Packing lunch for your kids

[grinandbearit]

Hey guys, so I wanted to know what kind of lunches you pack for school, especially for little ones. My kid is in pre-K, and I'm running out of ideas for what to pack him for lunch. I bought one of those lunch boxes with a thermos, and I pack some spaghetti for him every once in a while, along with a rotating ham and cheese sandwich and fruit snacks ect. The school offers a hot lunch, but it's $7 a pop and not very lactose-friendly. My kid is a bit sensitive to milk, so mac and cheese or quesadillas are off the table unless we're home. Also, my kid's school is nut-free, so no PB&J. So, input, fellas, what are some options?

 

[pastorajacquelinegarcia]

@grinandbearit Sunbutter is the go-to alternative to peanut butter, so SB&J works just fine for nut-free situations. Around here they sell these little lunchbox sized apples, and if your kid can peel an orange, those little tangerines are always good. Grape tomatoes and carrot sticks are also useful.

But yea, the basic formula is a half sandwich, a cheese stick (which you'd not want), a fruit, and a veg. Sometimes a cracker or something as well.

 

[grinandbearit]

@pastorajacquelinegarcia Ive never tried sunbutter, is it same texture? Is it made from sunflower oils?

 

[pastorajacquelinegarcia]

@grinandbearit It's a little bit looser than traditional PB, but still plenty spreadable. The flavor is pretty close too.

Yea, it's ground up sunflower seeds, basically.

 

[skiparoo]

@grinandbearit I thinks it’s terrible but my kids like it. It’s everywhere in daycares and they get used to it. I believe it’s made from sunflower oil.

 

[winggo]

@grinandbearit Frequently, we just send portions of Sunday's leftovers.

We cook a lot of hispanic food, so beans and rice mixed with a meat dish is pretty typical for an "entrée". Also, stuff like pasta (preferred shape is rotini) is normal. Curry, stir fry, etc. Any of that stuff can be eaten cold just fine.

Sides usually include some sort of steamed veg (broccoli and carrots are staples) and fruit/berries. Sometimes I'll put in like a chickpea dish with tomatoes and cucumbers. And whatever the most recent preferred snackie is (veggie straws are the current obsession). Boiled eggs are great if your kid will eat them.

But the hang-up about food needing to be hot can be overcome. Just make it normal to eat that stuff cold. About the only thing that needs to be hot is soup.

 

[grinandbearit]

@winggo I was just going to ask how do you keep it hot untill lunch. My kids dosent like cold food unless its fruita or ice cream, i have tried so ad some grilled chicken and rice to his thermos.

 

[winggo]

@grinandbearit We've just always eaten cold leftovers. Something that was normal in my childhood and I have done my entire adult life, so I never thought twice about it with my kid.

 

[willbgrant]

@grinandbearit My kids classroom is also nut free, here’s what I sent with her today (she goes from 8:30ish to 5ish): half an apple (sliced), some raspberries, salami slices, grapes, small amount of raisins, string cheese, goldfish crackers, juice box

I would pack sandwiches, but she just won’t eat them so we go with the salami and sometimes some pepperoni along with other fruits and veggies.

 

[grinandbearit]

@willbgrant I swaped the regular slice bread with Hawaiian small rolls and he eats the sandwich that way since the bread is sweat, if not he will pick the ham and cheddar out the bread and eat it by its self. Ive packed some greek yogurt which i freeze for about an hour before we leave the house and put in his food thermos. He eats that all the time.

 

[willbgrant]

@grinandbearit Really good suggestion on the hawaiian rolls, I’ll give that a shot. I don’t know why it’s never occurred to me to overcool or barely freeze something like yogurt to keep it cool! Thanks for the tips!

 

[skiparoo]

@grinandbearit We do sunbutter and jelly sandwich, some berries, sliced cucumber and carrots, and some raisins or craisins.