHILL divider can be removed and stored in the freezer until you pack your lunch or your children’s lunches. The ice pack will stay cool for up to 5 hours and keep contents at the USDA guideline of under 40 degrees for perishable foods. According to Contain This, no other ice pack on the market has the cooling abilities of the PerectCHILL.

The FLEXtech Divider acts as a water tight barrier to keep foods separated. The dry ingredients will stay dry. According to Contain This the FLEXtech is their secret ingredient againsdt the “soggy sandwich.”

Want to learn more about the Perfect Sandwich?

Buy 1 Perfect Sandwich or a 4-pack online. Or buy a gift voucher for a friend.
Join the Contain This mailing list.
Like No More Soggy Sandwiches on Facebook.
Follow @ContainThis on Twitter.

The Perfect Sandwich is on sale right now for $12.99.

Reviewed by Eighty MPH Mom

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 05:41:00 GMT

They said “No more soggy sandwiches!” Really? When I worked, the only way to prevent a soggy sandwich was to pack the ingredients separately. Contain This! has solved the problem and has added awesome features to their Perfect Sandwich container to make it a valuable tool in our lunch boxes.

The Perfect Sandwich is a wet-dry solution for sandwich making. It contains a removable PerfectCHILL that you can put into the freezer until you are ready to use and it will keep your food cold until it is time to eat. In lab controlled tests, PerfectCHILL was proven to keep contents under 40 degrees for 5 hours and under room temperature for a full 8 hours. Since we eat so much chicken I decided to try this on the chicken salad everyone in our house loves. Next year when my middle daughter starts kindergarten she will ask for this a few times a week so it was a perfect test run.

I took the PerfectCHILL out of the freezer and assembled my lettuce and then chicken salad. Depending on your sandwich’s ingredients you can expand the FLEXtech divider to accommodate the amount. Go ahead and make yourself a Dagwood sandwich because the FLEXtech creates a water tight barrier between fresh moist ingredients and dry bread. Your sandwiches will stay fresh, dry and ready for eating no matter how long you store them.

The BPA and phthalate free plastic make the Perfect Sandwich a great choice for your everyday lunches. It reduces waste by having 1 container that is like your own mini cooler. If you have a sandwich that doesn’t require separation the FLEXtech divider expands downward so you can put your whole sandwich together on top of it. I wouldn’t just use it for sandwiches though because you could put any sort of item in the water tight container to keep it fresh and cold. Cleaning was a quick and easy. Hand wash, dry, and you’re ready to go. The PerfectCHILL should be put in the freezer each night to be cold and ready for morning lunch packing.

The Contain This! Perfect Sandwich container that I received retails for $19.95. It is very well made and will be used every day by my daughter for her lunches. I won’t have to worry about her sandwiches ever smashing from a bag and our family won’t fill the landfill with unnecessary waste. There is also a family sized Perfect Sandwich that will store 4 sandwiches.

You can connect with Contain This! on Facebook and also follow @containthis on Twitter to keep up with the latest news and products. Visit Contain This! to order your Perfect Sandwich today!

*Jessie received the above product, free of charge, to facilitate this review. All opinions are those of reviewer only.

http://eightymphmom.com/2012/04/contain-this-review.html

Reviewed by Simply Stacie

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:02:00 GMT

Contain This! Review & Coupon Code

I’ve always been a “brown bagger” when it comes to my lunches. I find it to be a smart way to save money and save calories as well. I know what I’m bringing to the table, so to speak. Over the years I’ve tried a lot of different ways to transport my lunches, and am happy to say that I’ve found a great new way to keep my sandwiches fresh with Contain This! Perfect Sandwich solution.

The Contain This! Perfect Sandwich solution is a compartmentalized holder that separates your wet and dry ingredients, keeping your bread from getting soggy as it sits in your work refrigerator, lunch bag, or cooler. It has a removable PerfectChill cooling device that will keep your ingredients fresh for up to 8 hours at room temperature – perfect if you’re packing a lunch for a field trip or anywhere you might not have access to a refrigerator. The PerfectChill device makes the holder a little heavy, but I understand that it’s a necessary side-effect for the device to be able to work. Without the cooling device, the holder is actually quite lightweight. I like that the bread compartment can accommodate bigger breads – my favorite brand of whole wheat is sliced larger than standard breads. Another great feature, the plastic holder is BPA and phthalate free. Plus you can use it safely in the refrigerator, freezer and dishwasher.

The Perfect Sandwich solution retails for $19.99. You can learn more about the Contain This! Perfect Sandwich holder on the company’s website and blog. You can also find them on Facebook andTwitter. Contain This! is offering all Simply Stacie readers $5.00 off their purchase of the Perfect Sandwich solution – use code Stacieperfect5 at their online store.

Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.

http://www.simplystacie.net/2012/04/contain-this-review-coupon-code/

Top 4 Tasty & Healthy Food Trends

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 04:24:00 GMT

March 30, 2012 by Fayette Woman

A visit to your local grocer provides thousands of food options, and it’s likely you’ve recently noticed an increase in the number of healthier choices, including organic offerings and expanded produce selections. But what are the next big things when it comes to healthy food?

Here are some healthy food trends to look for the next time you’re at your local grocery store:

Trend 1: Sprouted grains
You’ve heard plenty about whole grain, but the next level of whole grains is called “sprouted grains.” Because the process of germination changes the composition of grain and seeds in numerous ways, sprouting can increase vitamin content and aid in digestion of the entire grain so your body better absorbs all the nutrients. Food for Life is at the forefront of this trend and offers different products using grains sprouted under an exclusive process. For example, new Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Waffles are made from sprouted grains to maximize nutrition while retaining important natural fiber and bran. These waffles come in several varieties including original, golden flax, blueberry and apple nut. For more information about sprouted grain products, visit www.foodforlife.com.

Trend 2: Omega-3 additives
For years, lots of the food found on grocers’ shelves has been enriched with a variety of vitamins and minerals. Bread might contain iron, orange juice might have added calcium – these additions are often advertised on the product’s label. The newest nutrient being added to some of our favorite foods is omega-3. This essential fatty acid has been shown to have numerous benefits when consumed, from reducing risks of illnesses such as heart disease, to aiding in brain growth for children. You’re likely to see more omega-3 additives in your favorite foods, such as cereal, juice, eggs and even your pet’s food.

Trend 3: Fruits and veggies galore
The benefits of fruits and vegetables cannot be overstated. This was apparent when in 2011 the USDA replaced the old food pyramid with the new circular icon called MyPlate that recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables. More people are making an effort to eat a rainbow of colorful produce each day and they want the freshest items possible. Continued demand for locally produced foods is inspiring droves of people to visit their local farmers markets for seasonal fruits and vegetables. These items are usually picked at the peak of freshness, providing you with an optimum amount of vitamins and minerals. Plus your squash or potatoes won’t have to travel thousands of miles before they get to your pantry.

Trend 4: Plant-based “dairy” products
Interest in plant-based foods is building steam, even among those who don’t have a lactose sensitivity. This interest has inspired a variety of dairy alternatives to appear on grocery shelves. Plant-based foods are known to contain higher levels of nutrients and often have little or no bad fats/oils. As an alternative to 2-percent cow’s milk, now you can easily find almond or coconut milk at your local store. Soy ice creams of today are also far better than in years past. Butter can be made from fruit and sour cream is now made from tofu.

From sprouted grains to healthy new additives, these food trends are growing in popularity because they are delicious ways to benefit your health. Visit your local grocery store or co-op to try something new today.

America’s 45 Billion Soggy Sandwich Problem... Solved by Contain This!

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:50:00 GMT

http://www.pr.com/press-release/392919

America’s 45 Billion Soggy Sandwich Problem... Solved by Contain This!

San Mateo, CA, February 24, 2012 --(PR.com)-- According to the Wheat Foods Council, Harris Interactive Survey 2008, Americans consume over 45 billion sandwiches every year. And yet, despite this astonishing number, not one company has come up with a solution to the soggy sandwich problem... until now.

Contain This! introduced its first ground-breaking product, Perfect Sandwich, in August 2011. This innovative food container stops sandwiches from getting soggy by using its unique FLEXtech® divider to separate fresh ingredients from the bread until right before mealtime. Additionally, PerfectCHILL® technology keeps contents cool for up to 8 hours ensuring a fresh sandwich until you are ready to assemble and eat.

Perfect Sandwich is an eco-friendly container made from a BPA, phthalate and lead free material that stands up to extreme use and repeated dishwasher cleaning. Impact, shatter and heat resistant. Odor and stain resistant – this sparkling, glossy material gives Perfect Sandwich its modern clean look while helping it stand up to the toughest environments.

“We created Perfect Sandwich for the savvy individual on the go who wants a quality sandwich that stays fresh and safe from bacteria that can develop as fresh ingredients warm,” said Will Archie, CEO and Founder of Contain This! “You will continue to see unique, innovative offerings from Contain This! that will significantly reduce disposable packaging while providing a superior eating experience.”

- Perfect Sandwich is the only product in the market to separate the wet from the dry and truly address sandwich sogginess and overall freshness.
- With its FLEXtech Divider, Perfect Sandwich is the only product in the market to offer this amount of consumer versatility in a container of its size.
- With its PerfectCHILL technology, Perfect Sandwich keeps contents within the USDA guidelines for perishable foods of under 40F degrees for 5 hours and under room temperature for a full 8 hours.
- Perfect Sandwich eliminates the need for costly disposable bags, plastic and aluminum wraps, styrofoam and other food storage solutions by providing a reusable, self-cooling container to transport your food.

Perfect Sandwich retails for $19.99 and can be purchased at www.containthis.com as well as select retailers such as Amazon.com.

Contain This! is an innovative housewares product company dedicated to providing food transport solutions that help you and your family enjoy the lunch you took so much time and money to prepare. We do this by creating products that keep wet and dry ingredients separate, fresh and cool until the last possible moment—just like at home. We have kicked off our product launch with Perfect Sandwich but expect more innovative products from us as we tackle other meal/snack items. For more information, visit www.containthis.com.

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Preschooler’s Homemade Lunch Replaced with Cafeteria “Nuggets”

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:56:00 GMT

State agent inspects sack lunches, forces preschoolers to purchase cafeteria food instead

By Sara Burrows

Feb. 14th, 2012

See editor's note at end of story.

RAEFORD — A preschooler at West Hoke Elementary School ate three chicken nuggets for lunch Jan. 30 because the school told her the lunch her mother packed was not nutritious.

The girl’s turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips, and apple juice did not meet U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, according to the interpretation of the person who was inspecting all lunch boxes in the More at Four classroom that day.

The Division of Child Development and Early Education at the Department of Health and Human Services requires all lunches served in pre-kindergarten programs - including in-home day care centers - to meet USDA guidelines. That means lunches must consist of one serving of meat, one serving of milk, one serving of grain, and two servings of fruit or vegetables, even if the lunches are brought from home.

When home-packed lunches do not include all of the required items, child care providers must supplement them with the missing ones.

The girl's mother - who said she wishes to remain anonymous to protect her daughter from retaliation - said she received a note from the school stating that students who did not bring a "healthy lunch" would be offered the missing portions, which could result in a fee from the cafeteria, in her case $1.25.

"I don't feel that I should pay for a cafeteria lunch when I provide lunch for her from home," the mother wrote in a complaint to her state representative, Republican G.L. Pridgen of Robeson County.

The girl's grandmother, who sometimes helps pack her lunch, told Carolina Journal that she is a petite, picky 4-year-old who eats white whole wheat bread and is not big on vegetables.

"What got me so mad is, number one, don't tell my kid I'm not packing her lunch box properly," the girl's mother toldCJ. "I pack her lunchbox according to what she eats. It always consists of a fruit. It never consists of a vegetable. She eats vegetables at home because I have to watch her because she doesn't really care for vegetables."

When the girl came home with her lunch untouched, her mother wanted to know what she ate instead. Three chicken nuggets, the girl answered. Everything else on her cafeteria tray went to waste.

"She came home with her whole sandwich I had packed, because she chose to eat the nuggets on the lunch tray, because they put it in front of her," her mother said. "You're telling a 4-year-old. 'oh. your lunch isn't right,' and she's thinking there's something wrong with her food."

While the mother and grandmother thought the potato chips and lack of vegetable were what disqualified the lunch, a spokeswoman for the Division of Child Development said that should not have been a problem.

"With a turkey sandwich, that covers your protein, your grain, and if it had cheese on it, that's the dairy," said Jani Kozlowski, the fiscal and statutory policy manager for the division. "It sounds like the lunch itself would've met all of the standard." The lunch has to include a fruit or vegetable, but not both, she said.

There are no clear restrictions about what additional items - like potato chips - can be included in preschoolers' lunch boxes.

"If a parent sends their child with a Coke and a Twinkie, the child care provider is going to need to provide a balanced lunch for the child," Kozlowski said.

Ultimately, the child care provider can't take the Coke and Twinkie away from the child, but Kozlowski said she "would think the Pre-K provider would talk with the parent about that not being a healthy choice for their child."

It is unclear whether the school was allowed to charge for the cafeteria lunches they gave to every preschooler in the class that day.

The state regulation reads:

"Sites must provide breakfast and/or snacks and lunch meeting USDA requirements during the regular school day. The partial/full cost of meals may be charged when families do not qualify for free/reduced price meals.

"When children bring their own food for meals and snacks to the center, if the food does not meet the specified nutritional requirements, the center must provide additional food necessary to meet those requirements."

Still, Kozlowski said, the parents shouldn't have been charged.

"The school may have interpreted [the rule] to mean they felt like the lunch wasn't meeting the nutritional requirements and so they wanted the child to have the school lunch and then charged the parent," she said. "It sounds like maybe a technical assistance need for that school."

The school principal, Jackie Samuels, said he didn't "know anything about" parents being charged for the meals that day. "I know they eat in the cafeteria. Whether they pay or not, they eat in the cafeteria."

Pridgen's office is looking into the issue.

Sara Burrows is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.

Editor's note, Feb. 15: The first two paragraphs of this story were updated. Neither DHHS nor school officials would identify the person who inspected the homemade lunches and decided they did not meet USDA guidelines. CJ has made multiple requests to DHHS for clarification. In an email to CJ, department spokeswoman Lori Walston said: "As mentioned in the statement from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued last night, this agency is currently working to determine the specifics of this case."

Hilarious! Watch Perfect Sandwich "fall in love"

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:26:00 GMT

Thanks to Scott Dixon, we have a really fun video to share. Who knew a sandwich could fall in love? When you have the Perfect Sandwich around, how can a sandwich resist?

Don't you want your sandwich to "lose it's soggy feelin'"? Please forward this onto your friends--friends don't let friends suffer from a soggy sandwich!

Start spreading the news..and condiments

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:28:00 GMT

I know you all are thinking why am I talking about condiments on a no-soggy-sandwich blog. Don't condiments make sandwiches soggy? Actually no, they aren't the culprits behind soggy sandwiches. We've done a lot of sandwich testing here at Perfect Sandwich and we've found that what makes a sandwich soggy are the veggies like lettuce and especially tomato. That's why Perfect Sandwich works so..perfectly! It keeps the veggies separate from the bread until mealtime.

So since you now know that you can slather on the condiments, which condiments should you spread on your next sandwich? I have found this great article from Men's Health magazine "The Best and Worst Sandwich Condiments" that lists condiments in order from best to worst in terms of nutrition, caloric content and sodium.

I thought I knew what the best condiment was but it turned out not to be mustard but in fact hummus! Check out the article to see the rest of the list. After all now you're free to slather on your favorite condiments.

Brown bag your lunch to counter all the office holiday goodies

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:34:00 GMT

When your office is overflowing with holiday cookies, candy and snacks, a great way to counter all of those extra calories is to brown-bag your lunch. Why add to the calories with a fast-food lunch?

When you're packing a brown-bag lunch, you'll almost always do better, calorie- and fat-wise. The more home-cooked meals you have, the better," says WebMD Weight Loss Clinic "Recipe Doctor" Elaine Magee, MPH, RD. More information on bag lunches can be found at WebMD.

This will also certainly come in handy after the holidays too when you want to lose some of the holiday bulge that we all put on.

Sandwiches are a great option--just remember to "adultify" the sandwich you used to bring to school as a child. Instead of mayo use hummus as a spread or arugula instead of lettuce. Use peppered turkey instead of regular turkey.

Have a great holiday and remember there are ways to stay healthy despite all the temptations around. You won't have to add "Lose weight" to your new year's resolutions!

Store those Thanksgiving leftovers safely..for your next day sandwiches.

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:50:00 GMT

Food safety is a major priority for those of us at Contain This! That's why we have a Perfect CHILL pack with our Perfect Sandwich container.

But food safety is so much more, especially on Thanksgiving when leftovers is practically a tradition all on its own. Only if you safely store the leftovers can you enjoy fantastic turkey sandwiches the next day.

Food Network has a great article on its website called "Food Safety: Storing Thanksgiving Leftovers" that lists some great tips about how to safely store leftovers such as you should start putting leftovers away within 2 hours of serving the food. Who knew that you only had 2 hours to chow down?!

Also they answer the question I have always wondered about: do you have to cool leftovers down to room temperature before you put them in the frig? The answer is no but you may want to chill the item in the frig without a lid on. Once the item has cooled down, then put a lid on. That way the item chills quickly. I'll have to let my mom know that one!

Stay safe this Thanksgiving and enjoy those turkey sandwiches!

Celebrate National Sandwich Day with more than your average sandwich

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:47:00 GMT

Anyone know the story behind why today, November 3rd, is National Sandwich Day? It's all because the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, couldn't stop gambling long enough to eat. He asked his servant to put his lunch meat between 2 slices of bread so he could keep doing what he loved most: gambling. He especially loved how the bread kept his hands clean so he didn't make his cards greasy.

Even though this happened way back in the 18th century, John was onto the fast paced life that was to come where folks don't have time to stop for a meal. The sandwich has long been the most popular lunch item, especially in the US where most people don't have time to stop for a sit-down meal.

The problem is that now we don't have servants to make us a fresh sandwich. That's why I think we should change the holiday to National Non-Soggy Sandwich Day to remind folks that only when your sandwich is fresh, is it delicious.

So celebrate today with an especially delicious sandwich--go crazy with the bacon, pickles or hummus. The Sandwich, I mean Non-Soggy Sandwich, deserves to be celebrated.

Other ways to celebrate:

Send a 'National Sandwich Day' e-card using Punchbowl
Try these five 'Insanewiches' (see pics above)

Yay for Go Yay for your awesome review!

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:56:00 GMT

Danetta has posted a great review of our product on her blog. Thank you! What I love about her review is that you can tell that she has actually used the product and isn't just writing a product description. In fact here's what she had to say about her son wanting pickles in his sandwich and how Perfect Sandwich helped...

"My son enjoys adding pickles to his ham sandwich. Making him his favorite ham and pickle sandwich in the morning creates a very soggy sandwich at noon. After a few days of my son returning home from school with half or more of his sandwich still remaining in his lunchbox, I started placing the pickles in a separate container so that he could put the pickles on his sandwich when he was ready to eat. This resulted in some containers leaking, the tops of containers getting misplaced, containers getting accidentally disposed of, a lack of room for other items in his lunchbox, and other related mishaps. Perfect Sandwich® eliminates all of these situations! It really is perfect!"

Click here to read the entire blog post. Yay for Go Yay!

Should you buy pre-written lunch notes or write your own?

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:50:00 GMT

I have to admit my mom never wrote me a note in my lunch or created fancy shaped sandwiches. But I also never expected one because none of my friends got notes in their lunches. I do think it's a great idea--any opportunity to keep communicating with your kid.

Well it turns out if you don't have the creativity to come up with lunch notes on your own, you can purchase pre-written ones from Pottery Barn Kids and Toys "R" Us or even download free ones from Disney, as reported in an article in the Wall Street Journal "To Pack an A-Plus Lunch".

I personally would want a handwritten note from my mom (or dad!) rather than a pre-written one in my lunch. It's interesting that pre-written ones even exist. It kind of feels like another way commercialization is taking over our kids' lives. I say keep it simple and write the note yourself even if it's as simple as "I love you". What do you think?