Edible Ice Packs

We love a good multi-tasking tool when it comes to the kitchen. Same goes for packed lunches, as they're often pressed for space. We love the idea of packing an edible frozen item with lunch that will keep the contents cool and will be just thawed come lunchtime:

Some ideas for edible ice packs to throw into box lunches for work or school:

fruit cups

a jar of water or juice

pudding (If it's still a little frozen come lunch time, all the more yum!)

yogurt cups

Have you ever used an edible ice pack in a work or school lunch? Please add to our list of possibilities in the comments below!

(Image: Sweetie's Swag)

Categories: Budget, Easy, Lunch

Posted by Regina Yunghans

Regina is an architect who lives with her husband and son in Lawrence, KS. As a LEED Accredited Professional and longtime contributor to Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn, her focus is on healthy, sustainable living through design.
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Comments (5)

Whenever I made a big batch of soup I'd freeze it in lunch-sized batches. Then let it thaw in my lunchbox throughout the morning, keeping everything else nice and cold!

I have never thought of freezing yogurt cups....is that a good idea? would it not separate like milk does?

however i have used pineapple chunks that have been frozen

This was on a commercial recently for Yoplait. :/

It's kinda getting under my skin I keep seeing things appear on Kitchn within a few days of seeing them on cable. I keep getting this image in my head that y'all just sit around watching cable thinking, 'What can we take from this and put on the internet?'

My mom and my friends' moms would pack frozen things in our lunches growing up, to keep the rest of the food cool. They would be mostly-thawed by lunch time, or still a little slushy (which made for a great treat!)

*Yogurt cups (no, they don't separate too much)
*Fruit cups (usually from a larger container, portioned into little lidded tupperware cups, but commercial fruit cups are fine now, too)
*Juice boxes (especially yummy as a slushie - pack a regular-size straw or a spork to eat it with)
*Actual fruit (think grapes, berries, or cut-up fresh fruit, in tupperware container or zip-top baggie)

Love the fruit idea--frozen grapes are amazing. However they are super gross defrosted.