School lunch packing help?

[MagicalPixieDust]

I purchased a thermos and send my son some of his favorites. Rice and broccoli, chicken and rice, mac and cheese, any pasta dish , cold chicken noodle salad, pasta salad. I also mix it up with sandwiches and wraps. He is 16 and a Junior in high school and still takes a lunch. I like sending a warm meal because then I know the is getting the nourishment he needs throughout the day.

 

[Calee]

I have decent thermoses for my kids that really do keep things hot or cold. I do things in that a lot. Leftovers, Spaghettios, Chicken Nuggets, etc.

I also do roll-ups instead of sandwiches-a tortilla with cream cheese spread on it, then ham, then roll it up and slice.

They get a fruit or veggie, a dairy (yogurt stick or cheese stick), a salty food/snack (chips, popcorn, crackers, goldfish) and a sweet (mini candy bar, granola bar, etc.) I make everything and put it and the whole lunch bag in the fridge the night before. That way the bag itself is cold and the items stay cold enough the next day. The only thing I do morning of is heat whatever is going in their thermos.

The boys are 8 and 6 and help with the choosing and making.

 

[Farmgirl2001]

I have a 5th grader and a kindergartner this year. Little guy in Kindergarten has celiac so we will try a thermos with leftover soup, spaghetti, goulash, or any of his other favorites.
5th grader is more of a picky eater so for him I will roll up deli meat and pack a cheese stick to go with it. Summer sausage, or small summer sausage sticks are a favorite as well as hard boiled eggs (yolks may not always get eaten, but he has a full belly) there are always fruits and veggies in their lunch as well as pretzels, cheese crackers etc. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[tcufrog]

My kids make their lunches and earn a quarter for each lunch they make. They're allowed to buy lunch once a week. The food and selection are amazing but they are really expensive so I save money this way.

I also use Laptop Lunch bento boxes which makes it easy for them to make their lunches. I've trained them to put in different compartments something with protein, something that requires a spoon (usually yogurt or applesauce), fruit, and a grain. Having those guidelines helps make the lunch process easy for them. Even with these guidelines their lunch boxes look different every day. They also are more likely to finish their lunches if they make it.

I buy popular things such as yogurt, applesauce and cheese sticks in bulk and every Sunday they give me their special lunchbox requests when I'm making my grocery list.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

My kids make their lunches and earn a quarter for each lunch they make. They're allowed to buy lunch once a week. The food and selection are amazing but they are really expensive so I save money this way.

I also use Laptop Lunch bento boxes which makes it easy for them to make their lunches. I've trained them to put in different compartments something with protein, something that requires a spoon (usually yogurt or applesauce), fruit, and a grain. Having those guidelines helps make the lunch process easy for them. Even with these guidelines their lunch boxes look different every day. They also are more likely to finish their lunches if they make it.

I buy popular things such as yogurt, applesauce and cheese sticks in bulk and every Sunday they give me their special lunchbox requests when I'm making my grocery list.

We have a box for everyone in the family. And we are all adults.

When we are traveling or going somewhere with a packed lunch, I take requests before I shop. Then everyone assembles their own. I've found that we make fewer sandwiches and eat more fruits and veggies. When it is time to eat lunch, each person simply grabs their box.

 

[Jake&IzzyLand]

Lots of awesome ideas. Just remember that kids don't mind repetition. If something works, stick with it as much as possible.

 

[DLgal]

Lots of awesome ideas. Just remember that kids don't mind repetition. If something works, stick with it as much as possible.

This is SO true. My boys have been eating the same school lunch for years on end.

Son #1-Mac and Cheese in thermos, yogurt, chocolate milk, baggie of fruit or veggies, piece of dark chocolate; snack: pretzels

Son #2-whole wheat uncrustable, yogurt, chocolate milk, gogo squeeze, fruit snacks; Snack: kid's clif bar

Seriously...YEARS on end. It makes things simple for me, so I don't mind!

 

[Dashzap]

Lots of awesome ideas. Just remember that kids don't mind repetition. If something works, stick with it as much as possible.

Yes!

My youngest took cereal and milk every day of elementary school.

Then he ate sausage sandwiches every day of middle school.

I forgot what he ate the first year of high school, but the last two years he's taken chicken salad sandwiches every day.

He's happy to have what he likes. I don't care if one meal is nutritionally unbalanced...it evens up by the end of the day.

School cafeterias are frequently kind of gross and there isn't always an option to wash hands before eating, so one sandwich eaten out of ziplock works well.

He has food allergies so he's never had school bought lunch.

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

This is SO true. My boys have been eating the same school lunch for years on end.

Son #1-Mac and Cheese in thermos, yogurt, chocolate milk, baggie of fruit or veggies, piece of dark chocolate; snack: pretzels

Son #2-whole wheat uncrustable, yogurt, chocolate milk, gogo squeeze, fruit snacks; Snack: kid's clif bar

Seriously...YEARS on end. It makes things simple for me, so I don't mind!

Wow, that is interesting. My girls like variety. My oldest really likes variety. After a couple days of the same thing she is ready for something new. We sort of rotate through the main item (soup, ravioli, mac n cheese, sushi, cheese & crackers) and always do a good amount of fruit, veggies, and then a sweet snack and water. She will buy 1 or 2 days a week which makes me cringe because I question the quality of school lunches but she likes the pizza, tacos, calzones, and ravioli. I love Friday's because they both buy pizza!

 

[QueenIsabella]

I just found out that my middle schooler will have a VERY early lunch at school. I guess this is an ongoing problem, that the 8th-graders eat very early, because her math teacher mentioned it. On the good side, the math teacher lets the kids snack during her class (I guess it's around a normal lunch time). Also good, DD13 won't be tempted to buy school lunch at $2.50 a pop. We're already brainstorming ideas of good snacky-type foods she can bring. You know, yogurt, cheese and pepperoni with crackers, etc.

 

[scrhsa]

For my picky high schooler I've done pizza biscuits. Put cheese/pepperoni/ sauce, fold up an bake. I've done breakfast muffins...egg/sausage or bacon in the muffin tin and bake. Also I've done broccoli cornbread( I add cubed ham) in the muffin tins and sent that. Usually its just a ham sandwich with chipotle mayo with strawberries and chips. My other daughter will make some healthy-ish homemade cookies or muffins that I send too. I keep thinking she gets bored with the same thing all the time but she says she's fine with it. I always try to check out the kids lunches where I work to get ideas One little boy will bring pigs in blankets (sausage baked in a roll). One other one brings ham cubes. But mostly I've only seen smushed up pbjs Lots of Gogurts. Which is not all that clean of a snack It ALWAYS ends up on the table, floor, shirt or another kid

 

[Legendteri]

I've stopped fighting with my kids about eatin their sandwiche. They don't eat them, so I'm not making them anymore.

They are in k and 2nd grade so they don't need much. So I pack

String cheese
Danimals yogurt
Apple slices or a clementine
Pringles

And for snacks I rotate between
Peanut butter crackers
Snack packs of cheese and tiny breadsticks
Goldfish
Cheezits
Nutella and breadstick snack packs

Can I just say that packing their lunches is much much easier now that I am not making sandwiches they won't eat anyways.

 

[java]

Bagels, cheese sticks, pretzels, one of mine won't eat sandwiches but loves meat or cheese rolled up. I do grapes or apples. Yogurts.
The big hit was homemade pizza Stromboli type things. I make a big pepperoni and then a big cheese one on Sunday.Slice it into 4 wrap and send one in everyday. I just throw the foiled wrap into the oven while we all get ready. Then toss it into lunch box.

 

[monorailsilver]

My kids:

Sandwiches on bread or rolls

Salads with some kind of meat/cheese

Left over pizza

Chicken nuggets, mainly my son who is allergic to dairy peanut and tree nuts (and yes I allow other kids to eat peanuts next to him...the real world is coming for him)

Soup

Mac and cheese

They get water and seem kind of fruit either with their lunch or snack (older ones don't have a snack at their desk but out of their locker between classes so they get a slim Jim or granola bar)

Usually get chips, goldfish or pretzels with lunch.

I am dreading it already. I love summer as I don't pack their lunches or my dh, occasionally I do but I am working to some days and on the weekends and he doesn't pack me lunch or make my breakfast.

 

[mommajo143]

Sometimes mom's over pack a lunch and it is wasted. Money right out the door.

I found through the years of raising my children that a lunch box with compartments (like a bento box) always helped. They like variety.

Agreed - the first week or two of school I'm always adjusting portions to see what is enough. DS9 likes protein or granola bars so he always has one in his backpack for snack recess in case he gets hungry. DS5 has LUNCH at 1020 am, so he gets a snack EVERY day in addition to his lunch...

 

[ml sumner]

My son who is 5 and is a picky eater too. I have been packing his lunch for school for a month now and all he wants is a cheese stick, crackers, and either chicken nuggets or bacon slices with raisins or apple slices. This kid will not eat sandwiches for nothing!

 

[Meeko5]

Our school is peanut free and PB subs did not go over well at all - my son doesn't care for deli sandwiches UNLESS they are on a mini sub bun haha. So I buy them from SAMs and freeze the buns so they last a few weeks. He's also discovered his love for cold BLTs "like jimmy johns" so those will be added to the rotation.

We also do Mac and cheese in his thermos, mini pizzas on biscuits, bagels with cream cheese, chips and salsa. He doesn't like lunch meat on its own or in a roll up but those are good options - DIY lunchables.

Most often he takes a cup of Greek yogurt, a bag of carrots or pea pods, a fruit cup, and some crackers. He loves yogurt and the Greek gives him more protein than most other lunches.

 

[aretha30]

Our boys (13 starting 9th and 8 starting 3rd) go between yogurt and sandwiches as their main dish so to speak. We add celery or carrots with ranch to dip, cheese sticks, a granola bar, fruit, or applesauce. Water always to drink. If they want something crunchy (like chips) we will give them crackers.

 

[quandrea]

I wish I had suggestions but instead only sympathy. I *homeschool* and have this same problem - especially one of my kids. He's not necessarily a picky eater, but his tastes run in spurts...very frustrating when I've stocked up on items he suddenly can't stand to eat.

I homeschool too and lunch is my daily nemesis.

 

[AntFarm]

Leftovers have been a lifesaver for us. Takes so much stress and drama out of the lunch issue. Investing in a good thermos for my boys was the best thing I could have done when they were younger and picky. We also let them buy lunch a couple days a week if there was something they liked on the menu.They are older now and just buy on most days and only pack a couple days a week now.