OT-School Lunch Ideas

[Hannathy]

One thing I learned is some kids don't seem to mind if they have the SAME thing every day! My DD loved variety so she was fun but my youngest likes the same lunch everyday varying only occasionally for spaghettio's with mini meatballs, otherwise it is a PB&J, Rice Krispie treat and a fruit roll up. I finally gave up and just packed this everyday and he was happy. and I would rather have them happy and eating in school than being hungry and trying to learn because you want variety.

 

[Mom to Jordan]

We have a no peanut rule in our school. We have a child with a known allergy but with preschool age children, there can often be an unknown allergy. Even with the no peanut rule, we have to be so careful with products that can be crossed contaiminted. Chocolate is a big one and the class the child is in has a no chocolate rule as well. We ask parents to be sure to wash hands and face after their child eats breakfast to avoid contact that way. We have never had a parent in the whole school to complain, and the parents of other children in the class are so wonderful that they go out of their way to be sure to have special treats he can enjoy too. I have seem a child have a true antiphalatic reaction to peanuts and wish every school had that policy even though as a mom of a picky eater/peanut lover it would be harder on me to pack lunch!!!

 

[hollyb]

One thing I learned is some kids don't seem to mind if they have the SAME thing every day! My DD loved variety so she was fun but my youngest likes the same lunch everyday varying only occasionally for spaghettio's with mini meatballs, otherwise it is a PB&J, Rice Krispie treat and a fruit roll up. I finally gave up and just packed this everyday and he was happy. and I would rather have them happy and eating in school than being hungry and trying to learn because you want variety.

Thats whats important. That they eat something so they aren't "starving" in class. I can almost gaurantee that DD will buy a hot dog everyday for lunch. I am ok with that. Because I know for breakfast and dinner she will get everything else she needs.

DS likes to bring hot lunch everyday. I love his thermos.

 

[KerriMc]

Yes, here in Ontario all of our schools have to follow by a new bill called Sabrina's Law. Here is a link telling about the law and why it was named for this little girl ... http://www.allergicliving.com/feature.asp?feature=17. She was only ten years old. So now all schools have to accomodate in some way for children with food allergies. At the school I teach at we are peanut free, as are all schools within our school board. It is hard to think of things to send for lunches, especially for picky eaters, but if it was my child who was deathly allergic I would want all measures to be taken to protect him/her. My oldest just finished Junior Kdgn, but she isn't a big peanut butter eater. Now when my littlest one starts in another year, that will be more difficult as she is picky and she LOVES peanut butter!

For my dd's lunch she loved those tube yogurts, fruit cut up in containers, bagels, bologna sandwiches, homemade muffins or banana bread ... I haven't yet attempted a thermos as I see so many struggle with them in my own kdgn class. They spill them, etc ... so I have avoided them for her. I do find that the kids in my class (for the most part) are excited about their lunches, no matter what has been packed (even the picky ones). I also learned not to overpack and give her too many choices. The more choices she had, the less she seemed to eat. Now I pack what I think she'll need and if she is hungry enough she will eat it.

I hate seeing kids that have lunches full of junk ... ie. fruit roll-ups, etc. These are always the kids that need some good "stuff" in their bodies so they can function properly! Those little brains need fuel

Kerri

 

[mjantz]

AFA no peanut butter, you can buy cashew & almond butter. My former school had a girl who was allergic to peanuts & one students mother packed cashew butter & jelly sandwiches.

 

[Lilacq]

These are awesome ideas! Not just for school lunches but also for lunch at the parks! Thanks!

 

[sbpuckett]

I was going to post also. I need ideas
how about Vienna sausage cut in half with ketchup on bread. ( my mom made this when I was little) hot dog sandwhich. It sounds nasty however when I was a kid I loved it!

Crazy thing is I still like these - minus the ketchup. My DS liked PB & J, Cheese sandwiches, Chicken nuggets & hot dogs. He ate hot lunch when they were having pizza or pizza rolls, chicken nuggets, and hot dogs. I just made sure they were warm when I packed them and he didn't mind if they were room temperature by lunch time.

 

[catrinuk]

dont know if this helps as we are in wales- different foods etc - but the schools where my kids go are also healthy eating ETC.... my girls take bottle of squash, cheese and marmite sandwich or meat sandwich, frubes (small squeezy tube of framage frais), small box of raisins, fruit (apple, kiwi, plum or satsumas) small piece of homemade cake or biscuit

 

[emma'smom]

My friend s dd class no penutbutter at all.....my dd pre k no one can bring in cup cakes it must be store bought to share with the class

This is so interesting because when my daughter's school has a bakesale and the birthday rule is "cookies only"- they have to be home baked (not store bought) and the list of ingredients has to come with them so that everyone knows FOR SURE what is in them.

Also, they haven't said "no peanut butter", but it is a small preschool (only about 80 students total) so I suppose they would change the rules if needed....and we would happily oblige! I think peanut allergies are scary enough (having been a teacher)...I wouldn't want to have a child/parent always worried about possible exposure. We could eat our PB at home if ever necessary!

 

[mjmcca]

MY DS just finished kindergarten and everything you went in had to be disposable. They only wanted plain brown paper bags for lunches. I sent every kind of sandwich imaginable. I have sent lunchables at times. He doesnt like PB&J but his younger sister loves it and had it almost everyday in day care this year.

Snacks I would send in all kinds of different stuff. Since he couldnt have a cold pack on of my favorite things to do was to freeze the yogurt tubes so they wouldnt be too warm when he ate them for lunch. I got snacks for them from Kudos to goldfish crackers to everything in between. The only rule at my DD daycare is no fruit snacks. They are afraid of a chocking hazzard.

 

[FormrCastMbr]

My DS8 loves to bring Chicken Nuggets. I bake them quick in the AM (while getting ready for the day), then wrap in foil and put in thermos. These along with left over fast food condiment packets are great!

If there is not time to bake, just nuke them...he also loves them cold like the Lunchables.

 

[GotFids]

My kids favorite was when I made those little chicken drumettes and "shake n baked" them. I could do that on Sunday, and they'd be in lunches for the next few days. String cheese is always enjoyed. A real treat is a pudding cup. Many of her friends would bring sushi from home! My daughter would get very grossed out by that . She loved to take a bottle of water only a third full, freeze it and then in the morning, fill it the rest of the way and it would be nice and cold all day and keep her lunch bag cold as well. They now have those little single pouches of Crystal Lite and other brands that you can add to your water to flavor it, that was a big hit with her. A bit messy though.


Julie

 

[mommiepoppins]

great ideas

 

[mommiepoppins]

great ideas

 

[mommiepoppins]

great ideas

 

[KTSMOM]

These are all great ideas! My DH came up with one as well. Cut up a cooked pizza crust into triangles and pack her some spag sauce and pepperoni and she can make her own mini pizzas. (she doesn't care for uncooked cheese, so we won't send that). Also love the ck nugget idea. She went for that as long as she had BBQ sauce to dip it in. I'm so thrilled to have more ideas then PB&J. Thanks everyone!

 

[scraptoons]

I'm so amazed at the wide range of school food rules.

For example, our district does not allow homemade goodies for distribution. Everything has to be storebought. Someone else's school was the opposite.
That doesn't apply for the individual packed lunches from home, thank goodness!

Lots of times my DD's request plain rolled up turkey slices, fruit, yogurt and preztels.

Up to now, they wanted the same thing every time I packed a lunch. Now they are getting to where they crave variety.

So bring on some more ideas! We're definately going to get a thermos for the kids. Do they come in small sizes for the smaller lunch bags?

 

[TallyHo]

What a lot of fun/healthy ideas. I plan on stealing several for our newsletter!

Too many of the kids bring junk everyday. Sugar in their sandwich (most pb and all jelly), and a couple of treats and chips! Kids just can't function well on sugar, sugar, and more sugar. All of those ups and downs are killers for concentrating.

Kids need vitamins, and fibre, whole grains, protein and calcium. Not a bunch of pseudo belly fillers.