Non-lunchmeat Non-Veggie Lunch Box Ideas

[believe]

I am having a difficult time with youngest DD and her lunch. She has me pack her 1/2 cheese sandwich, but only eats a bite or 2. I also pack jello, fruit, milk, chips or cheez breadsticks and a small treat. I have asked her if she would like some chicken noodle soup and she says no. I just am at my end on what to give her that she will actually eat. She is not a veggie eater unless they are hot, like green beans or peas.

At home she likes 'hot' items like lasagna, pizza rolls, roast, etc. Breakfast is even difficult with her since she only like bacon and sausage...hot items again.

I am so thankful on days the school has something she likes.

Any ideas would be helpful.

 

[piratesmate]

Yogurt

DD likes chicken salad in a container with lettuce & sometimes crackers

I'm guessing your school has a "no peanut" rule? Or she doesn't like peanut butter?

ham salad - or just some of that Hormel's deviled ham that comes in a can (again DD doesn't eat it as a sandwich...just with crackers)

Can you convince her to eat raw veggies by giving her something to dip them in? Like Ranch dressing?

Can you put together your own "lunchables"? 1/2 a tortilla, cheese, either refried beans & taco sauce or spaghetti cheese?

What about just cold spaghetti? A lot of kids actually like it cold. (We used to eat it for breakfast in high school. )

I have to say that I'd be tempted to tell her no more Jello or "small treat" until she started eating more of the "regular" things. Of course then you'd never know if she just threw the stuff away.

 

[lisa_from_nj]

Have you tried a small thermos for hot things. My daughter has one that I got at Target. It will keep wet or saucy things warm until lunch time. First pour boiling water in the thermos and let it sit for a few minutes to warm up, then add the hot food. Ideas are: mac and cheese, any kind of soup, canned spaghetti -o/ravioli type pastas, ramen noodles.

Other things I have tried for lunch: cream cheese (or butter) bagel, cream cheese crackers, prepackaged fruit cups (peaches, mandarin oranges), ready cooked chicken strips (put them in the insulated lunch box frozen with an ice pack, they thaw by lunchtime), uncrustables, my daughter's favorite - a peanut butter and peanut butter sandwich (no jelly), prepackaged cups of pudding.

Good luck.

Lisa

 

[mrp4352]

My Mom would buy and bake the premade chicken nuggets, chill them in the fridge, then they'd be room temp by lunch. My brother lived on those for YEARS!!!

 

[Imzadi]

I remember a similar thread was asked on the Community Board a while back. I found it and a few others that may give you some ideas:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=707242

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1193415&referrerid=

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=785600&referrerid=

There are also softsided, insulated lunch bags. And the insulated packs that pizza delivery guys use. Maybe you can use that material to wrap up some hot leftovers that she will eat. Or there are hard sided boxes like this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Plastic-Yellow-Insulated-Lunch-Box_W0QQitemZ230080860518QQihZ013QQcategoryZ1411QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[believe]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Yesterday she finally agreed to chicken soup, so I will buy a thermos this weekend. Appears a friend had soup this week

She won't eat peanut butter. She doesn't care for bread items, unless toasted with butter.

I have taken 'treats' away. Doesn't matter. She will just eat a little, then come home hungry and eat something 'hot'.

I will have to look into the insulated lunch boxes to send something hot.

Thanks

 

[MazdaUK]

DS(7) takes one round of ham (or sometimes dairylea) sandwich with a cheese string and a drink - I stopped putting other stuff in as he didn't eat them either. he eats the middles if 3/4 of the sandwich, then eats the other quarter on the way home (he won't eat the crusts, and even if I cut them off he still leaves a margin). He has an apple for morning break, and as under-8s get free fruit from the Eu he'll sometimes have extra apples, satsumas etc in the afternoon (he is very cross if its carrots and cherry tomatoes!).

He is funny about meat generally - he won't eat real sausages, only tinned hotdog sausages, but his brother was the same and now eats loads.

 

[piratesmate]

Forgive me if I'm belaboring the obvious...

Is it all bread items that she doesn't care for? Maybe pita or tortillas/wraps would appeal more? Or if it's just the bread, maybe potato bread? (Can you get that there?) We've had this discussion here...certain brands dry out too much & DD would just pull out the "middle" of the sandwich & leave the bread. Even certain brands of potato bread seem to dry out more than others.

Obviously you've been dealing with this for a while & have already searched out other options. Really the bread thing is a pain for you, but I'm sure there are plenty of places she gets her carbs.

You mentioned she doesn't like peanut butter, but have you ever tried nutella? It's chocolate-hazelnut butter essentially. DD likes to dip pretzel sticks in it. Now that's a treat here because it's sweet, but there's protein in it so it might be an option for you.

I feel for you...making sure they're getting enough "good" things to eat in their lunches can be a real challenge.

 

[mbb]

We're going to give protein bars a try.

Our school is nut and citrus free...and our two boys are tired of all the usuals.

I'm tired of packing them! LOL!

I did find a protein powder that doesn't degrade under high temps...and add a scoop to homemade rice krispie treats, pancake batter, muffin mixes etc.

Hopefully the combination will help fill my two growing boys-who-seem-to-have-developed-hollow-legs lately!

HTH!

 

[Imzadi]

If you get a wide mouth thermos, make sure it's an all stainless steel one. Not the plastic outside ones that come in lunch boxes. One of the threads mentioned they work a lot better.

Also, someone mentioned sending off cut up hotdogs (or sausage) packed in boiling water in the thermos. (It will have cooled some by the time DD opens it.)

Maybe make a fondue, or hot dip in the thermos. Then she can dip cold/room temp foods into it, so part of her meal is hot. If you can send her off with mini pancakes, (made with some protein powder, try heating the maple sryup in the thermos, so she can dip that.

I did find a protein powder that doesn't degrade under high temps...and add a scoop to homemade rice krispie treats, pancake batter, muffin mixes etc.

Which brand protein powder is it?

 

[believe]

The only time she will be tortillas is if it is a taco. Since she isn't a big cheese fan that also makes it difficult.

I am going this weekend to get the thermos since she has finally agreed to give it a try. Now I just have to get DH to do the 'cooking' since I leave before 6am and really want it to still be warm for her at 11am. If he can put it together at 7:30am I think that will be better.

I love the idea of putting other items 'hot' in the thermos, other than soup

 

[disneydeb]

HOW ABOUT WRAPPING SANDWICH MEAT IN A LETTUCE LEAF? OR A SALAD THAT YOU CAN PUT IN A THROWAWAY GLAD BOWL? YOU CAN ADD KIDNEY BEANS TO THE SALAD FOR PROTEIN AND SHREADDED CHEESE FOR CALCIUM, YOU CAN PUT HOMEMADE FRUIT SALAD IN A THROWAWAY BOWL TOO, ALSO A LOT OF KIDS WILL EAT CERAL FOR LUNCH, OR TAKE SALTINES OR RITZ CRACKERS AND PUT EITHER CHEESE OR PB AND J BETWEEN 2 CRACKERS YOU CAN ALSO CUT SANDWICH MEAT TO FIT BETWEEN CRACKERS AND ADD CHEESE IF YOU WISH, STRING CHEESE WAS ALWAYS A BIG HIT AT OUR HOUSE FOR SCHOOL LUNCHES TOO.

 

[disneydeb]

sorry i didnt ses the part where she didnt like cheese

 

[disneydeb]

also i just read your first post again, by what you describe it sounds like shes big on eating proteins, how about a hard boiled egg, or a BLT, egg salad, chicken is high in protein, how about turkey or chicken sand meat from deli or if you roast a chicken slice it thin for sandwichs its cheaper that way and usually tastes better, more like moms good cooking, you can do the same with turkey, or stick it in some gravey in the thermos over rice,

 

[Imzadi]

Someone mentioned that they have been able to successfully put the pizza rolls into the thermos to keep warm.

How about grilled cheese sandwiches? Will she eat the cheese if it's hot? If you find a round cookie cutter slightly smaller than the wide mouth thermos, you could cut them into little sandwiches & stack them. Otherwise cut them into little triangles. I'd layer a paper towel in between for the grease.

Also, franks & beans. Chili, with those new scoopable tortilla chips.

You could have her assemble her own tacos by just putting the taco meat in the thermos & wrapping the taco & veggies separately on the side. Then she'd just have to scoop on the meat.

 

[believe]

We finally found she will eat the chicken noodle soup. Now we have to find something she will eat that doesn't have meat in it since Lent is starting.

I was wondering about the pizza rolls thing. Now sure they would stay hot enough. DH has to really boil her soup to get it to be warm enough for her at lunch time.

 

[nhrenee]

We finally found she will eat the chicken noodle soup. Now we have to find something she will eat that doesn't have meat in it since Lent is starting.

I was wondering about the pizza rolls thing. Now sure they would stay hot enough. DH has to really boil her soup to get it to be warm enough for her at lunch time.

It helps to keep things hot if you preheat the thermos first. Just fill it with boiling water until you put in the hot item.