Major Frustration: I need new ideas for my kid's school lunches... please help!

[Tarheel Tink]

I saw that the Food Network is having a show on lunches for school this Monday night (8:00 ?).

 

[B&B Mom]

What a great thread...lots of wonderful ideas!!

I do have one to add, hopefully I'm not repeating one that's already been mentioned.

My DS loves grillcheese sandwiches...so I cook one up in the morning and let it cool completely then just pack it in a tupperware container. It does stay crisp as long as it is cool before I pack it. He loves it.

Thanks for all the tips.

 

[welovewdw]

My son doesn't like sandwiches - he has lived on peanut butter on ritz crackers and left over pizza for lunch. Thank goodness he starts high school this year and can at least buy hot pizza for lunch. LOL

 

[HeatherinNC]

These are great ideas guys! I am getting hungry reading over them!

 

[mamalle]

what great tips. thanks so much. dd has wanted to take apples and I have been skeptical of sending them without them getting brown. The bags at the store with them already cut get $$$ after awhile. Mine doesnt like the food offered by the school so she is bringing her food every day and Im looking for new ideas since she is so picky!

 

[KittyKitty]

As a substitute teacher, never knowing where I'm going, I pack my lunch everyday. I sure get tired of P/J sandwiches!!

Thanks for all the ideas. I sure can use them..

 

[mum4jenn]

As a substitute teacher, never knowing where I'm going, I pack my lunch everyday. I sure get tired of P/J sandwiches!!

Thanks for all the ideas. I sure can use them..

Do the schools there all have different menus???? The counties all around here use the same basic menu for each of their schools with the exception of Middle and High which get a choice. I would hate to be the food service director there if that were the case because then you would have to monitor many schools for what they were serving. Of course maybe you sub for different counties which might explain that!!!

 

[KittyKitty]

I am lucky to sub for 2 different school districts, and they do have different menus, maybe because they have different days off for non student workdays. I have tried a lunch at an elementary school, $3, and tho is was nutritious(sp?), it was not my taste.

I do buy pizza at the high schools. But have to watch my weight, so that is only on special times.

These suggestions here are great!!!

 

[blanq]

I have really enjoyed reading this thread! I now have a boatload of new ideas for school lunches and school is just around the corner. I have a few ideas to share, including a couple of recipes:

1. Quesadillas: Take two tortillas and fill with cooked and shredded chicken breast, shredded cheese and salsa; microwave and then cut into quarters. These are very good served cold.
2. Banana Bread Sandwiches: Take two slices of banana bread and fill with peanut butter.
3. Dijon Ham Muffins: The recipe is listed below. These are savory muffins and I like to pack them with string cheese and other sides.
4. PB&J Bread: The recipe is listed below. It's the bread, peanut butter and jelly all rolled into one! Just slice it and pack it and serve with whatever sides you want. You could also make these in muffin forms, if desired.
5. Mexican Cheese Dip: Mix 1 lb Velveeta cheese with 1 14 oz can Ro-Tel tomatoes (Note: these are chopped tomatoes mixed with green chilis and are fairly spicy. If your child does not like too much spice, substitute mild salsa for the Ro-Tel) and melt in microwave (or sometimes I will make this in my mini crockpot). This recipe makes a lot and our family loves to reheat it for snacking. I pack a small heated amount in a mini thermos and send dippers (carrots, tortilla chips, or sliced pitas) along with other sides.
6. Savory Italian Rounds: The recipe is listed below. These are soooo yummy. They can be served cold. I pack a couple of these with beef sticks or beef jerkey, and other sides.


PB&J Bread
2 C flour
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 C peanut butter
1 egg
1 C milk
1/4 jelly or jam

Cream peanut butter and sugar; add egg. Add dry ingredients, alternately with milk. Spread 1/2 batter in a greased bread pan. Top with jelly (add little drops and then carefully spread together). Top with remaining batter. Bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool for a few minutes before turning bread out onto a cooling rack.

Dijon Ham Muffins
1 2/3 C flour
1/3 C cornmeal
1/4 C sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 to 2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
1 C buttermilk
1/3 C vegetable oil
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 C finely chopped fully cooked ham

Combine the first eight ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the eggs, oil and Dijon. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture just until moistened. Fold in the ham. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake @ 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire rack. Makes 12-14 muffins.

Savory Italian Rounds
2/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C mayonnaise (do not substitute light or fat-free)
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp dried oregano
dash of onion salt
1 12 oz tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Combine the first seven ingredients in a small bowl. Separate biscuits and place on two ungreased baking sheets. Let stand for 5 minutes. Flatten biscuits into 4" circles. Spread about 1 Tbsp mayonnaise mixture over each circle to within 1/2" of biscuit edge. Bake @ 400 degrees for 10-13 minutes until golden brown. Note: you may substitute approx. 3/4 tsp of italian seasoning (such as Pampered Chef) for the seasonings listed above.

 

[luvmy2sams]

There are some great ideas on this thread. DD started 1st/2nd grade on Friday, so I'm sure I'll be taking advantage of lots of these lunch items.

 

[luckofthedraw]

This thread has been such an inspiration for me, so I just want to say a great bigTHANKS!!! to everyone.
After reading all these great ideas, I sat down and made a 25-day calendar with entree, dairy, veggie, and fruit in each calendar space. (That's 5 weeks per month X 5 school days).

I'm stocking up after reading the grocery game thread, and have reorganized the pantry so kids can get what they need to pack lunch. Now all of got to do is see if we can get the things that don't need to be heated or chilled into lunch boxes the night before. Hopefully this will eliminate 10 minutes of negotiating every morning on what we will or will not have for lunch.

Now, does anybody know where I can find a great deal on some thermoses?

 

[CourtasanSatine]

I start tech school next week and since there's no places within walking distance of school I'll brown bag. Any ideas?

 

[off to neverland]

Thanks for all the great ideas!

Our school is so strict about not bringing Peanut Butter in ANY form to the school because of allergies, but I notice many of you do send PB. My son is only 5....... does the policy change as they get older and those with allergies know better than to eat it? Or do you think certain schools are more strict? Just wondering, since my son would live on Peanut Butter if I would let him, and I'm at a loss as to what to send to school.

The ideas are WONDERFUL! Thanks so much!

 

[the kabuki]

This thread has been such an inspiration for me, so I just want to say a great bigTHANKS!!! to everyone.
After reading all these great ideas, I sat down and made a 25-day calendar with entree, dairy, veggie, and fruit in each calendar space. (That's 5 weeks per month X 5 school days).

I'm stocking up after reading the grocery game thread, and have reorganized the pantry so kids can get what they need to pack lunch. Now all of got to do is see if we can get the things that don't need to be heated or chilled into lunch boxes the night before. Hopefully this will eliminate 10 minutes of negotiating every morning on what we will or will not have for lunch.

Now, does anybody know where I can find a great deal on some thermoses?

Just picked up 2 wide mouth but short Thermos brand thermos' for $14.99 each. Can't say it's a great deal , but they had them at Target, and they were small enough to fit into the lunch bag.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

Thanks for all the great ideas!

Our school is so strict about not bringing Peanut Butter in ANY form to the school because of allergies, but I notice many of you do send PB. My son is only 5....... does the policy change as they get older and those with allergies know better than to eat it? Or do you think certain schools are more strict? Just wondering, since my son would live on Peanut Butter if I would let him, and I'm at a loss as to what to send to school.

The ideas are WONDERFUL! Thanks so much!

Most high schools aren't that strict unless there is a child with a known allergy at that school. I teach in a high school and kids are allowed to bring in peanut butter.

At my nephew's school, they also have an anti-peanut policy, but there is a student there who has a life threatening peanut allergy. This is something I am familiar with:

Some people with peanut allergies have them so severely that simply breathing in the peanut oils from the air, or touching something that has peanut oils on it can cause a reaction. They don't even need to eat it. My brother (only in his mid thirties) has some major health problems, as well as a peanut allergy. He had to fly to another state for a major heart surgery (he needed his heart valve replaced) and had literally dozens of letters and calls between the doctors and the airline because he needed to ensure that they would not serve peanuts on the flight- if he had a reaction, they couldn't do the surgery, which would have been life threatening. He can't have peanuts of peanut butter in his house at all. He picked up a cookie that had nuts in it (he didn't know) at a party and immediately had a reaction, just from picking it up! Even at my house, I'm always afraid when I eat peanut butter that I won't clean the utensils well enough and he'll happen to use that one when he's here. Paranoid, I guess, but with good reason. So, a child with allergies like this could sit down at a "clean" table where some child just ate PBJ and some oils still present there could cause a severe reaction.

It is difficult though, bc peanuts and peanut butter are a food so many kids (his included!) absolutely love- and sometimes it's hard to find protein sources kids like to eat! Sometimes other nuts are slightly less potent in their allergens, so you might try cashew, almond or macadamia nut butter, if those are allowed. If they like peanut butter and jelly, maybe cream cheese and jelly would do? If they like the crunch, maybe something with sunflower or pumpkin seeds would be able to replace that? They have the same sort of nutty taste. Hummus has a similar texture. Maybe hummus with some sesame breadsticks? Mashed banana on toast is good, too. Those are the closest things I can think of, but I'm sure there are other dishes- pastas, chicken, etc. that he might like and you can always put a good hot dish in a thermos- healthier than PB, too. Good luck!

 

[lovesdumbo]

Thanks for all the great ideas!

Our school is so strict about not bringing Peanut Butter in ANY form to the school because of allergies, but I notice many of you do send PB. My son is only 5....... does the policy change as they get older and those with allergies know better than to eat it? Or do you think certain schools are more strict? Just wondering, since my son would live on Peanut Butter if I would let him, and I'm at a loss as to what to send to school.

The ideas are WONDERFUL! Thanks so much!

In Kindergarten last year my DD was in a peanut free room. They had to leave their backpacks in the hall for the nurse to inspect for peanuts before they were brought in the room. You couldn't send homemade goods or store bought cookies that didn't have a label. Even plain jelly sandwich was rejected in case the jelly jar had PB in it. Next year she is not in a peanut free room. They have seperate peanut free tables in the lunch room for kids with alergies.

 

[CheapMom]

Peanuts...
At our school peanut products are banned in kindergaren only. In 1st-5th you can bring peanut products even if a child in that class has an alergy- that child just has to sit at a peanut free table.
I think the reason is in kindergarten they eat the snack right in the classroom and they can't risk having any trace amounts left on the tables- but the cafeteria is controlled and disinfected after every lunch shift.

 

[daksmom11]

Since schools starting again and this is such a great thread I

thought I'd bump it up.

 

[MerryPoppins]

DD has enjoyed quesadillas, fruit-ham-cheese kabobs, and bagels so far this year thanks to the ideas on this thread. She's been a happy camper. Keep the ideas coming.

 

[powellrj]

Today we did cereal in a tupperware bowl, (she can add milk at school), bowl of fruit, carton of yogurt and a bottle of oj.

Yesterday we did taco salad. Packed a bowl of lettuce, baggie with shredded cheese and crushed taco chips, little serving of salsa, added bowl of fruit, baggie of veggies and a pudding cup and she bought milk at school.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ this site has lots of great lunch ideas!