Lunch ideas needed!

[streetlight]

Here's a fun conundrum: my 3 year old is doing a forest school program this summer, and he will need a lunch and snacks that he can carry himself in a backpack. They recommend high protein foods (because they'll be out hiking all day) but we can't use his big insulated lunchbox/bentgo due to their bulky size and weight. So, I'm not sure what to give him! My first thought is pb&j, but what else is preschooler-friendly, easily packed, and full of energy - and can go unrefrigerated?

 

[dahtra]

@streetlight Dark chocolate

PB crackers (can even use wheat thins or nut thins if he'll eat it for extra protein/cover/energy)

Diy lunchable (crackers, meat, cheese), I like someone else's idea of using a pouch of food as an ice pack, that would likely be fine for this stuff

Turkey sticks, they're kinda like slim jims but not as bad on sodium, saturated fats, etc

Chickpea or lentil puffs (we like hippeas and harvest snaps)

Granola bars - Larabars are good, decently healthy, and simple ingredients or Clif Builders are very high in protein but look like candy bars

You can add chia seeds or nuts to everything (yogurt, smoothies, muffins, etc)

Kodiak has a bunch of good recipes, I saw pizza muffins, waffles, and protein balls as all good options.

I like to make yogurt sandwiches for my son sometimes as a change of pace. You can add fruit, PB, chia seeds, etc.

You can freeze a smoothie and then you can really go crazy on healthy ingredients

Salmon or tuna patties (made the night before).

My 19mo didn't have any issue chewing these chicken jerky bars so you could probably pack something similar.

Salami, pepperoni, etc

 

[search4truth1121]

@dahtra Tell me more about yogurt sandwiches?

 

[memneso]

@streetlight Salami, cheese pesto. Freeze a yoghurt pouch to add an ice pack. Even better, get a Squeasy Snacker (or equivalent) and fill it with your own choice of yoghurt.

 

[transformed89]

@streetlight I like LunchBots for their bento style but lightweight boxes. Ours has 4 compartments and I just fill each of them with protein, dairy/starch, fruit, vegetable for my 3 year old. His daycare doesn’t refrigerate their lunches so we’re in a similar situation.

Example of what we use a lot currently:

• Protein: canned beans, pumpkin seeds, deli turkey, hard boiled eggs
• Starch/dairy: crackers, cheese, leftover biscuits
• Vegetables: cucumber, broccoli and carrots are the easiest if I don’t have leftovers
• Fruit: the one easy compartment

 

[miminonoko]

@streetlight I don’t have it personally but Bentgo makes a version of their lunchbox that has a built in ice-pack - I think it’s called the Bentgo Kids Chill

 

[streetlight]

@miminonoko We have it already! Unfortunately it's pretty heavy and I'd rather avoid using it if we can. But thanks!

 

[san76]

@streetlight There’s also chilled hiking backpacks. Disregard if they need to hike all day with all their belongings but if you can just drop it off that should be fine.

Side note, check with the school’s allergy restrictions around nuts.

Food ideas: smoothies (add protein powder and frozen fruit/ice). Protein bars, salami sticks, beef jerky, even pumpkin seeds and dips made from peas, snap peas, hummus.
You could trial freezing the dips in a small plastic container and checking if they’re defrosted by lunch time.
Where I live Costco sells snack containers of crackers and tuna, non refrigerated. As long as your kid can open the container or a teacher helps, that could be an option too.

 

[1daysoon]

@streetlight String cheese can last a day or two unrefrigerated. Easy to pack in the morning and it’ll be fine by lunch still.

 

[lisaovaltine]

@streetlight My toddler loves mini muffins! I use a whole wheat & bran base recipe and add banana, puréed carrots, nut butter, hemp seeds and greek yogurt. I make two tins of mini muffins and freeze, they’re packed with protein and so tasty.

 

[katrina2017]

@streetlight Chomps brand meat sticks

summer sausage + cheese +crackers (homemade lunchable)

clementine

Just ingredients protein individual serving pouches to mix with his water and drink (you can mix it into his drink before he heads out)

 

[caelesto]

@streetlight Tuna or chicken salad sandwiches, a cheese sandwich (maybe test our putting it in freezer the night before so it stays extra cold), jerky, chicken strips, apple with nut butter

 

[rebekah_h]

@streetlight Now that it’s summer and we’re on the go, we eat pretty much the same thing every single day. Sandwiches: mayo/turkey/cheese. Sides: (more) Cheese, sliced Apples, Crackers. Extras: yogurt smoothies, berries, nuts. Peanut butter and carrots, or homemade ranch.

 

[seventhtrumpetnow]

@streetlight We love making these. I use spinach instead of kale.

https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/flourless-cocoa-protein-muffins/

 

[sarahsknight]

@streetlight Beef jerky/smoked meat sticks, chopped nuts? Protein bars, peanut butter balls with oats. Maybe some of those shelf-stable baby food pouches that have yogurt and granola in them - I keep seeing those at the store.

Dave’s Killer Bread adds seeds and whole grains for extra protein in their products.

I’d ask the school what items they recommend, honestly - they probably have tons of suggestions.