OT- School lunches.. Help, I need ideas!

[Fantasmic23]

My six-year old DS (a type 1 diabetic who also has a a tree nut allergy) is a picky eater, too, who will only eat about 6 things.

When he started Kindergarten last fall, my mom bought him two thermoses (one that said "Transformers" on it and one that was shaped like a green Crayola crayon). In those thermoses he would take Mac & Cheese, Ravioli, spaghetti & meatballs, chicken noodle soup, etc., etc. I would just heat the food in the morning and then into the thermos it would go.

He liked deli meats (bologna, ham, turkey breast) for a few months, then I received word that he wasn't eating his sandwiches. He also went on a tuna salad kick for a few months, but again I received word that he was eating only a bit of his sandwiches. He flatly refused an egg salad sandwich.

In addition to the other items in his lunchbox (juice box, fruit, pudding or applesauce cup) many times I would pack him a baggie of dry cereal, a small bowl and a thermos of milk. And there are a number of children who take dry cereal to school (my 4th grader has taken dry cereal many times). He also took cheddar cheese slices and crackers a few times. Lately he has taken a shine to cottage cheese, so I'm sure that will be packed in some of his lunches this year.

Don't make yourself crazy. Just pack foods that you know DD will eat.

 

[DISNEYFOS]

What's a Foogo? I also need help with lunches. DS will only eat grilled cheese, hot dogs, pizza,chicken nuggets, french fries, waffles, poptarts, cheerios and pepperoni on occasion. I keep trying to get him to try new things but I sometimes think it's not worth the fight. He will eventually eat something else right?

Foogo is a just a smaller food container made by Thermos..heres a link...I'm planning on using it for Mac and cheese

http://www.thermos.com/Product_detail.aspx?CatCode=Foog&SubcategoryID=45&ProductID=741

 

[mjantz]

Do not worry about sending cereal, yogurt & fruit every day. I teach preschool & as long as my students are eating, I don't care much what they send to school (as long as its not a candy bar, chips & a soda!!).
One thing I will suggest is a lunch box 'test drive'. Make sure she can open containers, put lids back on, etc. We can't see everything & on occasion a kid has thrown everything (including an open juice box) into their lunchbox & tilted it before we have a change to empty it. Not pretty!

 

[chloe770]

Foogo is a just a smaller food container made by Thermos..heres a link...I'm planning on using it for Mac and cheese

http://www.thermos.com/Product_detail.aspx?CatCode=Foog&SubcategoryID=45&ProductID=741

Thanks. I definety need to get one of those. Now, if I just could get DS to eat mac & cheese.

 

[tjmw2727]

Wow - great ideas so far.

For kids who don't like sandwiches but do like hot dogs try lunchmeat and cheese rolled up in a hot dog roll. My dd's love this but won't eat a traditional sandwich. They also like quesadillas and wraps - flat out makes a kid size wrap my kids like alot.

I also do lunchable type meals with healither choices of meats, cheeses and crackers. Throw in a healthy drink, some fruit and or some raw veggies and your set.

I found, like some pp's if they ate a good breakfast and I put a few choices of healthy things in the lunch box then I didn't worry if they didn't eat everything.

I also include my kids in choosing and making their lunches as much as I can. This way if they don't like a particular brand or I have over served something they will remember to tell me.

TJ

 

[vcgirl925]

What about jelly and cream cheese? My dd will eat that.

 

[Princess Roo]

Soynut butter is also very yummy. I think it tastes almost exactly like the reduced fat Peter Pan peanut butter (so, a little bit healthy-tasting, but definitely like peanut butter). Out of curiosity, I gave my DS3 a few crackers with each kind (regular JIF and Trader Joe's brand soynut) and asked him which he liked better and he told me I was telling a joke because they were the same thing. As a PP said, let the teacher know that it's not peanut butter, as you can't tell the difference.

I also agree with others who say there is nothing wrong with lunch being the same thing every day - especially if it includes some protein, like the yogurt.

 

[mom2aredhead]

She may change what she wants when she gets to school & sees what the other kids eat too.

I was going to say the same thing. It amazed me when my son started pre-k the things that he was willing to try because his friend had it for lunch.

She told me about Sun Butter, which is basically sunflower seed butter. It doesn't taste exactly like PB, but with some jelly on bread, it's darn close and my son eats it with no problem. I found it at Target.

I was going to recommend Sun Butter also. My son didn't notice the difference at all when it was on a sandwich. He didn't like it when he dipped apples in it, but between the bread it was fine.

I keep trying to get him to try new things but I sometimes think it's not worth the fight. He will eventually eat something else right?

Here's hoping.

Mine's almost 5 and it's still a fight, but he's getting there EVER SO SLOWLY. He had oral motor and oral sensory issues when he was an infant and still has issues with things in/around his mouth. But peer pressure at pre-k was a wonderful thing and he's tried some new things - I hope it continues through kindergarten.

Another thought for everyone -
In pre-k, my son's teachers would basically open their lunchbags, spread everything out, straws in the juice box and basically "set up" for them to just come and eat. He goes to camp 2x/week now, and he told me he has trouble with the lids on some of the containers I've used. And since it was a new place and he's a little on the shy side he didn't really ask for help - just kind of waited until someone came over and saw he needed a hand. I felt bad when he finally told me .
So camp lunch is now a PB sandwich in foil, goldfish in a ziploc (not the little bag it comes in which is hard to open), grapes in a ziploc, and I send the small water bottles rather than juice boxes and I crack open the seal before I put it in his bag. Still waiting for one of those suckers to leak all over the place, but so far so good.

And we'll be making extra-sure that kindergarten lunch is also easy to open and easily accessible on his own.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Another thought for everyone -
In pre-k, my son's teachers would basically open their lunchbags, spread everything out, straws in the juice box and basically "set up" for them to just come and eat. He goes to camp 2x/week now, and he told me he has trouble with the lids on some of the containers I've used. And since it was a new place and he's a little on the shy side he didn't really ask for help - just kind of waited until someone came over and saw he needed a hand. I felt bad when he finally told me .
So camp lunch is now a PB sandwich in foil, goldfish in a ziploc (not the little bag it comes in which is hard to open), grapes in a ziploc, and I send the small water bottles rather than juice boxes and I crack open the seal before I put it in his bag. Still waiting for one of those suckers to leak all over the place, but so far so good.

And we'll be making extra-sure that kindergarten lunch is also easy to open and easily accessible on his own.

You bring up an excellent point. I know at most schools, the teachers are more than willing to help the kids open things, BUT there's only a few of them for MANY kids. Whenever possible, make sure your child can manage their own lunch. It will definitely make lunch a better experience for them.