What do u pack in your kids lunch?

[nena]

With school starting in just a few weeks I need some FRESH ideas for school lunches. My kids school used to give free breakfast and lunch. But started this year, Breakfast is $1 and lunch is $3. Somehow I know I can pack a healthier lunch for less than $3. Any ideas?

 

[semo233]

My DD does not normally like sandwiches, so we have had to put a little extra thought into lunches:

cold chicken nuggets
soup in a thermos
leftovers of any kind in thermos
crackers and pepperoni (doesn't like cheese)
cereal in a container and she can add school milk
cold pizza
yogurt and granola (packed seperate so the granola doesn't sog)

I'll keep thinking!

 

[rentayenta]

turkey and cheese wraps minus the tortilla
yogurt, granola, and nuts
cold pizza- BIG hit in this house
finger food lunch: grapes, carrots with ranch, cheese chunks, nuts

 

[klineyqueen]

My DS is starting K this year. I am interested in this thread. He is the world's slowest eater! I am hoping he will buy school lunch...at least half of the time.

I teach school and I am amazed at the trash some kids bring for lunch. Seriously....cupcake, fruit roll-up, chips, - -no sandwich, no fruit, no vege. nothing healty at all. Our school will not allow soda in lunches....I think that is a good thing.

 

[nena]

My DD does not normally like sandwiches, so we have had to put a little extra thought into lunches:
I'll keep thinking!

My DD6 is the same way. I finally got her to eat Salami and Cheese. She doesnt even like PBJ.

 

[nena]

My DS is starting K this year. I am interested in this thread. He is the world's slowest eater! I am hoping he will buy school lunch...at least half of the time.

I'm a Kinder teacher and I'm sure you will both be ok when school starts! Make sure you find out exactly how much time he has to eat. At our school, it seems like they are always outside playing, before I get back with my lunch (20 minutes later).

 

[nena]

Here is what our lunches have been:

Sandwhich or bagel and cream cheese.
Pretzels or Gold fish. (I but the box and then put into ind. snack bags).
Fruit: grapes/strawberries/apple or orange slices.
Veggie: carrots w/ lite. rance or celery w/ PB.
Dessert: Fruit roll up/gushers/fruit by the foot/FF choc. pudding/ SF jello.

Snack for recess: granola bar/Fiber one bar/raisins


I like the yogurt and granola idea!!! DD likes it, but not DS.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

There's a great blog called "Vegan Lunch Box" (just google it). The mother who writes it makes interesting but nutritious lunches with small portions of several foods each time. You don't need to be vegan to get some fun ideas for ways to include healthy foods.

Teresa

 

[nena]

There's a great blog called "Vegan Lunch Box" (just google it). The mother who writes it makes interesting but nutritious lunches with small portions of several foods each time. You don't need to be vegan to get some fun ideas for ways to include healthy foods.

Teresa

Thanks!! I will have to check it out!

 

[rentayenta]

There's a great blog called "Vegan Lunch Box" (just google it). The mother who writes it makes interesting but nutritious lunches with small portions of several foods each time. You don't need to be vegan to get some fun ideas for ways to include healthy foods.

Teresa

 

[mjantz]

In addition to Vegan Lunchbox (which is great) I also recommend Lunch In a Box. Great preschool lunch blog.

AFA tips for lunches, before I list options my first suggestion is to pack the night before. Everything goes much better & the kids eat healthier when I pack at night. I just do it while I'm cooking dinner since I'm in the kitchen anyway.

Now, what to pack. My DD loves it when I pack her a salad for school lunch. I put lettuce, cheese, broccoli, lunch meat, whatever I can find, in the salad & then do the dressing seperately. She always loves it & its actually pretty easy. DS loves for me to do meat & cheese kabobs as well as fruit kabobs. I bought a ton of little skewers (about as long as a sharpened pencil without the eraser thing) & I use them a lot.

 

[SalandJeff]

DD is a pretty picky eater. But she likes rolled up turkey or ham or balogna (yuk!). I also give her some cheese and yogurt, grapes, peaches or applesauce. I am looking forward to checking out the websites suggested for other ideas.

 

[nena]

In addition to Vegan Lunchbox (which is great) I also recommend Lunch In a Box. Great preschool lunch blog.

AFA tips for lunches, before I list options my first suggestion is to pack the night before. Everything goes much better & the kids eat healthier when I pack at night. I just do it while I'm cooking dinner since I'm in the kitchen anyway.

Now, what to pack. My DD loves it when I pack her a salad for school lunch. I put lettuce, cheese, broccoli, lunch meat, whatever I can find, in the salad & then do the dressing seperately. She always loves it & its actually pretty easy. DS loves for me to do meat & cheese kabobs as well as fruit kabobs. I bought a ton of little skewers (about as long as a sharpened pencil without the eraser thing) & I use them a lot.

Tell me more about the meat and cheese kabobs. what kind of meat do you use? How do you pack them? in foil? This sounds like something my son would eat!

 

[nena]

Have any of you bought the funtainers? They seem a little pricey? $15? DD6 would bring them home, but DS10 is just like a man. He looses everything!!LOL DH has 3 of my tupperwares at work.

 

[IDoDis]

I pack everything but the sandwich the night before. Usually it's a sandwich of some type (DS likes pb&j, DD likes Turkey or pb&j), fruit (grapes, or cut up strawberries, cut-up kiwi, watermelon, oranges -- whatever is in season. When there's not much in season, I send the canned fruit but separate the large cans into small containers.

Sometimes I put yogurt containers in the freezer the night before and then just stick the frozen yogurt in the lunchbox the next morning. It helps keep the rest of the food cold and then by lunch time, it is nice and smooth (not hot where it will go sour). They get some type of chips once a week, and for a drink it's water or a juice pouch/box.

Sometimes I also make my own lunchables (instead of a sandwich) using the little round Rubber Maid containers -- one for the Ritz crackers, one for some cut-up ham or turkey, and one for some shredded cheese. It's a lot cheaper than buying the lunchables. I buy reduced fat crackers, cheese, and meats, so they are healthier, too. They kids eat the school lunch on Fridays, so that is my day off from making lunches. Yay!

 

[mamalle]

It can be a challange some days. My son still doesnt eat PB & J like his big sister. I send a combo of yogurt, cheerios, bananas, cheese and goldfish almost daily for him.. On occasion he will let us send in spaghetti in the thermos. His lunch was at 10:00 am so I didnt really mind sending in the breakfast items.. This year we are trying to get him to expand his eating habits.. dd will eat pretty much anything we send it. They both order 2x per week that helps alleviate the issue also..

 

[momtomari]

my dd with be starting kindergarten this year, but last year we did lunch bunch at preschool a few times a week. i woud usually pack a juice box, yogurt or pudding, an uncrustable, and a bag or pretzels or goldfish.

amanda

 

[staciepm]

neither of my kids will eat of sandwich, so I do alot of homemade luchables. I have a few big sectioned plastic containers and I fill them with fruits, veggies and cheeses. I try to put the crackers separate to keep the moisture out of them. I would love to find smaller separated containers.

 

[mommytoone]

My DD loves Egg Salad and Tuna Salad sandwiches. I pack her one of those, with a ice pack to keep cold. She loves something crunchy so I give her rice cakes with cheese, little ones. She also gets a cheese stick with some fruit, either peaches, grapes, or something in season. I bought her a funtainer thermos with a straw for drinking last year and this year I got the little one for hot food, absolutley worth the money. This year I will be able to send in hot food, I am so excited. I plan to send Mac and cheese, soup, and I don't know. She hates PB&J and is not a big fan of lunch meat sandwiches, but will eat lunchables, so I make my own like PP. I love to get new ideas for lunch.

 

[DisneyMOM09]

I send chicken nuggets (warmed and wrapped in foil) fruit cups, fresh fruit, crackers(sometimes chips) juice boxes or bottled water w/crystal light packets ( A big hit with my daughter). Sometimes she will eat pb&j or ham and mustard sandwiches. she usually gets to eat lunch at school on Fridays (pizza day). I am interested to keep reading this thread, because I always like new lunch ideas. I pack everything the night before, minus the chicken nuggets and the juice box,(which I keep refrigerated and add an ice pack to keep it cold until lunch time). School starts here in a week and a half, so i need to purchase a new lunchbox with plenty of space for containers... Any suggestions?