Need Help for Kids Brown Bag Lunches!

[Jo-Anne]

I'm working on a newsletter at work and one section we're focusing on is how to share tips with other working women about the stresses in our lives! It appears that many of us stress about what to pack for our kids lunches! Outside of the usual sandwiches, do you have creative ideas for school lunches (thermos suggestions are also good, but nothing that requires microwaves)? Thanks, Jo

 

[cynsaun]

My girls love peperoni and crackers! The won't even touch sandwiches anymore!

 

[princess lovers mom]

My daughter loves to have a "snack" lunch...no sandwich at all...today she has a small kid size yogurt, cheese stick, carrots/ranch dip and some olives and a cookie....milk bought at school

 

[Otto's Doll]

Bagel and creamcheese

I make my own "lunchables" with cheese slices, ham or turkey slices, a snack and carrot sticks or an apple

celery with cream cheese or peanut butter

pancakes (DS 10 would eat these every day if he could)

 

[stinkerbelle]

wraps - makes "sandwhiches" more fun.
veggies with sides of salsa or peanutbutter or cheese
do kids eat salads? made with deli meat? (for my own lunch - lettuce/veggies/turkey or ham/peanuts or chow mein noodles thrown on top)
cheese/peanut butter and crackers (PB is a great source of protein - however I know alot of schools don't allow it.)

those uncrustables - again PBJ - are expensive as hell but I personally love them!

 

[tjmw2727]

We do our own lunchable type lunch, Zip lock makes a nice container with separations for this. We do a meat & cheese, crackers and raw veggies. I often use left over roasted chicken or turkey, sometimes turkey bologna and a nice cheese with whole wheat crackers - much better than the shelf stuff. My girls like carrots, raw green beans, cut up cucumber and grape tomato with or without dip.

Pita with hummus or any type of wrap or spread is popular with my 7 and 9 yo's. My youngest loves to dip so pita and dip of any kind.

Sometimes I do PB&J and instead of uncrustables I cut the bread with cookie cutter shapes. Only when I am feeling inspired or dd deserves some extra TLC! Pampered Chef makes a cutter that cuts the bread and pushes in the edges just like uncrustables btw, my SIL ordered one for me.

My oldest loves breakfast for lunch, zip lock also has bowls now so I fill it with dry cereal and include milk, bananna or strawberries and some yogurt.

Love to see these ideas - lunch making is my least fav thing to do!

TJ

 

[Lorix2]

For a hot thermos:

make Lipton Chicken Noodle soup and add an 11.5 oz can of V8, Natures Seasoning or pepper. My kids eat the entire pot when I make it. (I also add 1 cup of noodles when eating it at the table)

Also my kids love cold rotini pasta tossed with a little italian dressing, green peppers, celery salt and italian seasoning. You can add grape tomatoes, olives, ham, cheese, etc. I love it on linguine better, but for the small lunch size containters, rotini or macaroni is best.

 

[pjlla]

Hard boiled eggs or red beet eggs, baked beans and sliced hot dogs in a thermos, cheese in any form (cubed, sliced, sticks), squeeze yogurt (lots of sugar, but good for calcium... save for dessert.... I find Stoneyfield Farm are the least sugary and least over-colored), mini bagels with cream cheese or peanut butter, warm rice and beans in a thermos, tuna and crackers (packed separately... be sure to keep the tuna cold), celery packed with peanut butter and raisins or cream cheese..... All I can think of for now...............P

 

[CEDmom]

Pasta salads are a big hit with DD especially now that it's getting warm. She loves picking out what shape pasta to use and then what else she wants added to it (olives, grape tomatoes, cheese cubes, peas etc).

She also enjoys anything that can be dipped. She'll take a small container of salad dressing along with different veggies and bread sticks.

Cookies cutters can turn a plain sandwich into something more fun.

Kabobs are also good. Thread cheese cubes and veggies onto a skewer or plastic straw.

Finally, you could put warm pasta or pierogies (another of DD's favorites) in a small thermos.

 

[melk]

One of my dd's likes a buttered bagel for lunch with carrot sticks. Sometimes I'll make her a grilled cheese in the morning and wrap it in tin foil for her to take. Another one of my dd's will eat ONLY peanut butter and jelly...every day...365 days a year...go figure!

 

[powellrj]

we do hot dogs in the thermos. Boil the hotdog and fill the thermos with hot water while the hot dog cooks. Empty thermos and add hot dog and it will stay warm until lunch. Taco salad is another favorite along with anything to dip. Veggies, fruit, breadsticks...

 

[makaylee]

I find uncrustables to be quite handy. When its cold she like tomato soup in a thermos. I have also heated up spaghettio's in the morning put them in thermos and added a little bowl and spoon to her lunch box.

 

[bentley483]

My daughter got this idea from an American Girl Magazine. It's not for every day, but for a nice surprise it's great. A tupperware bowl of their favorite cereal. They buy the milk at school and you just add some fruit or yogurt to the lunchbox. Easiest lunch I ever packed!