I'm Biggie: avid cook, speedy lunch packer, mom in San Francisco, & former expat fluent in Japanese. 
Tip: Edible ice packs
Packing lunches in such a way that the food stays fresh and safe is important for all of us, but the feeling of responsibility is especially strong when you’re packing for someone else. I’m willing to take minor food safety risks with my own lunches, but don’t ever want my son to get sick because I packed his lunch unwisely. As part of an earlier post on food safety for packed lunches, I recommended keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold, using thermal jars and cold packs. Today’s tip is a delicious variation on the standard ice pack.
You’ve probably heard of the standard Mommy trick of freezing a bottle of water or juice, and packing that inside an insulated lunch box. It melts by lunchtime, keeps the lunch cool, provides a drink, and lightens the load on the way home. Similarly, you can freeze canned fruit or fruit cocktail in little lidded containers (details here), or take it a step further by freezing pre-packaged jellies or puddings. I froze all of the puddings/jellies in the photo above and did a taste test, and there were no ill effects on taste or texture. Hey, think of Bill Cosby’s pudding pops — same concept. The tiniest pudding cups (as above) can be packed right inside of a bento lunch, or you can make your own in small lidded condiment cups (like the ones I used for jello fruit cups) that are cheap and widely available at restaurant supply stores. Get creative — make your own frozen treat, and share your brilliance with us in comments!
(Shown in photo: Chinese Lychee pudding, mango pudding, Kiku brand “Petit Pudding”, and canned Thai fruit cocktail.)
READ MORE:
- Freeze canned fruit in little containers, use as an ice pack
- Hot vs. cold lunch packing considerations
- Food safety for packed lunches
- Biggie’s list of Top Speed Tips, tutorials and equipment reviews
- Read other Lunch in a Box posts about freezing
July 31st, 2007 | Categories: freezing, parenthacks, tips, vegetarian | 
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July 31st, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Oh thats SO cool you can freeze the mini pudding cups! I am going to do it! I made your kale last night and packed it today. I LOVE IT! Thanks so much!
July 31st, 2007 at 5:40 pm
I tried that with some instant pudding and it didn’t come back to a good consistency. I wonder if it was because it was instant, sugar-free, or both.
July 31st, 2007 at 5:45 pm
@2 from Jeff:
Interesting about the texture — I’ll have to make a package of instant pudding (not sugar free) and see if it’s that or the no-sugar aspect that’s causing the problem. Anyone else have any insight?
July 31st, 2007 at 5:47 pm
@1 from Summers Love:
Glad the kale worked out for you!
July 31st, 2007 at 6:12 pm
yes i have done this a few times and esp with the more pudding than jello items because by lunchtime it has defrosted in a sort of sherbert texture which I think is far superior than it’s original form =)
July 31st, 2007 at 7:03 pm
My kids like frozen yoghurts in their lunches. It changes the texture but they like it. It goes ‘ice-creamy’ by lunchtime.
August 1st, 2007 at 9:01 am
Love your blog! Very inspiring.
What have you done for inedible ice packs? I’m planning for this school year’s bentos (last year was my first year making bentos).
Have you ever tried putting those plastic shaped ice cubes in with food you want to keep chilled? They are small enough to fit inside a bento, but I am not sure about condensation.
August 1st, 2007 at 2:47 pm
I’ve been reading your blog for a while now (actually you’re blog is the one that started my bento addiction a month ago - you evil enabler ;D) but haven’t posted until now.
I love your blog, it’s really inspiring and especially the speed tips are great! I’m a college student and lazy as I am when it comes to food (shame on me) I wouldn’t have considered bento-ing if it weren’t for your speed tips, as I always thought that packing lunches like this take way too much time in the morning. Big thanks to you!
I love your idea of edible ice packs, as I’ve been concerned about breakage/leakage with non-edible ice packs. Really wouldn’t want that fluid to leak into my lunch *eww*.
I’m really craving those Chinese puddings! And even I never had a mango pudding, it sounds sooo nice that I regret living in Germany.
Unfortunately I couldn’t find any mini puddings that you show here from time to time
August 1st, 2007 at 2:51 pm
Sorry for posting again.. But I just realized that I should’ve read my post for mistakes. My English skills are decreasing every day
Sorry for that!
Oh and I forgot to ask a question: Do you think/know if those puddings are easy perishable? Otherwise I’d consider asking my mother to bring some from Taiwan next time she visits the family..
August 1st, 2007 at 5:31 pm
I’m going to try freezing those mango puddings now
I’ve been using frozen applesauce cups and tetra pack juice boxes so far.
August 1st, 2007 at 6:27 pm
It is so nice to find your blog.
This is so interesting.
I pack lunch to school since I was a baby. I wish my mom will pack my lunch like you.
Nice to meet you and I will see you often here.
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:32 am
@2 from Jeff:
Oh man, Jeff, you are so right about the sugar-free instant (5-minute) pudding!!! Seriously nasty when frozen — AVOID. I made some last night, froze it, and packed it in a bento (haven’t posted it yet). I suspect that the texture change is due more to the thickening agents than the non-sugar aspect, but haven’t tested a regular instant sugary pudding yet. I’m not looking forward to that test, either… Also, I can’t say I liked the taste/texture of the sugar-free instant pudding even when it was fresh.
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:34 am
@5 from lalalady7:
Interesting, thanks!
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:35 am
@6 from Naiiad:
Do you just freeze the entire little yogurt container as is?
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:39 am
@7 from kirsten:
I generally don’t put nonedible ice packs inside of my lunches, so I can’t address the condensation issue firsthand. I know some people do use those reusable plastic ice cubes, but others have given feedback that they melt too quickly for satisfactory food safety. You might want to check out a flexible ice blanket with the gel inside (not just water) — there’s a photo and link in my big food safety post (in Top Speed Tips). I paid US$2.50 at Target for a big sheet and cut some off, so I can slip one or two inside tight-fitting insulated lunch bags.
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:39 am
Yes, I just freeze the whole thing.
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:44 am
@8/9 from zyna:
Don’t worry about your English — you should hear the odd constructions that come out of my mouth sometimes, and I’m a native speaker! Anyway, thanks for reading my blog; I’m happy you’re getting something useful out of it. The prepackaged puddings shown in the photo above are all shelf-stable at room temperature, so there shouldn’t be a problem with your mom bringing some back from Taiwan. There are so many good bite-sized jellies in Taiwan; I’m sure you’ll have a better selection than what’s in my cupboard right now!
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:45 am
@16 from Naiiad:
Ooh, great tip — thanks!
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:46 am
@10 from Archangel:
Ah, applesauce cups! *smacks forehead* Great idea!
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:47 am
@11 from Mrs.ThePoint:
Thank you for the kind comment, and welcome to the site! Please feel free to comment and ask any questions you might have, even on old entries. I try to keep up with those too.
August 2nd, 2007 at 4:03 am
@2 Jeff, 3 & 12, Biggie, regular sugar strengthens the hold of gelatine thus increasing it’s strong quality, whereas fructose and other sugar substitutes will not. Freezing can cause freeze burns to regular foods by causing “decay” of the molecular structure of the food (English is not my first language so if I would be better prepared with the technical lingo I was writing it differently but hopefully you get the gist).
My guess is that while the pudding lasts in room temp or in the fridge, when it is frozen, the freezing process, the properties of the sugar substitutes combined with the separate properties of the gelatine, creates a problem with the original consistency when it is thawed.
(written with some help by On Food & Cooking by Harold McGee).
August 2nd, 2007 at 7:52 am
@12 from Biggie:
I was looking for stuff to put in my hubby’s lunch and since he’s diabetic I thought I’d give that a try as an edible ice-pack. Never again!
However, I am reminded that I could really use some home-made tapioca right about now.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:25 pm
@21 from Jessica:
Ah, McGee — of course he would help answer the question! I should have taken out my Shirley O’Corriher before sitting down at the computer… Thank you for the detailed info, Jessica, I appreciate it.
August 3rd, 2007 at 2:32 pm
You’re welcome :).
August 11th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
hey, just wondering where you bought that mini cream caramel pudding thing…its adorable! I’m trying to see if i can buy it online but without any luck. btw you have an awesome site!
August 11th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
@25 from debbie:
I probably got the little pudding cups at one of the Japanese markets in San Francisco’s Japantown (either Mira or Nijiya, I don’t recall which). I haven’t spied them online, but the brand name is Kiku (Kiku “Petit Pudding”). Good luck, and thanks for the kind words on the site!
August 29th, 2007 at 6:39 am
[...] yummy peach (mommy ate the other half for dessert), a cheese wedge, a frozen pudding cup (thanks Biggie!), sliced carrots and cucumbers, and the last of the mac and cheese from Monday. Also, she has a [...]
January 17th, 2008 at 2:00 am
Hey Biggie, where do you buy Petit Pudding? If it’s at the Asian grocer, I can’t find it in the sweets. I really want some of those because I love pudding, and that just looks yummy and cute. ^__^
January 17th, 2008 at 7:21 am
@28 from dejikowaffo: I get them at a number of Asian markets near me (New May Wah, Sunset Super, Nijiya, Mira, etc.), but they’re usually over with the little jellies instead of the snack or chocolate aisle. Good luck finding them!
May 24th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I like to mash a banana & mix with a little OJ. Freeze that. at lunch time is a cold mousse like texture & very yummy!!
May 24th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
@30 from Julie L: The mashed banana & OJ combination is one I’d never come across before — sounds quite intriguing! Thanks for the idea.
July 14th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
@30 - Julie: What mix?? like jello or pudding??
September 15th, 2009 at 7:31 am
I have been using the goodbyn lunchbox this year, although I wish I had seen all the bento options before I bought.
I have frozen applesauce cubes that I include in a dish of unfrozen sauce. It seems to work for hummus also. I put frozen berries in the yogurt.
My daughter likes frozen veggies, but I think the ones I give her are defrosted by the time she eats them 3 hours later.
I have included frozen edamame mixed with cold pasta. I’m hoping this is enough to keep the food from spoiling before she eats it. Thoughts?
September 18th, 2009 at 9:22 am
@33 from Anneke: If you’re concerned about food safety, you might want to include an ice pack or two in an insulated lunch bag to keep things cool. But three hours is not overly long in the larger scheme of things.