What do u pack in your kids lunch?

[JoyG]

My kids are picky but I've finally gotten a healthy lunch they will eat. Unfortunately it's the same thing almost every day.

Ham or Turkey sandwich on whole grain bread; no mayo.
baby carrots
juice box (100% juice either orange or apple)
fresh fruit (apple slices, grapes, orange)
a Rice Krispie treat

 

[semo233]

We recently tried and LOVE Quaker Whole Grain Cakes in Cinnamon Toast. They are made with brown rice, corn, and oats and are DELICIOUS!! I don't normally go for rice cakes, but these are great, not as sweet as the cinnamon roll 90 calorie packs. Each cake has 50 calories, 1g fat and 1 g fiber. My daughter loves them, they offer a nice alternative to chips and she doesn't mind if they break.

I LOVE the kabob idea. Do you just get some deli meat sliced thick? My daughter likes chicken and turkey...I guess I could cut fresh poultry into chunks.

What do you pack them in? I'd be afraid of the sharp points on the sticks for little kids and would probably cut the sharp point off.

 

[Chipmunk89]

My DS8 also likes Ravioli. I just heat it up to hot temp, then pack it in a container. I usually use those Glad containers (the ones you get when you buy sliced ham), and I've never had one leak.

 

[momx2]

My youngest DD is starting 2nd grade and has always taken her lunch 80% of the time. It gets hard since she won't eat a pb&j or very rarely will eat a sandwich. She takes bolonga, mustard on crackers about 2-3x per week, her favorite. She also takes spaghettios and meatballs in her wide-mouth thermos. She has that thermos and a drink thermos with the straw built it. They are a little pricy, but we are on year 3 for them, so they paid for theirselves years ago. Just don't buy a themed one, buy one with just a pattern. They outgrow the theme before they need a new thermos.

She takes vanilla soy milk in her thermos and it stays perfectly cool with an extra ice pack. She also takes baby carrots, grapes, orange wedges, apple sauce cups, strawberries, cheese crackers, etc...She doesn't care for yogurt. I usually put a fruit chews packet or fruit roll-up in there for a treat because she doesn't like cookies very much either....weird....

 

[mjantz]

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!

I use either hot dogs or deli meat folded up & then either cubed cheese or cheese I've cut up. I've also cut up cheese sticks for kabobs.

For packing them, either foil or Glad press N seal. You can also use sandwich bags as long as you cover the pointy end of the skewer.

 

[kellia]

My twins are starting kindergarten in the fall, so thanks for all of the good ideas! My kids aren't big sandwich fans, either. Dd is 13, she's been making her lunch for the past couple of years (she complained one too many times.... )

Some things we did when dd was younger: yougurt, cheese and crackers, salads, cottage cheese w/fruit, pizza.

For thermos: soup, beans and hot dogs, mac and cheese, spaghetti o's. She also liked when we would fill her thermos with hot water and put a hot dog in it, by lunch the water was just warm so she wouldn't get burned and the hot dog was still warm.

I always try to follow the food groups with a protein, veggie, fruit and bread. They aren't always the "healthiest", but overall better than the deep-fried junk they had in the school lunch.

I always have cheese sticks and a few packaged snacks/fruits for those days we are really running late!!

 

[kellia]

Oh, for those asking about the Funtainers, I posted earlier in the week that they are on sale at TRU for $9-11 this week. I got Star Wars ones for $5.94 (clearance)! They have free shipping online when you purchase $20 or more on backpacks or lunchbox stuff, too.

 

[nessz79]

For everyone that packs warm/hot things in the Thermos- what are some good types/brands of Thermoses? How long do they stay warm?

Love this thread- my older DS is going into Kindergarten.

 

[momx2]

For everyone that packs warm/hot things in the Thermos- what are some good types/brands of Thermoses? How long do they stay warm?

Love this thread- my older DS is going into Kindergarten.

We use the orignial Thermos brand and love them. Well worth the investment. I think ToysRUs have them on sale now too, but worth the original price if you have to pay it. I think the kids are called Funtainors, I think.

 

[semo233]

If you are really worried about hot food staying hot and cold food staying cold, here's the trick : Before putting in the food, fill the thermos with either boiling water or ice water. It prepares the thermos and creates warm or cold insulating air.

The double walled stainless thermoses seem to work the best for me. I have one with a wide mouth opening that I bought at Wal-Mart (or another discount store) years ago...unbreakable!!

Another idea: When we are really desperate for a protein, I pack hard boiled eggs.

 

[ah1126]

To everyone that said their kids don't like PB&J. Do they just like peanut butter? I LOVE peanut butter but can't imagine adding jelly to it. Also I know everyone is trying to come up with lots of variety, but I never minded taking the same things day after day. Do your kids really care?

 

[Clancycat]

To everyone that said their kids don't like PB&J. Do they just like peanut butter? I LOVE peanut butter but can't imagine adding jelly to it. Also I know everyone is trying to come up with lots of variety, but I never minded taking the same things day after day. Do your kids really care?

One of my dds will not eat pb at all, the other will eat it once in a blue moon. They will eat plain jelly sandwiches or cream cheese & jelly, which is what they take to school most of the time. They don't mind taking the same thing over & over again, they actually like it.

 

[Clancycat]

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 for posting this! I just read the last 3+ years of her blog. Lots of good ideas and I'm not a vegan or vegetarian.

 

[december]

This is a great thread. My kids have been eating in the cafeteria at school, but the price goes up every year. Ds11 is fine, but dd8 is so picky that I feel like she is throwing alot of food away. And she got braces last week, so alot of things will be off limits this year. I bought her a Hannah Montana lunch box, small storage containers, sandwich box etc. at a local grocery store, and a larger drink thermos and smaller soup thermos at Target. I had chicken noodle soup and pb&js on my list, but hadn't thought about leftover mac and cheese or spaghettios! She also loves spaghetti noodles with melted cheese, and she'd eat grits every meal. Now I have several lunch options for her!

 

[santa's surpriz]

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

OMG, I do the exact same thing! DD5 hates PB. It's kinda embarassing it send your kid off with cheese cubes and lunchmeat in a bag, I feel like a goober that was in too big of a hurry to make the sandwich! I was taking her to preschool on field trip day and had a PB&J uncrustable and she threw it out the window. ARGGHH!

I have tried wraps and they work sometimes only if they have cream cheese. Her favorite wrap is what I call my crabby wrappy. I concocted it one waay too late night back in college 15 years ago. I mix it Cream Cheese touch of mayo with Karl Buddig's corned beef sliced, scallions,sometimes chopped veggies, and always with imitation crab meat. Spread it on a tortilla and wala! Sounds ickey but She loves and has been a staple for few years now.

She does not eat lunchables, but I like the idea of making my own, never thought of that.I bought one the sandwich sealers, from Pampered Chef and make my own uncrustables with whatever her flavor of the week is. Seems to work okay for now. I can find some good recipes for stuff she will it from the camping websites...wierd I know but it works. I stumbled across them looking for Chex puppy chow recipes and new trail mix combos. Two that I use often are: http://www.koa.com/recipes/campfirecooking.htm and http://www.chuckwagondiner.com/

 

[a1tinkfans]

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.

Buying does not guarantee your slow eater will even have time to eat! The kids unfortunately take a while to "get the tray" in one piece back to their seat and then goodness if something is not just right or has to be cut up, they have to wait for someone. I'd personally plan on your childs favorites in small pieces to ensure good quality and enough to sustain him.

My son takes lunch, we include turkey roll ups, organic petite carrots and bottled water, usually pretzels and a cookie/2. Had something in the bag as a snack to hold him over.
They won't "give" the kids water at school (as part of the bought lunch) but they'll give him Milk, just Kills me, they say water has no nutrient value, well I don't know about anyone else, but MILK is not all its cracked up to be. Besides the child is allergic to it, don't get me started......

 

[Terry36]

 

[becca011906]

Subbing and loving all these great ideas, i can't believe school starts in just over 2 weeks!!! I have done NO school shopping at all!!!

 

[hinodis]

My DD11 will not eat school food. She likes hummus with littles pitas, carrots, grapes, granola bars, pb&j, dry cereal. She chooses not to eat meat. So, I will be checking out the vegan lunch link.

 

[krisgil88]

Subbing..always looking for some great lunch ideas.