school lunches ?

[bsblady01]

what are you packing for your kids this year. my two older kids are ok with a sandwich everyday but I have a very picky five year old who will not eat cold cuts. my problem is k does not eat till 1pm so I don't want to pack anything that needs to be warm to eat.

what can I pack that will make her happy that is also healthy. it can't be anything with peanuts she is in a no nuts class.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I assume you are wanting entrees with some protein, based on the question; here are a few ideas:

boiled egg
cheese and crackers
almonds or other tree nuts if allowed
bagel with cream cheese
pita pocket with cream cheese and sliced apples, etc
lettuce salad (with some cheese or eggs or beans as protien)
chicken or tuna salad (in a sandwich, or in a little container with crackers packed separately to dip in
summer sausage
hummus and veggie dippers
string cheese
cold pasta salad with some little chunks of meat or cheese in it

 

[wishesuponastar]

I send pasta salad with whatever veggies they like mixed in, usually broccoli, olives and Mozzarella cheese two times a week.

One or two times a week, meatball hero

Those choices I don't worry about keeping cold. No one has gotten sick.

One day a week they buy lunch. I forgot, I always send fruit too.

 

[Neesy228]

I have a picky DD and she won't eat any cold cuts or peanut butter and jelly. I pack her soup sometimes or noodles with sauce or butter. It took me a couple of tries to find her a small sized thermos that would keep everything warm until lunch, but we have one now that works great. We occasionally do cheese quesadillas - which i heat to melt the cheese and then she eats cold at lunch time. She will eat string cheese, hard boiled eggs and yogurt, so those go in too. It's a struggle and I feel like I'm always saying to her, "Aren't you tired of soup/noodles?" but she's happy.

 

[MickeySP]

Not me packing but glad my DIL is into organic

 

[Kellykins1218]

I have one that takes a pb&j uncrustable every day and I microwave a frozen pizza or mac n cheese for the other.

 

[bsblady01]

she loves pb and j in a wrap but I can't pack that for her because of the nut thing in her class.

 

[bsblady01]

I have a picky DD and she won't eat any cold cuts or peanut butter and jelly. I pack her soup sometimes or noodles with sauce or butter. It took me a couple of tries to find her a small sized thermos that would keep everything warm until lunch, but we have one now that works great. We occasionally do cheese quesadillas - which i heat to melt the cheese and then she eats cold at lunch time. She will eat string cheese, hard boiled eggs and yogurt, so those go in too. It's a struggle and I feel like I'm always saying to her, "Aren't you tired of soup/noodles?" but she's happy.

what brand of thermos did you get. if I do a hot meal I want it to be something that she can open by herself

 

[Kellykins1218]

We don't do the nut-free thing here. They even serve peanut butter everyday in the cafeteria.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Try cream cheese and jelly in a wrap instead--she may go for that as a substitute.
Or use something like sunbutter in place of the PB

 

[bsblady01]

Try cream cheese and jelly in a wrap instead--she may go for that as a substitute.
Or use something like sunbutter in place of the PB

I will look into the sunbutter. thank you for that tip

 

[bsblady01]

We don't do the nut-free thing here. They even serve peanut butter everyday in the cafeteria.

this is the first time one of my kids is in a nut free class.

 

[Arkansan]

I have used the wide mouth Thermos brand. The trick is to warm it up prior to filling it with the food. I boil water in my teakettle and fill the thermos with it. Then I heat up the food (usually Mac and cheese, but I have sent soup, leftover lo mein, fried rice, and even hot dogs before). Dump the water just before filling it. My kids have reported that it is still warm at lunch time. I do heat it up a little warmer than usual.

 

[carissa1970]

Those all sound like wonderful options. My son does not eat at school, never has, since daycare. He starts 4th grade next week and packing a lunch makes me crazy. I do it every day because what if he actually does decide to eat? Plus I think the school would freak out if I didn't pack him anything at all. He brings it home every day completely intact, and proceeds to eat it while he does his homework. I don't get it, but this has been for years.

I wish I had some ideas for you, but it sounds like you are getting plenty of great ideas from others!

 

[Bec3b1g]

I've gotten some good ideas from 100 days of real food. My dd won't eat sandwiches either. We do soups, pasta, grilled cheese, turkey meatballs with marinara, muffins, fruit smoothies that I freeze, and lots of fruits and veggies. It drives DH nuts because he thinks she's protein deficient, but she drinks chocolate milk and I add a scoop of protein powder to the smoothies and muffins.

I second the thermos idea from Arkansan.

 

[Neesy228]

what brand of thermos did you get. if I do a hot meal I want it to be something that she can open by herself

We have two of these:

They are thermos brand and I got them at Target. I pack her lunch around 7:30am and I put the food in steaming hot. She often tells me she has to let it cool off when she opens it at lunch time (usually around 12-12:30)...I put the spoon the photo for reference. It's small, maybe 10oz. The lunch aides open it for her if she can't open it on her own, so I don't worry about that.

 

[InStitchesinNE]

My kids are not sandwich eaters either (unless you count Nutella!) and two refuse to buy lunch. I also use thermos' for soups, and the leftovers are still warm when they get home. I have three of these:

http://www.target.com/p/thermos-sta.../A-14386217#prodSlot=medium_2_30&term=thermos

It even has a built in spoon. My kids also like a bunch of little things, say a cheesestick or babybel cheese, a yogurt, fruit, veggies with ranch dip, pretzels or popcorn. My DD10 really likes salad with seasoned grilled chicken, corn, and avocado tossed in. Occasionally cold pizza as a treat.

 

[bsblady01]

my mom never had this problem when I was a kid, I ate a turkey sandwich on a hard roll with chips an apple, a fruit punch juice box and a bag of chips almost every day from the time I was in first grade till my senior year of high school. I would buy lunch on pizza day or when they had chicken nuggets.

and I don't remember the nut issue being very big when I was growing up. most kids had pb and j for lunch. it's only over the last few years that it has become very up front in a lot of school's.

 

[AP1209]

My DD is easy to pack for. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chocolate pudding, pretzel sticks, and a bottle of water. Everyday. Used to try to mix it up but gave up the battle. Not worth the fight. She also is one of the rare kids who doesnt drink soda or juice just water or milk.

 

[kmb584]

My daughter takes either a turkey and cheese sandwich on a wheat round or PB&J. If I have pasta salad made or leftover pasta with sauce, she'll take those. Sides are applesauce, string cheese, fruit snacks, and a Capri Sun.