Need Field Trip Lunch Ideas

[RadioNate]

I'm at a loss. My DS usually buys lunch as I can never come up with anything good. Tomorrow is his field trip and I need to pack a brown bag lunch.

The school rules are that it must be completely disposable and peanut free. They are not allowed to bring ice packs, coolers or thermoses.

I have no idea what to make him. He won't eat any vegetables so things like carrot sticks (or even a salad) are out. He doesn't eat dairy products so I can't freeze GoGurt or something like that.

He does eat fruit so I'll include that.

Anyone got any ideas for a "main" item?

 

[MomofKatie]

hummus on pita
do it yourself Lunchable- small slices of ham or pepperoni and crackers
plain old turkey/ham sandwich

 

[wgwtgb]

What about a lunchable

 

[RadioNate]

In 5 years of school I have never sent a lunch so I am really bad at this.

Is the unrefrigerated lunch meat an issue? At his old school they could buy bag lunches from the cafeteria and they were all put in a cooler. I think they did ham sandwiches.

He eats ham. But no cooler here and it is supposed to be 85 tomorrow.

Ham would be ok (maybe) for 4 or so hours? He won't eat mayo or cheese so it would be ham and bread.

 

[krcit]

Maybe freeze a juice box so it would keep the sandwich cold?

 

[RitaE]

I've frequently sent in unrefrigerated ham sandwiches and I've never killed a kid with botulism yet <fingers crossed>.

If it really concerns you though, will he eat a cheese sandwich?

Lunchables are nutritional nightmares which make them kind of fun for a special day. A lot of kids will probably have those - easy to send, eat, and pitch out.

 

[RadioNate]

I've frequently sent in unrefrigerated ham sandwiches and I've never killed a kid with botulism yet <fingers crossed>.

If it really concerns you though, will he eat a cheese sandwich?

Lunchables are nutritional nightmares which make them kind of fun for a special day. A lot of kids will probably have those - easy to send, eat, and pitch out.

No cheese.

I hate having a picky kid. He does like hot things, which is why school bought lunch works. His big issues are dairy and common cold vegetables.

I think I'm going to freeze a juice box and do the ham. I have to go to the store anyway (no juice box or ham ) so I might pick up a lunchable. He'd like that.

Thanks

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

We do lunchables on field trip days only. As there is only one field trip a year at our school, I'm okay with her eating that crap for one day. Its a win-win for everyone. You can write his name on it with a marker and the whole thing gets thrown away when he's done. No need to bring anything home or possibly forget something on the bus.

 

[kirstenb1]

I'm kind of wiggy about meats or cheeses being kept cold too. In the past, I've packed a Lunchable inside a big Ziploc bag, and thrown some ice cubes in to keep it cold.

 

[RUDisney]

Has he been introduced to the wonderful world of ramen yet?

My DS likes to take them sometimes to sometimes heat in the school's microwave but also he's taken them to football practice where he's eaten them straight out of the container.

Otherwise, buy him a hoagie from somewhere, even if he takes half of it with him with frozen juice boxes as a PP suggested.

ETA: You can put the ramen into a plastic baggie or give him gladware that you're willing to let him throw out since he can't bring anything home.

 

[NotUrsula]

Freeze the drink; in DS' case it's always a bottle of water.

He's much the same and prefers hot food. When he has to eat a cold lunch he prefers that it be sort of a snack collection. The usual is some kind of cured meat (normally brown sugar ham), some spicy Chex mix, and some grapes, plus the frozen water bottle, all in a brown paper sack. You'll want to wrap the drink in a couple of paper towels so that the condensation won't wreck the paper sack.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I'd freeze one drink and send another from the refrigerator because I've been on many school trips where the drink is frozen solid and the poor kid can't drink so backup is good. The lunches are often kept together which can prevent melting, depending on where your kid's lunch is in the pile... quite the wild card.

My kids love sandwiches on a hoagie or sub type roll. Some cookies or a Ring Ding and a bag of chips would even out the lunch as a special treat. As a room Mom it was my experience that kids on a school trip look over each others lunches pretty closely and a 'good' lunch can be a prestige type thing. If it's only once in a long while why not live a little

If you want to be sure your child is happy take him along to the store, my kids totally LOVE when I let them pick out treats for a school trip because they can get all the stuff they are usually denied.

 

[Christine]

Yep, freeze the drink (Capri Sun works well for this) as it works like an icepack.

Picky kids who hate sandwiches seem to enjoy wraps better or food on pita bread--it doesn't get so squishy. You could wrap some ham or turkey with mustard and whatever he might like on it. Or you could stuff a half pita with lunch meat and crunchy iceburg lettuce. Wrap it in plastic and then wrap it in tin foil. It keeps the sandwich a bit more protected. Get some grapes and get them nice and cold.

 

[mamacatnv]

Frozen grapes work as does a baggie of frozen peas he can toss them, nothing that says he must eat them.

Any "processed" lunch meat would IMO be okay, turkey, chicken, ham, salami or even roast beef.

Sandwich, chips, fruit cup and a drink

 

[luvmy3]

cold pizza

 

[dislaney]

I second the frozen grapes. Works as a ice pack and my child loves them.

 

[bookgirl]

I'm at a loss. My DS usually buys lunch as I can never come up with anything good. Tomorrow is his field trip and I need to pack a brown bag lunch.

The school rules are that it must be completely disposable and peanut free. They are not allowed to bring ice packs, coolers or thermoses.

I have no idea what to make him. He won't eat any vegetables so things like carrot sticks (or even a salad) are out. He doesn't eat dairy products so I can't freeze GoGurt or something like that.

He does eat fruit so I'll include that.

Anyone got any ideas for a "main" item?

Frozen grapes, it'll cool and be fruit. Get a plastic bottle of water or juice. Pour half in a glass then freeze the rest in the bottle. In the morning add back in the unfrozen juice and it should be good at lunch.

Do a roll up of tortilla, refried beens, and whatever cheese substitute you use for him (or none if he doesn't eat any). Add a small disposable container (yogurt containers work well) of salsa to dip in.

Add some chips and maybe a cookie and it should meet all the critieria.

 

[mhsjax]

I have thought about freezing drinks for field trips. Does anyone have a problem with the drink thawing, and the condensation making the brown bad all wet. I wouldn't want it to fall apart. Luckily our schools do use ice chests, so I think everything stays cooler.

 

[Christine]

I have thought about freezing drinks for field trips. Does anyone have a problem with the drink thawing, and the condensation making the brown bad all wet. I wouldn't want it to fall apart. Luckily our schools do use ice chests, so I think everything stays cooler.

I use a double bagged brown bag and it hasn't been a problem. Otherwise, you can wrap the juice box or juice bag (I use Capri Sun) in a ziploc bag.

 

[mhsjax]

I use a double bagged brown back and it hasn't been a problem. Otherwise, you can wrap the juice box or juice bag (I use Capri Sun) in a ziploc bag.

Wow, why didn't I think of that. I never thought about putting the Capri Sun in a baggie, Probably because our school uses giant coolers and this is the one time that I will buy him a lunchable.