What to pack for school lunches?

Betsy - posted on 06/04/2009

You could buy the cocktail size bread, with turkey (or anything he finds he likes...try roasting a chicken or turkey which tastes better for sandwiches) and cheeses cut to size so he could make mini sandwiches, which the kids like and is much more healthy than Lunchables. Veggies would well with dips. It is the same with fruit in a yogurt based dip. Also try cutting the fruit and veggies with him, doing fun shapes. Roll-up sandwiches are great. You could leave them whole or cut slices for "pinwheel" sandwiches. Salad with chickpeas, tuna, breaded chicken you make up is good. Soups work for many. Hard-boiled eggs (and you could even color with food dye like Easter eggs).

Kids will eat many things they normally wouldn't if it is fun, especially if they help you prepare in making it fun. Get creative and sound excited to show him a new idea, so he may get excited for his new lunch too!

Regina - posted on 06/04/2009

Thank you to all of the suggestions everyone wrote. They are very helpful. I try not to fret over it too much because my son is growing & healthy!

Vernice - posted on 05/24/2009

How about flour tortillia with the shredded four cheeses on it and make it a chesse quesidilla with sour cream on the side. Also, Fruit Crisp Bars that taste like a cookie but has real fruit in it. String cheese, yougurt cup, graham crackers, vanilla wafers, ritz crackers with the triangle square of the Laughing Cow Cheese, jello cups, jello pudding cups and make sure these are the sugar free ones, because you do not want your child to have a lot of sugar. Goldfish cheese crackers (they have different flavors from cheese, pretzel, ranch, etc) Individual marshmallow packs (They come in a family pack box of 3 flavors - regular, strawberry, chocolate) and are fat free. Pretzel sticks, or regular pretzel shape. Apple sauce (not sweetend, all natural, or organic) Also, they have different flavors of applesauce (Berry, Green Apple, Strawberry, Peach, etc) Dry cereal (Not a lot of sugar again). Wheat Thins, Soup with the to go pop top. Also, I buy organic juices because they only contain 10% sugar. Stay away from the high sugar contents, because you do not want them to gain weight or have diabetes. The Lunchables have very high sodium content and I do not buy them. I hope this really helps you. Good luck. My 9 y.o. son has Chrohn's Disease, so I have to be very careful what he eats and have to read all the labels to make sure it does not contain gluten. So I send him with very healthy foods, the one's I have listed.

Lori - posted on 05/24/2009

Fruit Juice is a fruit as long as its not the 20% corn syrup stuff , does he like v-8. crackes are a bread and cheese is a dairy sounds like just the protein is deficient, does he like egg salad or hummus. Lunch meat isn't that good for you anyway its high in sodium and nitrates. sad that he doesn't like peanut butter. but trailmix with lots of nuts is a good alternative and keeps well.

Maria - posted on 05/24/2009

Does anyone know where to get a container that is the shape of pizza to send in left over pizza for lunch?

Maria - posted on 05/24/2009

Pizza bagels are a hit with my kids and chicken nuggets. Just find a container that will keep them warm. Also I have purchased a thermos to send in pasta,soup and something from dinner the night before that will keep them warm.

Lindsey - posted on 05/22/2009

my son is now 12 but i know exactly what you are going through i had him under the school nurse alder hey dieticians nothing worked as long as he is eating and is healthy dont worry give him what he wants within reason obviously but it was my 92 year old grandmother she said to me make one meal if he does not eat it fine but their is nothing else after a couple of months tears tantrums and dinners in the bin he is doing brilliant still does not eat meat or have food mixed together but major improvement and now we have introduced tuesday and thursday is try something new day which could be a meal that callum likes but with something on the side to try callum loved cheesy wheels cheese wrapped in tortillas or pitta pockets and fil it with whatever he likes double up on yoghurts try rice cakes healthy bars peanut butter and jam banana sandwiches do him a five a day chart !

Stacey - posted on 05/22/2009

Hi, how about grated cheese wrapped in tortillas? My little girl is going through the phase of eating 'mortillas' (her words) after we had tacos the other night. Or even small tins of spaghetti or baked beans.

Sally - posted on 05/22/2009

My boys love grated cheese with carrot with sultana's - nice combo of sweet, crunchy and healthy.Honey sandwhices work for us.It's hard to provide nutritious balanced meals all the time and when I find something they enjoy I tend to spoil it for them by giving it to them 2 often. Luck

Keri - posted on 05/21/2009

My guy likes tortillas with refried beans and cheese, generally leftovers from taco night go over well. He'll even eat plain tortillas, luckily he does like fruit, one thing you might try for veggies is ants on a log. Celery with PB (check with your school, some don't allow it) or cheese spread studded with raisins. Also fruit leather snacks are popular, they taste like candy! Good luck!

Teri - posted on 05/21/2009

My 2nd grader is the same- carbs and dairy! He does like salami roll ups also. Sometimes he has those, or a cheese sandwhich. Cheese and crackers. Fiber one bars. He hated all fruits until he was in Kindergarten and they graphed who liked what flavors. ( Make a game out of it sort of like that to get him to try new fruits) I also have put dry cereal in his lunch- tried throwing in cheerios, dried fruit together , he didn't like it but your's may. I buy the cereal in small containers and he buys his milk at school and pours it in. Does he like cottage cheese? You can buy those small containers and put that in there.

Terri - posted on 05/21/2009

I work in the lunch room in school, how about dinner leftovers.

Shannon - posted on 05/21/2009

Maybe trying real meat will work; real chicken, turkey, etc.

Or maybe cheese sandwiches.

Shannon - posted on 05/21/2009

Make him cheese sandwiches. If he doesn't like lunch meat then maybe trying real meat (e.g. real chicken breast)

Regina - posted on 05/21/2009

Thanks for the suggestions. I didn't think about pita bread. I'll have to try it. He is just so picky! He loves dairy & carbs.

Deb - posted on 05/21/2009

Or how about Quiche?

Deb - posted on 05/21/2009

My 8 year old has Ham or Chicken cut into strips with cheese strings and salad cream on Tortilla wraps, you could put it all in seperatly so he could make it himself, that might make him a bit more keen, or ask him to help you make at home, or how about ham or chicken on pitta bread? Flavoured Rice? Good Luck!

Heidi - posted on 05/21/2009

I don't blame him, I could never eat the pizza ones or any of the other ones that aren't the crackers, meat, cheese.

Regina - posted on 05/21/2009

Thank your for the suggestions. He isn't too keen about lunchmeat, but he has eaten the lunchables before. I tried the chicken nugget one & he complained the chicken was too cold! Unfortunately, he doesn't like pizza sauce (just cheese & dough)!

Heidi - posted on 05/21/2009

Have you tried the Lunchables, they have many different ones to choose from. Maybe pick up a couple for him to try at home to see if he'll eat them, then let him pick some out for school. I usually just get the ones where it comes with crackers, meat and cheese, but the do have some that are bigger and come with like a capri sun juice box. He might like the fact that he gets to make his own lunch at school by putting the cheese and meat on the crackers or if you get the pizza ones putting the toppings on the little crust.

Hanoi - posted on 05/21/2009

Anything that doesn't go bad before his lunch time. String cheese and ham, turkey cubes are a hit around here; those ready to eat kids luches are ok also, they have from simple ones to pizza juice and dessert ones. Remember, you're not there, so really you don't even know if he eats it all, so I wouldn't think of this meal as his most nutritious but a hang in there til you get home kind of meal.