OT - Laptop Lunchbox Ideas

[leagirl12]

I just bought DD a laptop lunchbox. After getting sick twice this year she has sworn off of school food. She is such a good eater and willing to try new things so I would love to take this opportunity to pack some healthy new things for her for lunch.

Does anybody's kids use these? What is your opinion of them? What are some things you pack for your kids.

Thanks!!!

 

[DoBug]

Hi,

I got Laptop lunchboxes for my DS6 and he loves them. I was so bored of making his lunches and making the same old things. I am also trying to get him to eat healthier but we are still working on the veggies.

So far I've done:
hummus and pita wedges or pretzels
hard boiled eggs
sandwich on a skewer - cubes of bread, meat, cheese, olives
cheese and crackers
leftover sphaghetti
chicken lo mein
tuna or chick salad in pita pockets
mini bagel pizzas
tortilla roll ups
fruit
pretzels or gold fish
yogurt covered pretzels, cookie or trail mix

their website has lots of ideas (more healthful) but I'm dealing with a picky and skinny eater here

would love to hear your ideas too

 

[java]

I've done chicken nuggets(homemade) in the big compartment with BBQ sauce in the one with a cover(I wish they all had a cover)- carrot sticks, tortilla chips and a brownie.

Or

Turkey sandwich(but into strips) with similar sides. Usually grapes with this one though.

Cheese sticks, pizza sticks whatever sticks you can think of.

My goal this year is to learn the rice mold thing.

 

[leagirl12]

For her first lunch with it tomorrow she is having:

Bologna (gross to me but the only lunch meat she will eat) and cheese on a roll.
Spinach and herb dip with Tastefully Simple's beer bread for dipping

She is starting to study Japan in her exploratory class tomorrow so she requested the following:
White rice with butter
and an idea I got here on the DIS....peanut butter/jelly sushi.....basically a piece of bread with the crust cut off and then flattened out..add the pb/j and then slice like sushi.

I know rice and all of that bread isn't exactly healthy but she really wanted the rice and sushi to go with the Japan theme.


It was fun packing her lunch. Today she took salad, hummus dip, pita bread, apple slices and yogurt. She had so many different containers in her lunch bag. It was nice to pack everything into one place in the laptop. Just another thing I found thanks to being a DIS addict!

 

[DoBug]

Cute ideas! And it is more fun and definitely easier than digging thru the cupboards looking for tupperware with lids! I got two so the dirty one goes in the dishwasher and I can still make parts of his lunch the night before.

I also forgot to mention that I have done tacos and quesadillas too.

Hope your DD enjoys it. Its good that she has ideas about what she wants.

 

[duffy]

Gee, I didn't know that these were for kids. I use mine a lot, and I'm 47.

It's great for leftovers.

 

[DoBug]

I might get one for myself too! I really like it for cold and room temp stuff. How do you think it holds up for hot things? I know the containers can go in the microwave. I also like that it has no BPA or PVC. (I know enough with the initials already!)

 

[disneydreamersx4]

I had to google this laptop lunchbox. I love it! But how can I keep things cold like a turkey sandwich?

 

[leagirl12]

The bag has a netted pocket on the top for an ice pack. When you close it then the ice pack sits right on the box and keeps things cold.

The only negative is it doesn't keep things hot. In my dd's case if she has something hot to take she will have to also take her thermos as she does not have access to a microwave at school.

So far though she loves it!!

 

[princesspwrhr]

There is (or was) a pdf file on the website for planning meals. It's 2 pages (or 1 front & back). 1 page has 6 different drawings of the inner boxes, labeled M, T,W,Th,F,M, and the other page has a list of food ideas. I printed it front to back then laminated it. On the weekend I use a dry erase marker to plan out the week plus 1 lunches.

The Bento2.0 (which I have for myself) has more lidded compartments. All 3 girls have the original.

Some other ideas:

quesadillas w/ salsa, peppers & olives, sour cream & a mint
yogurt, granola, sliced fruit
Nut butter dippers - put nut butter in one of the med containers and fill the others with things that can be dipepd in it - crackers, cookies, veggies, fruit
also works with cream cheese spreads
breakfast for lunch - syrup in smallest lidded container, then waffle/pancake/french toast sticks, fruit, nitrate free bacon/sausage (most kids don't mind that cold)
nitrate free 'pig in a blanket' -Trader Joes has some my kids love - carrots & hummus, fruit, brownie
leftover pizza sliced into strips, sauce for dipping, carrots or other veggies
take out the two bigger containers and do a salad


If you didn't get the outer lunch box that they sell on the website, take the container to your favorite 'mart' store and try it out in various lunch boxes - many fit. Downside is most won't fit the box and a waterbottle. For grown ups who want a less 'kid' look but don't want to pay the Obentec price on the webisite - Target has some lunch bags over in cooler/lunchbox section for $10 that look similar to purses that will fit a laptop lunch and waterbottle.

 

[DoBug]

Here is a good website for lunch ideas.

http://family.go.com/food/pkg-school-lunch-recipes/?CMP=NLC-Insider_SchoolLunchRecipes

It has some specific for Bento boxes and then others too. Not sure how I came across this so I apologize if I got it from someone here.

Brain adled - leaving for the House of Mouse in 3 days!

 

[ChristusG]

For those of you who include things like chicken nuggets, quesadillas, etc.....do your kids just eat them cold? Cause if I include cold things I will have to include the ice pack, which would mean the nuggets/etc would get cold. I think my daughter would gag on cold nuggets. I love the Bento idea but I'm not sure it would work for us.

 

[flying_babyb]

my personal fav: pita pies
You take a pita and toss on some pizza sauce (the kind in the squeezy bottle is best) and then heap on some cheese, meat or anything else you put on a pizza. You toss it in the microwave for 10 second (to melt the cheese) then stuff it in your lunch. I LOVE it!

 

[DoBug]

For those of you who include things like chicken nuggets, quesadillas, etc.....do your kids just eat them cold? Cause if I include cold things I will have to include the ice pack, which would mean the nuggets/etc would get cold. I think my daughter would gag on cold nuggets. I love the Bento idea but I'm not sure it would work for us.

Yes, I am still trying to figure this out also. I have been warming things like quesadillas or tacos in the morning before school. Usually for us most of the other things can be room temp. My DS gets his drink at school. I have also refrigerated some things in the individual containers overnite and then put them in the larger container with other things at room temp or warm. Not sure how well the temp is staying - we do have the insulated bag to put the whole container in with or without the ice pack. I probably need to do some little experiments on the weekend (in my free time ) to see how warm or cold things are after 3-4 hours.