Don't Poison Your Kid At School

Kids are 450% more likely than adults to come down with food poisoning -- and since they're little ones it's tempting to say 'Well, they had to have eaten something rotten at school.'

And you're right. Except you're the one who probably fed them the germ-filled meal in the first place.

It's tempting to say 'Who me? I wouldn't do that!' But check out a new sneaky study from the journal Pediatrics which took a look at what youngsters were bringing to eat from home ... and more importantly, how safe those foods were.

Researchers checked out the brought from home lunches of more than 700 kids. And more than 98 percent were already breeding grounds for bacteria by lunch hour. 98 percent!!!! 

Here's why: pack your kid a healthy lunch and you probably think you've done your patriotic parental duty. But you forget, all to often, that lunch sits at home temperature and begins to grow germs before your kid can put a morsel in his or her mouth.

Mainly because you need to remember- keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold. Specifically, 40 degrees for cold food, and 140 for hot. Anything at room temperature will begin to spoil within just 2 hours.

So the foods leave your kitchen a-OK but stomach-deadly by noon.

So what should you do?

Ice. Ice. Ice. If you're already adding some, double it. In the study even many of the iced containers weren't iced enough.

Insulate. The old, brown bag just doesn't cut it.

Freeze a juice box or something similar the night before to add to the lunchbox.

Scope out a fridge -- maybe not at middle or grade school, but I'm sure you gave the day care a good inspection before signing your kid on.

Simple tips, but good ones to keep your child in school, and in school with a happy tummy.