How Do YOU Pack a "Hip" Lunch?!
With the beginning of school fast approaching, I am starting to dread packing my kids’ school lunches. Although my kiddos definitely have the option of choosing a hot lunch at school, I prefer to pack a lunch in order to save money AND to provide them with healthy food choices. With that being said, I really get tired of the same old peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, carrot sticks, apple slices, and some kind of homemade treat (that’s usually not very good because well, Collin the baker… enough said). I need some variety AND my kids need some variety too!
…So this is where you all come in. Please share your most creative ideas for packing a healthy lunch that kids hopefully will enjoy eating and that parents can feel good about packing. And if you have any fun ideas for adding in a little note or fun surprise (I love making my kiddos feel special 😀 ), please share those ideas too!
Wow, many of you guys are very fortunate. We have very strict rules about lunches in our public school system. First, no peanut butter, no restaurant food of any type, no juice boxes. Food must come the way they are going to eat it, no reheating anything here. On the plus side, they eat lunch at 10:45 so cold things are still cold for the most part. Love seeing all the ideas for notes. I put one in everyday.
I scanned through and didn’t notice, but didn’t read all the comments so perhaps it has been mentioned, you need to “friend” weelicious on facebook. She posts a picture of the lunch she packs her son everyday and she has super creative idea’s. Also check out her website http://www.weelicious.com
I’ve made quite a few of her items (the breakfast cupcakes, the zucchini coins, the tex mex rice cakes, the black bean patties) and my son has like most. She uses the laptop lunch box that is mentioned above and it is great to see all the different idea’s. if you go through her pictures on facebook, you can see meals for a LONG time with loads of idea’s.
wow thanks!
I can’t remember where I read it, but you can make “sushi” sandwiches. Flatten a piece of bread and spread mayo on it. Place pieces of turkey, cheese, and avacado (or anything else) on the bread and roll it. The mayo should help it hold the roll, but you might need toothpicks. Cut the roll into three or four pieces depending on the size of your bread slice.
Another good lunch is something the kid puts together at school such as wraps. Pack the ingredients separately and let your child put together their own lunch. It’s fun for them and you will still know exactly what they’re eating.
The biggest tip I would give as a teacher, is always leave a small bottle of hand sanitizer because they don’t always wash their hands before heading to lunch.
I didn’t mean to submit twice. I had hit the stop button because I realized I spelled avocado wrong. Please delete the wrong comment. Thank you!
My daughter loves the Rachel Ray version of this with banana sushi (if you aren’t allergic to peanuts butter). Spread the flattened bread w/ p’nut butter & roll the bread w/ pnut butter on it around a banana. Pinch it closed, slice & wrap it rolled up in saran wrap. I’ll have fun trying the meat sandwich versions.
my son had the bananna one today for luch.. but the likes to add jelly as well!
I can’t remember where I read it, but you can make “sushi” sandwiches. Flatten a piece of bread and spread mayo on it. Place pieces of turkey, cheese, and avocado (or anything else) on the bread and roll it. The mayo should help it hold the roll, but you might need toothpicks. Cut the roll into three or four pieces depending on the size of your bread slice.
Another good lunch is something the kid puts together at school such as wraps. Pack the ingredients separately and let your child put together their own lunch. It’s fun for them and you will still know exactly what they’re eating.
The biggest tip I would give as a teacher, is always leave a small bottle of hand sanitizer because they don’t always wash their hands before heading to lunch.
I would love to see all these comments in one neat list;) Any chance we’ll see that?
added mine in a nice list of what to do for lunch. Momma homemade lunchable. hee hee.
I just wanted to comment on the fact that you mentioned healthy foods. I have to say that I have heard many people comment on the fact that school lunches are not healthy! I have to say that I, as a parent, have to disagree with that fact! Also I would like to say that the school lunch program at my child’s school is a very good deal! At $1.40-$1.60 per lunch I have to say I have trouble finding a less expensive and nutritional deal! I do know that this may not be the case for everyone, though and I do appreciate your posts on good lunch ideas for those who pack a lunch for their child.
School has already started here. So far, Nachos with cheese the first day….second day, two Pizza Hut style cheese sticks.
yeah, since when could anyone consider nachos a meal. Salty fried chips with “cheese” sauce. It’s doubtful how much cheese is actually in that goop.
I am a food service director at a local school in Pennsylvania. I can’t speak for other states, but I’m sure many of them follow the same guidelines because of the reimbursements received from the government and state. Although school meals may appear to be unhealthy, I can honestly assure you that is not the case. Whole grain items are to be used as must as possible. Cheese and milk products are to be low fat. No items are fried. Everything must be baked. All chips (nachos) must also be a baked variety. Portions are controlled to monitor fat and calories. Meals are to contain a certain amount of protein, fiber, starch, vegetables, fruit and milk. I certainly understand many mom’s wanting to pack their child’s lunch as a cost savings. I used to be one of them, but then I realized by encouraging my child to buy his lunch not only did it save me time it gave him a chance to experience new foods that he may not have a chance to eat at home.
yes, but what about people that have food stamps and cannot effort to pay for school lunches. 😉
That is where the Fedeal Government kicks in and the kiddo’s get FREE or Reduced lunch! Not only do the kids get a well balanced meal at no cost to you but your food stamp money even gets to go further because you are not having to supply a meal during the day to the kid that are in school.
Lunch for my kids is $2.50, breakfast is $1.50. I have 4 kids. $10 a day for my kids to ONLY eat lunch. I can feed them way cheaper than that and make it taste soooo much better! I mean seriously, how am I supposed to afford $50 a week on lunches? I spend less on my entire grocery budget!
right – ours are 2.50. we’re just starting kindergarten and i’ll have to do the math on what i spend to pack.
School lunches is Michigan are very healthy and even though they dont sound healthy they have strict criteria they have to follow by also through the government and if you are getting food assistance you will also receive free lunches.
The sad truth from what I am reading is that many school lunches do not seem to have enough healthy options. I live in NH and our school offers produce that is in season to the area and purchased locally. Unfortunately, the kids don’t always eat was is offered. I monitor the menu closely because I’m still not convinced that nachos are a healthy lunch… don’t want to waste money on a lunch that I know my child will only eat half of. I would prefer to pack my own that I know they will eat all of.
Lots of kids like to dip. My kids aren’t big dippers, but they like things on sticks. So I will often cut up a bunch of fresh fruit one day and then have enough the to pack the next few days and I put them on the longer toothpicks and make fruit kabobs. I haven’t tried it yet, but I bet they would like sandwiches this way too!
Collin – I would love another post of your granola bar recipe. I never got around to trying them, but I think that would be a hit with my kiddos as well.
I second this! I need a granola bar recipe!
Try Alton Brown’s recipe on Food Network: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/granola-bars-recipe/index.html
Ok..so I am amazed at what you all pack for your kid’s lunches! My son is SO picky! He doesn’t like bread, soup, pasta salads, dips of any kind, any coldcuts except pepperoni, tortillas, yogurt…ahhh!!! I cannot believe your kids will eat of this stuff! Lately I have been packing him a little container of pepperoni and crackers, carrots and grapes and some kind of treat – fruit roll up or fruit snacks. so I found myself struggling to pack his lunch – he wants the same thing everyday. Last year he ate room temp chicken nuggets for the entire school year. Please tell me he will grow out of this!
My son is the same way! I was getting jealous of all these good eaters. 🙂 I hope he grows out of it soon too.
My daughter is the same – only last year required I wrap her chicken nuggets in aluminum foil and put them in a thermos so they were still warm at lunch. Ate them EVERY SINGLE DAY of first grade and kindergarten. Ugh!
WOW! I thought I was alone with my picky eating kid. Ugh, he won’t eat any vegetables, apples are the only fruit he will eat. Peanut butter sandwich without jelly is all that he ate last year. Mercy!!!!!
I have 3 children and I have gotten them to eating healthy. Heres a way that might help.
They have a great seasoning for Salads and veggies in which i use for my kids salad. its by Goya.
Were you purchase your powder for making yellow rice seasoning they have one in a yellow box with a picture of veggies on the front. its called seasoning for salads and veggies.
What i do is make my regular salad for dinner with . ..
-brocollii cut in halves
-romane tomatoes
-baby carrots cut in half the long way
-Romane lettuce
i cut 2 limes (green ones) and squeeze into salad
i add 1 1/2 of the salad seasoning packets (to your likings – add 2 packets)
some olive oil
Its an awesome salad everyone will enjoy even your kids.
Sounds yummy…I’ll have to try it if I can find it…sometimes in rural Iowa it’s hard to find these things in a grocery store. 😉
Kids LEARN to be picky eaters from parents who pamper and spoil and cater to their every whim!!!!!!!!!!!! You need to tell the spoiled brat “This is what we are having for lunch”. End of story. My sons are allowed to make a list of 4 foods they don’t like and don’t have to eat. They can change the list periodically. Otherwise all foods are fair game. They eat healthy and are not picky and don’t skip meals. So many people are starving and struggling to feed their family and you allow you child to nit pick and demand certain meals???? So sad!
I used to think like this. Now that I have seen children with sensory issues, I am more compassionate.
In this economy kids need to learn to eat what they get serve period. If is a health issue is totally understandable. In this society that we got to live in there are so many options, that even for an adult is totally overwhelming. Imagine a child with so much information in front of them.
Know don’t give a kid a plate of fruit and veggies and think that it’s going to eat it, while you eat a piece of pizza, lol 😀
Mac and Cheese in a thermos gets a two thumbs up in our household….. A special note from his baby sister will always put a smile on his face…… Thanks for all the great ideas.
This year we are buying roast chicken from Costco; from it we will make sandwiches – on wholewheat and whole wheat flour tortilla; salad with dressing on the side; cold pasta salad and chicken fried rice! We also are offering Velveta shells and cheese. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches.The great almost “free” snacks also go in going on at Krogers this week. No sugar added juice with added vitamins from Costco. With the occasionally unhealthy cafeteria lunches (seriously overcooked veggies and wilted salad) Fresh fruits are usually snacks after school. But I LOVE to bake banana bread, cookies and muffins with wholewheat flour and I also sneak in some flax seed. Lots of water through out the day as we live in the Texas heat. There are GREAT healthy organic bake mixes that are simple – my neighbour uses them.
You can save on the chicken by just cooking some in a crockpot. It works great for sandwiches, and you can freeze it too!
I love to cook my chicken in the crockpot! I toss in a whole bag and I use it for alfredo, chicken & dressing, bbq chicken, sandwiches, chicken pizza.. everything! Chicken tastes so much better (to me anyway) when it is cooked in the crock pot. All I add to it is some black pepper and cook on low all day.
I love using my crockpot! We also live in Texas and it is just too hot during the summer to use the oven. I cook hams, chickens, beef roasts, pork roasts, boneless ribs, and soups in mine and my kids love it! The meat literally falls apart which makes it easy to freeze and reuse on sandwiches or salads. My kids love that as well!
Get the Sneaky chef cookbook. Her PBJ muffins, cheesy corn muffins are awesome and though the brownies aren’t really like brownies, my kids eat them up! Turkey and avocado sandwiches are a favorite here. Also, smoothie in the thermos full of blueberries,oj, banana, yogurt and many times I throw in pureed sweet potato and carrot-they drink it up! It takes a little time to make it but it’s so full of nutrients, it’s worth it. Use some of the recent sticky notes so when they open the top of the lunch bag, there’s a big smile from you! I also would love the see the list put together. Great ideas!
I havent read all of the comments so this may have already been mentioned. I would cut my sons lunchmeat or PB&J sandwiches with different metal shaped cookie cutters… a star, circle, animal and holiday shapes and make sort of a puzzle out of it. Kept things more interesting for us both.
Please excuse me if this has been posted as I don’t have time to read through all the comments but wanted to post this little sweet treat i sometimes throw in my daughters lunch, it’s not “healthy” but a little piece of chocolate isn’t bad.
Anyway, i sometimes pack a hershey kiss in her lunch, since I can’t be there to give her a “kiss” (and she’s getting older so it’s not cool to get a real kiss from mom) she knows it’s a kiss from mommy to her, she loves getting them in her lunch boxes
How cute! I’m going to have to do this! 🙂
Ok, I have several great ideas! I have been posting a lunch box series. Here is the most recent for making your own lunchables. Then, there is a link at the bottom of the post to all of my other lunchbox ideas! There are some really great ones!
https://afewshortcuts.com/2010/08/tide-tuesday-shortcutables/
I love PB & J personally but would mix it up by having apricot, strawberry, boysenberry jam, or a mix or more than one kind! Nutella is also super-yummy and a little different.
To make it fun, my dad used to write little notes on napkins, bananas (since you throw the peel away anyway) or even the shells of hard-boiled eggs!!!
Here is an idea, cook a pizza, slice it up an wrap a slice or two in foil.
For my daugher’s lunch I use a pamperd chef tart maker and make her a sandwich. Typically she likes cheese in them but sometimes we use peanut butter. I make the sandwich and then use the tart press and it turns it into a pocket sandwich. Sometimes I use other items and make a pocket “sub” sandwich. She enjoys this. I freeze go-gurt yogurt and throw one in and by luch it is usually defrosted.
we use that tart maker too! we call them ‘homemade uncrustables’. we make all different kinds of sandwiches like this…peanut butter and jelly or honey, meat and cheese, etc. my son really loves these!
I just read a couple posts about making pizza. You can use the pamperd chef tart maker to make “pizza” pockets as well. I bought the tart maker off of ebay and found it for a good price.
I sometimes make sandwiches on a tortilla and roll it up like a burrito.
I pack my preschooler’s snacks in these reusable snack bags 🙂
https://www.etsy.com/listing/35350669/happy-hippos-reuseable-snack-bag-set
I’ve only done this once because it took quite a bit of time. But one evening I gift wrapped each item in my son’s lunch box, even going so far as to put a few well known shapes in different containers to make it a fun surprise. The game was that he got to eat whatever he unwrapped first and so on. He told me it was his best lunch ever!
this is a great idea!
I’m a teacher, and even for an adult it can be challenging to pack a varied and relatively healthy lunch every day. I’m lucky that my school district has pretty good food, plus a nice salad/ fruit and veggie bar, so I can get a decent lunch if I don’t pack one.
While I realize that kids won’t eat some of these things, and as a teacher I have access to amenities like a toaster or microwave that your child may not, I hope these might give you some ideas.
I like to take a basic food and dress it up…take salad mix, add roasted chicken (I bake a few chicken breasts at a time to have for the week) mandarin oranges, almonds, and chow mein noodles, with an asian vinaigrette…..it looks like a cafe salad!or I buy these small single-serving containers (Apertina is the brand) of feta cheese,herbs, and olives and make a Greek salad. These also make great wraps.
I also like sandwiches on a bagel (scoop some of the breading out to avoid a carb crash) or using artisanal or flavored breads to switch things up.
I make my own granola to snack on..find a granola cereal you like, then add dried fruit like mangoes, coconut, apricots, cherries, whole almonds and some dark chocolate chunks…Gives me something to look forward to during a long morning! 🙂
I still remember that my mom would write special notes to me on my banana!
at party city you can buy those little containers you get at a salsa bar, or for extra salad dressing, so I buy those and put in salsa and chips instead of a sandwich for added variety or use the little containers for ranch or peanut butter to dip apples or carrots in. I also will pop popcorn, make healthy granola, put in cheese and grapes, and usually finish it off with a little note on their napkin!
I really try to do something different everyday so that he doesn’t get bored. We buy a hot lunch for him only a couple times a month from school. I do many things from normal turkey & cheese sandwiches to things like spaghetti, ramen noodles with broccolli slaw added to it, tortilla pinwheel wraps, pasta salad, I even make him his own lunchable kits instead of buying them. I’ve done pb & j sushi with bread rolled flat. I even make bean & cheese burros wrapped in foil since they can be eaten cold even. I always add different kinds of fruit or cut up raw veggies on the side and a special treat which always varies.
I take a rubbermaid sandwich container and put 4 cupcake liners in it. I then fill the cupcake liners with 4 different foods (cheese cubes, baby dill pickles, crackers, grapes, cherry tomatoes, etc). My homemade “lunchable”. My daughter loves them.
I like this idea…Thanks!
Really like this idea! Bought some small pickles today at the store, gonna see if she likes them or not lol, we will definately be trying this idea in the near future! Thanks
I like to offer my kids hummus and pita bread. Also, my kids love shapes so the other day I cut up watermelon into different letters and that was a big hit. Sometimes they’ll fall for the presentation. For example, they won’t eat plain carrots but if I stick an olive on it they’ll eat both.
My boys will also eat items when cut in a certain way. I have a Pampered Chef melon baller and have found that if I ball our cantaloupe and/or watermelon that my kids will eat the fruit given to them — and NO, THIS DOES NOT TAKE ANY EXTRA TIME — FASTER ACTUALLY! Too my oldest son wouldn’t eat meat sandwiches, but once I started using cookie cutters and cut them into various shapes he became a fan.
I don’t eat some of these by my kids like. (Yes they LOVE bologna)
1. peanutbutter and bologna
2. bologna and cheese
3. bologna cut up and then put on crackers
4. substitute any bologna with turkey
Love the foil idea. I bought new a new thermos so I am hoping things stay hot.
Here is my trick for cookies and brownies. Make a huge batch of cookies. Then double wrap the 12 scooped out dough balls with plastic. Layer in the freezer and pull out 1 pack at a time for fresh cookies. Make brownies ahead and wrap each piece in plastic. These don’t last as long so don’t make to many.
Happy food packing!
For a short note I have purchased markers that you can use to write on food. I do not know the name but got them at Michales in the cake decorating section. I write “I Love You” on the tortilla or something like that.
thank you for the foil and thermos ideal my oldest daughter is in high school and enrollment went up over a hundred this year and she cant wait in line for her food bc takes so long. Plus she is picky plus no peanut butter allowed so like everyone else i am out of ideas thank you
I only do this a few times a year but it’s probably my daughter’s favorite. I boil a hot dog and place it in the thermos, filling the thermos about a 1/2 way with the super hot water. I add an ice cube as the thermos we have is amazing at keeping it’s temp. I squeeze ketchup and half of a slice of american cheese folded in it. I also pack a plastic fork for her to be able to get the hotdog out easily and safely.
One other lunch that she loves, is when I wrap turkey or ham around string cheese that I have cut in half. I keep them together with toothpicks.
http://www.KRAFTFOODS.COM has some cute, healthy, easy, fun, creative ideas
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I do a lot of leftovers because my kids are lucky to have a microwave. One of my kids favorite is potatoes, green beans, and smoked sausage. I have also sent pancakes and sausage; my kids don’t mind eating the pancakes cold.
I am adding this comment when there are already 222 comments, so forgive me if someone already gave this idea. But I have learned that kids hate crust on sandwiches. I use large cookies cutters to cut the crust off and make the sandwich “cool.” My kids love it! So much that they don’t even realize they are eating wheat bread! LOL
I didn’t look at many comments,so I don’t know if this was mentioned. But I love this!! laptoplunches.com/ideas.html
so i didn’t read all the comments so someone may have mentioned something like this but we love nutella spread on a tortilla with thinly sliced pears or bananas on it then folded flat. they make a great alternative to traditional pb and j.
Mmmm….Nutella! I know my son would love that, thanks for the idea!
I freeze Little Debbie snacks – it helps keep the lunch chilled, plus their delicious.
I use to work a youth recreation center and we use to make “ants on a log”. You take celery fill with peanut butter/nuttella and place raisins across the peanut butter/nutella. You also use cream cheese instead of peanut butter/nutella. Another thing we did was make fruit kabobs. We would use small cookie cutters and melon ballers to make shaped fruit. We did this as part of our fourth of july celebration and used star cookie cutters with pineapple. One last thing we made was worms in dirt. We used fatfree choc pudding and crumbled oreo cookie (minus the creamy center) on top. We then added one gummy worm partially in the “dirt” pudding.
My boy loves ants on a log…we’ve used dried cranberries before and call them “fire ants” on a log. 🙂
we do ants on a log too! he says he does not raisins, but loves craisins (whatever) i take an extra minute and de-vein the celery. my son does not like the ‘stringy stuff’ and it is so easy to remove….anything to get him eat his veggies!
https://frugalfamilyfeasts.blogspot.com/2010/08/frugal-school-lunch-ideas.html
SANDWICHES
o Lunchmeat
o PBJ or use Sunbutter or Almond Butter**
o Carved meat – leftover ham, turkey, chicken, etc
o Wraps – pizza, lunchmeat, taco, fajita, etc
o Cheese
o Subs
o BLT
o Cream cheese & jelly (think on a tortilla)
o Instead of bread – use a tortilla, flat bread, pancake, waffle, crackers, English muffin, bagel, biscuit, pizza crust, pita, etc
LUNCH MEAT
o Sandwiches
o Wraps
o Cut up with crackers & cheese (think homemade lunchables with ½ the sodium)
o Wrap around a piece of string cheese
DIPS
o Peanut butter, sunbutter, almond butter, nutella** (With pretzels, apple slices, vanilla wafers, carrots, etc)
o Salsa & chips
o Hummus
o Ranch or veggie dip
o Yogurt
OTHER – Great way to use leftovers.
o Salad
o Waffle
o Lasagna rolls
o Pizza
o Hot dog
o Quesadillas
o Meatballs
o Chicken Strips
o Spaghetti (unless they are a messy eater)
o Soups (use a good insulated thermos/cup and make sure your kid know they HAS to bring that part home.)
SIDES
o Veggies – raw carrots, celery, green beans
o Fruit – apples, pears, peaches, bananas, mangos, melon, strawberries, pineapple, grapes, blueberries, cherries, etc
o Pretzels
o Pita or bagel chips
o Banana or zucchini bread
o Breakfast cookies**
o Cornbread
o Dried fruit or fruit leathers
o Hard-boiled egg
o Pasta
o Rice or quinoa
o Potato – hash browns, mashed, etc
o Parfait – yogurt, fruit, granola
o Yogurt
o Jello
o Rice, wheat, saltine, or whole grain crackers
o Granola bar
o Occasional sweet treat – cupcake, cookie, chocolate, fruit snacks, pudding, brownie, etc
o Energy bar**
o Cereal
o Popcorn
o Sunflower or pumpkin seeds
o Cheese
o Nuts **
**(use caution with potential allergies of classmates)
I sped read most of the comments and I did get some good ideas! We are peanut butter /nut free so it is a little harder sometimes to pack a lunch; you don’t realize how many things contain nuts or peanut butter and unfortunately it is one of my kids favorites. I did not see anyone mention the new flat breads; my son loves these and thankfully the wheat are his favorite! I do toss in a note or a tiny piece of chocolate every now and then to make it special. I wish my son would take his lunch more often because he likes the main food in school lunches but not the “sides”. I feel that he eats more and healthier if I pack his lunch but when they have burgers, corn dogs, and other “yummy” stuff he chooses to eat at school…
I don’t have much to offer I’m a young mom who doesn’t have to deal w/ lunch planning yet, but back when I was in school my mom would always make pb and apple sandwiches which were great and also she would buy frozen dough and make mini pizza dough like the size of your palm and send those plain with pizza sause in a little container along w/ cheese and I would make the pizza (cold) @ school, don’t know if its that good for you, but I loved though lunches!
ok, so my youngest has been taking a lunch to school for 1 1/2 weeks now. She HATES peanut butter, so I can’t make that. I have made her ham and cheese, butter and jelly, and turkey strips and lettuce sandwiches. Yesterday she had macaroni noodles with sausage (leftovers)…she loved it cold too! Tomorrow she will be eating a stew pocket. That is leftover stew placed inside a buttermilk biscuit. For her sides, she gets homemade cereal bars, chex mix, peanuts, jemput-jemput pisang (mashed banana balls), grapes, apples, you get the pic. For her drinks she gets a water bottle with a crystal light type packet for her to mix in at lunch. She’s a diabetic so we have to watch what she eats.
My has Asperger’s and is very picky so getting him healthy things to eat is hard especially at school. Something I learned from my mother (because I have Asperger’s, too) is that I would be more likely to eat it if I put it together myself. So she would send me disassembled sandwiches in reusable containers. I would assemble my sandwiches myself with things I picked out at the grocery that week. It would always include salt and pepper, whole wheat bread, pickles, tomato, and lettuce. My son’s a bit trickier because he hates sandwiches so he gets crackers with toppings to choose from in different containers.
I so needed this post! Thank you Collin! We are starting to send lunches with my son (1st grade) this year. Got some great ideas here!!
One of my sons favorite lunches are tortillas with veggie cream cheese spread, turkey, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, and shredded carrots. I wrap them in saran wrap to keep it held together. They actually get better in the fridge with time so I make up a lot and keep them refrigerated for 2-3 days. He loves them!
A fun treat I’ve been doing in our house this summer and plan to pack in my boys lunches this fall are yogurt parfaits. I spoon out yogurt in desired bowl, sprinkle with Teddy Grahams & blueberries. My kiddos are fans of all items but the berries, but this treat tempts them to try them.
When my kids were toddlers, I got them to eat yogurt by topping with a teaspoon of colorful sprinkles.
My 2nd grader loves hot food from home… We use the thermos and wrap heated bean burrito in foil or hot dog in foil and place in thermos – they eat 3 hrs after school starts and it’s perfect temp! This also works for “breakfast burrito” in the am! His favorite treat is homemade brownies – box mix, made with pureed spinach instead of oil… he doesn’e suspect a thing! \o/
Interesting! Do you puree the spinach with water? Do you sub the full amount of oil with spinach? I’d love to try this but have a feeling you won’t see this 🙁 If you do teresa@evolutionguild.net thanks!
WOW! What a great idea. Could you list the recipe? Thanks so much!
Lin
I haven’t read through all the comments yet and my daughter isn’t old enough for school but I remember my mom packed roll-ups for me. They were usually ham and cheese wrapped up in a tortilla but I would imagine you could use all sorts of fillings (maybe sneak in a few veggies) and/or flavored wraps.
My dd is big on Lunchables since that is what many of the kids bring. Those can get costly as well as having high sodium. So, we do a make your own “kit” that offers similar choices, but I can make it healthier. She got to pick pretty little containers and we fill them with pita crackers, cheese, meat, veggie, and juice or water in a reusable “box”.
It also helps that we sat down and made out a menu of choices for her to pick from each night for the next lunch: I don’t argue if she wants to pair pb and ham- so long as she eats it. Letting her control the choices helps us avoid disagreements over eating her lunch, and since I had a say in all the initial choices I am helping her learn to pick balanced meals
I also always send a note on her napkin and on days that seem more difficult sometimes a litle treat- like a candy bracelet, ring, cor coupon for ice cream after school so she knows I am thinking of her
The best thing and kids love is . . . . LUNCHABLES. . .Make your own lunchables at home.
Buy:
1- Rits crackers – which comes in different flavors
2- block of cheese that you can cut into squares
3- block of ham or turkey also to cut into squares
Stick them in a ziplock container which they sell tiny ones as round as Ritz crackers
add it with their favorite juice, a fruit and a fruity snack and You have an awesome lunch that you both will love.
xoxo