Let's talk school lunches!

No shame, Jen! If I had the option of not packing, I'd take it. My preschooler gets her lunches taken care of at least. I'll miss that when she starts school next year.

 

A friend just shared this.... http://www.5dollardinners.com/31-days-of-school-lunchbox-ideas/

I tried to put the image... but it came up super HUGE! There is a pinterest board too... https://www.pinterest.com/5dollardinners/31-days-of-school-lunchbox-ideas/

 

My almost 5 and almost 10 yr old are both taking lunches thus far this year. Last yr my daughter purchased school lunch almost daily. This year she said most of the food makes her tummy hurt. Thus far most days they are taking uncrustables with sides of fruit, applesauce, chips or crackers and a sweet snack. I got creative and made wraps one day with lots of different fruits in their cute boxes. All the fruit was gone but both complained the wrap was warm by lunch and not tasty. I guess the awesome ice pack did not do it's job. Yesterday I sent meals in thermos (mac and cheese for one and spaghetti for the other). Again we have brand name themos and my daughter claimed her leaked. Both came back empty. I have found if I do not send things they like my kids do not eat. My son won't eat anything veggie besides carrots for lunch. he loved veggies just not at lunch.

 

I secretly miss last yr when my daughter loved school lunch and we only packed her lunch on select days. She bullied me into packing this year with saying the school lunches make her tummy hurt. I still wonder if this is the whole truth. It is funny when she comes home and school lunch was something she enjoyed and yet she missed it as she is 100% packed lunch now.

 

Bianca mostly packs her lunches, unless we are running out of time and then I do, but that is seriously very rare. She loves lunchables, so she makes her own version: ritz crackers and I buy good cheese and ham/turkey/chicken and she cuts out shapes out of it. Stuff like that.

 

Kimberlee, have you tried Wow butter? Brody goes to a nut free summer camp, so we've tried all the spreads. Wow butter is soy butter. It tastes so good and has a creamy peanut butter texture. Paired with jelly, it's amazing. I actually prefer it with celery because of the rich flavor.

http://wowbutter.com/

 

Tracie, I love the use of the silicone cupcake liners.

 

Thanks for all of the kind words about my lunches and blog.

Jen... don't feel guilty! My son either eats school lunch or pizza puffs from the grocery store for his school lunch :-/ My daughter just likes to eat healthy and will eat about anything which makes lunch easy to pack for her. She loves leftovers too, so a lot of her lunches include them.

Jess... those silicon muffin cups are a lifesaver! Dividing the box up into even smaller compartments means I make a lunch out of whatever scraps I find around the kitchen on those days before grocery day

My favorite lunch boxes of all time are Easylunchboxes. I've been using the same set for over three years now.

 

My son actually likes the lunches at school. They have a main course each day or the kids can choose from an ala carte option. On Wednesdays there is a full salad bar with various meats, cheeses, lettuce, veggies.

He is in 8th grade this year and goes to a rural school and the lunch ladies coddle him. He has always loved salads, so if the lunch isn't something he likes - they will always fix him a chef salad and an apple instead.

On the rare occasion that he has to have a sack lunch because they are going on a field trip I usually do chips or popcorn, deli turkey/cheese/lettuce in separate baggies and a whole grain roll, an apple, a handful of grapes, and then let him pick a treat - cookie, fruit rollup, etc. He can fix himself a sandwich that way or eat it as finger food.

 

This Lunch Rox is AMAZING!! I have done some of her lunches before, but now that we home school, no need to pack or buy. I meal plan for the month and probably 4 days a week, they have a simple hot lunch. And something like turkey sandwiches or pbj the other 3 days. I always include a protein, fruits and veggies with each meal.

 

Tracie, your blog is amazing! So many great ideas. And Laura, I'm impressed by your commitment to creative lunches. It's a lot of work. We often do sandwiches. Also the individual size hummus with pita chips and veggies. If we have leftovers that do well in a thermos - pasta, fried rice, soup, etc - I will send that. I always pack fruit, sometimes yoghurt or cheese, and sometimes a treat.

 

I just stumbled across this great article AND it has the best graphics too! Check it out:

https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/15-healthy-kid-friendly-lunch-ideas/

 

Those are just lock the Ziplock ones we have. In fact one of those "fancy" lunch blogs tipped me off to them a few years ago and that is why I bought them. Seriously the configuration is the best! The only problem we ever had with them is that my children are "delicate" when they are younger. So a teacher had to open my kindergartners lunch for awhile. Once I found that out I made her sit at the table and practice until she could do it herself. Yes, I'm a mean mom like that

 

my kids pack their own lunches as well. they usually take some form of a sandwich or wrap, and then fill in with healthy options - fruit, fresh veggies, cheese or cottage cheese, yogurt, dry chex cereal, nuts, etc. Nothing earth shattering, but healthy and balanced. No way on earth would I take time to cut their food into shapes of the Alamo I'm just happy they're making good choices and taking responsibility for preparing their own lunches

 

My kids buy lunch once a week and I pack their lunch the other five days. They mostly have sandwiches, quessadillas, rolls, etc.

I used to do cute bento lunches when they were younger.

 

my kids bring lunch most days - and buy once a week (maybe twice if they really love something that is being offered) ... i usually pack:

- main: sandwich, roll-up/wrap, quesadilla, pasta, greek salad with chicken, quinoa salad w/ shrimp or chicken, burrito bowl, cheese/salami/crackers, sunflower seed butter and graham crackers -- those are faves
- fruit
- veggies w/ hummus or ranch
- chips/popcorn/crackers

tracie - i love your blog!

and for anyone who loves peanut butter but can't bring it to school - we use sunflower seed butter and i think it's awesome. we tried soy butter a couple of times but didn't like the flavor - but i think i actually prefer sunflower seed butter to peanut butter.

 

These are some impressive blogs for great ideas. My boys are 9 and I officially turned over lunch duties to them last year--I really hate making lunches, but they are pretty standard lunch makers: sandwich/wrap, fruit or veggie, and an 'extra' (as they call it) which is some sort of chip or cracker or a cookie if they are lucky. They don't have access to a microwave, but I was thinking this year that I should get them some sort of thermos because I know that they would enjoy the occasional warm lunch.

 

My kiddo (ADHD/Asperger) has had school lunch every day. For us it an acceptance thing. If I pack it and it is "wrong" he will have a meltdown. BUT he accepts that at school there is what there is.

I am totally loving all the ideas & creativity in here though and will be using them for dinners or weekends or camp outs or......LOL!

 

I totally feel you! My son won't eat peanut butter or sandwiches either! He will eat fresh baked bread if warm (like biscuits or rolls) but not sandwich bread.