Insulated lunch box questions

I am new to packing lunches/snacks, so please excuse the novice questions. :)

DC has an insulated lunchbox (Beatrix).
https://www.beatrixny.com/lunch-boxe...ari-the-poodle

Do I still need to put an ice back in the bag to keep the food safe and cool (like berries and cheese)?
Do I need to chill the insulated lunchbox in the fridge or freezer before packing it?

If I do need an ice pack - what do people recommend that is nontoxic and sweat-free?
I don't want anything soft that DC could puncture.

Thanks!

I use an ice pack in insulated lunch boxes. It's probably not necessary though. Check out Target and Amazon. There are many different kinds.

Does your DD's school put the lunch boxes in the fridge? My son's does, so I don't worry about it. It also depends on what you are packing in the lunch box. I think berries and cheese are fine for a few hours unrefrigerated. If you are sending deli meat or yogurt, then I would use an ice pack. We have the Igloo brand ice packs from Target and they are fine. I don't know how you would find an ice pack that doesn't sweat if it is exposed to warmer temperatures?

Someone posted this article a few years ago, and it really opened my eyes about ice packs and lunch boxes:

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/0...nch-extra-ice/

That being said, during the winter months, I don't worry too much about stuff like berries and cheese (hey, some people purposely leave cheese out for a couple hours to develop flavor anyways!). When I do need ice packs, these have worked great for DS1's lunchbox: http://www.amazon.com/Fit-Fresh-Cool...4408205&sr=8-1

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wencit

Someone posted this article a few years ago, and it really opened my eyes about ice packs and lunch boxes:

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/0...nch-extra-ice/

That being said, during the winter months, I don't worry too much about stuff like berries and cheese (hey, some people purposely leave cheese out for a couple hours to develop flavor anyways!). When I do need ice packs, these have worked great for DS1's lunchbox: http://www.amazon.com/Fit-Fresh-Cool...4408205&sr=8-1

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Thank you so much for posting that article. That's exactly what I've been looking for. I have some of those ice packs, too, so I think I'll just buy more of them. I wish they weren't so thick, but I like them much more than the gel packs.