What did your kids take for lunch today

[CABBYJ1118]

I always worry if my kids have enough or the "right" things in their bag lunches. Additionally I worry about breaking the bank.

Today:
Turkey, ham & cheese on a bagel (umm someone forgot to buy bread!)
Peach fruit cups
Go-gurt
String cheese
Pringles
Capri-sun
fruit snacks

 

[delmar411]

DD buys these days since her lunch is only .40 and I can't beat that but when she did pack she got:

12 baby carrots
1 juice box
1 sandwich
fruit cup or applesauce cup (or fresh fruit if she wanted that)
pudding or other small treat
fruit roll up

She rarely ate it all but knew the treats were last on the list and they came back home a lot of the time.

 

[pearlieq]

Nothing wrong with a bagel--it's a nice change of pace!

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but this would be a fine "special treat, once in a while" kind of lunch. There's obviously lots of food and I'm sure it's popular with the kids, but there isn't really any fiber and there's lots of refined carbs.

Do you think they'd take to some fresh fruit, veggies (baby carrots, cucumber slices, bell pepper slices, grape tomatoes, etc.) with dip, or maybe some whole grain crackers or light popcorn instead of the Pringles? I know kids can sometimes be averse to the "healthy stuff", but you might be pleasantly surprised at what they wind up liking.

Also, would it be possible to make the Capri Suns a special treat and have them do milk, water, or even 100% juice most days?

Good luck!

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

DD15 takes pretty much the same lunch everyday since Kindergarten...

Turkey Sandwich w/mayo and one piece of provolone cheese
one small 100% juice box
one bottle water
one bag chips (100 calorie pack)
one snack (max 100 calories her choice)
apple...

Total calories... 500

Always seems high to me but its her fuel for the whole school day after breakfast and before dinner. She leaves the house at 6:30am and doesnt get home til 3:30pm.

 

[mjantz]

Today was hot lunch day but tomorrow DS is taking:

-PB & J on wheat bread & the PB was sprinkled with ground flaxseed
-juice box: 100% apple white grape
-scooby doo applesauce
-Yogos
-Snack size cheese from Target
-small container of Goldfish crackers

DD took lunch on Monday & she had:

-pieces of grilled chicken leftover from a Bennigans meal
-green beans (Bennigans)
-Kool-aid in a Funtainer
-100% fruit strip
-pretzels
-Gogurt

I usually pack at least 1 lunch (or two) every day so I have a lot of tips for saving money. My biggest one is to pack the night before. I usually pack while I'm fixing dinner. I'm in the kitchen anyway & it gives me more time to put stuff together.
I rarely buy individual packages of anything (except fruit snacks). When Target does their Back to School Dollar Spot I stock up on the cool sandwich bags they have there & mix those with the vast array of containers I have. I also get some cheap dishwasher safe forks, spoons & knives to send in lunchboxes instead of toss-away plastic stuff. I figure even if the kids lose 1/2 of them I've saved money.
Its also important IMO to know when to scrimp & when to spend. I'll send them with generic pretzels or cheese cracker in a washable container so I can afford to send fresh fruit to school. I personally also prefer to send either 100% juice or a drink (milk or water) in a reuseable container as opposed to a Capri Sun or another Kool-Aid kind of drink (I will send Kool-Aid, I just find the coolers or whatever they're called to be a waste)

 

[SunKat]

My dd buys the school lunch about three days a week, but when she brings it's usually the following:

ham or turkey sandwich on white or whole wheat bread
applesauce
2 bottles of water or a capri juice
pringles or jax
peach cup
a few cookies
raw carrot sticks

 

[CABBYJ1118]

Nothing wrong with a bagel--it's a nice change of pace!

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but this would be a fine "special treat, once in a while" kind of lunch. There's obviously lots of food and I'm sure it's popular with the kids, but there isn't really any fiber and there's lots of refined carbs.

Do you think they'd take to some fresh fruit, veggies (baby carrots, cucumber slices, bell pepper slices, grape tomatoes, etc.) with dip, or maybe some whole grain crackers or light popcorn instead of the Pringles? I know kids can sometimes be averse to the "healthy stuff", but you might be pleasantly surprised at what they wind up liking.

Also, would it be possible to make the Capri Suns a special treat and have them do milk, water, or even 100% juice most days?

Good luck!

I think they would be receptive to the 100% fruit juice. I usaually do apples instead of the fruit cups, but my 6 y/o doesn't have her front teeth anymore & has been complaining , so I switched it up. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[pearlieq]

I usaually do apples instead of the fruit cups, but my 6 y/o doesn't have her front teeth anymore & has been complaining , so I switched it up.

I suppose that would put a wrench in things, wouldn't it!

I hope they come in soon.

 

[sk!mom]

turkey and cheese on whole wheat bread
orange
100 calorie cupcakes
water

 

[IDoDis]

DS:
1/2 pb&j sandwich
fruit grapes, or a banana, or a cut-up orange, or a fruit cup
baby carrots or celery (not every day)
yogurt or pudding or jello (this week -- 3 Girl Scout cookies)
he gets Doritos one day a week only and on that day there's no dessert
Juicy Juice box or a water bottle

DD:
turkey sandwich on toasted bread or pb&j
Doritoes or Chex Mix or Gardettos
grapes or manderine oranges
various desserts like rice krispy treats, chocolate chip cookies, etc...
Juicy Juice box or a water bottle

DS gets his braces off in 3 weeks, so after that I will start packing an apple again a couple times a week for his fruit.

 

[Katy Belle]

DS10 took this today, this is for Snack and lunch
-----------------------------
Thermos with chicken noodle soup
pack of crackers
nectarine
pickles
pretzles
juice
boxed milk

The other two took the same except they had Mac-n-cheese in the thermos.

 

[rparmfamily]

That seems like a lot of food and a lot of sugar. Read the amount of sugar in those go-gurts and fruit snacks!

Do they throw it all out or are they eating it all? Reason I ask is I eat lunch w/mine twice a month and I'm just AMAZED at the amount of food some kids get in their home lunch!!! They really only eat a small amount of it. They only have a short time to eat and most of them are socializing as well, so they really don't actually eat much.

Typical for us:
genoa salami & provalone on whole wheat roll
granola bar (organic)
carrots
small amount of ranch
pretzels
water w/ice or option to get milk.

OR

Peanut butter on whole wheat
clementines
pretzels
string cheese
water w/ice or milk

 

[Cindy B]

That seems like a ton of food as well. My kids couldn't eat that.

My kids have been making thier own lunches since about the 3rd grade or so.

My DS usually makes:

lunchmeat and cheese sandwich on wheat
water bottle
granola bar
fruit of some kind (apple/fruit bowl, etc)

My DD
peanut butter sandwich
water bottle
granola bar
fruit of some kind

 

[rparmfamily]

That seems like a ton of food as well. My kids couldn't eat that.

My kids have been making thier own lunches since about the 3rd grade or so.

My DS usually makes:

lunchmeat and cheese sandwich on wheat
water bottle
granola bar
fruit of some kind (apple/fruit bowl, etc)

My DD
peanut butter sandwich
water bottle
granola bar
fruit of some kind

LMAO...this is nearly the same as my kids!! My DS doesn't like jelly (which is ok w/me) and DD prefers lunchmeats (salami, turkey).

 

[alexedan]

DS9 always brings Jif reduced fat PB/grape jelly on whole wheat bread, some type of chips (reduced fat or baked), fruit or veggie (carrots/apple slices or grapes usually), horizon organic boxed chocolate lowfat milk, and a treat, either fruit roll-up, jello fat free pudding, 10 cal jello, or maybe 2 or 3 oreos.
He only weighs like 54 lbs and is thin and takes meds for ADD so mostly doesn't eat what I pack (will eat it on the way home though!). I know the milk is high cal but he drinks it reliably and that's his only energy until after school. Plus, with him I don't worry about the calories so much. My kids are great eaters...very healthy and will try anything! (I'm lucky!). DS7 brings the same most days. Sometimes I give him low fat yogurt (Dannon lite) or ham rolled up with Gerkin pickles (separate bag!) instaed of PB/jelly. He has a meal plan 3 days a week but usually only wants it two. On those days he eats what they serve or they always have PB/J on whole wheat, turkey on whole wheat, salads, chicken noodle soup and fresh fruit. Their stuff is "fairly healthy" too for bad food...Baked turkey corn dog nuggets, whole grain rolls, grilled chicken sandwich, whole wheat spaghetti etc.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

cheese & crackers
peanut granola bar
yogurt
grapes
juice

I have no idea if he eats it.

 

[timzagain]

I pack DD's lunch every day. She doesn't like the school lunches, which suits me fine because they're kind of expensive at her school. I prefer to control the quality of what she eats - there's too much fried stuff and artificial flavours/ colours etc on the school's menu.

DD is involved in competitive swimming, and trains nearly every day. I realized that the sandwich type lunches weren't really giving her enough fuel.
I bought a small Thermos food jar for her and I pack dinner leftovers for her lunch. On the one day that she doesn't swim, I'll pack tuna salad and crackers (she HATES tuna on bread).

In addition to her hot lunch, she gets fresh fruit or veggies, a granola bar or pretzels and water. Juice drinks are an occasional treat.

 

[Local_Girl]

Today...

DS got a PBJ with an orange.
DD got a PB with honey and an apple.

They have a water bottle every day. They don't have a lot of time to eat, and they can't/don't eat more than that in the time allowed. Also, they've told me their friends "pester" them for any treats they might bring...so I just let them have their treats at home.

**sometimes I send them with leftovers too.

 

[taitai]

Do they throw it all out or are they eating it all? Reason I ask is I eat lunch w/mine twice a month and I'm just AMAZED at the amount of food some kids get in their home lunch!!! They really only eat a small amount of it. They only have a short time to eat and most of them are socializing as well, so they really don't actually eat much.

I wanted to second this thought. I volunteer once a week in my kids' school for lunch and the amount of food the kids bring and the amount that gets thrown out or we insist they bring back home is pretty astounding. The kids are so busy socializing and they eat so slow to begin with that they really don't eat that much. I would see if there is a way to cut down and save $ and eliminate (potential) waste.

For our boys, today, lunch is
-sunbutter and jelly on whole wheat bread
- homemade "gorp" - yogurt raisins, Annie's organic cheddar bunnies and a few M&Ms (for a special treat)
- organic applesauce
- organic juice

 

[mamalle]

dd:
pb&j
snack pack of pringles
grapes
3 cookies
choc milk

snack: cheese its

she gets to order lunch 2x a week that cost me $1.75 for each meal.


ds:
gogurt
cheerios
cheese its
capri sun

He doesnt eat hardly anything. Its getting harder and harder to find things he will eat. Plus the fact he goes to lunch at 10:05. I normally stick with breakfast items and he doesnt want a snack at snack time later in the day.

they pretty much get the same thing every day give our take some cheese, apples or pudding. I sometimes send in the thermos with spaghetti or mac and cheese.