School lunch ideas

coffeetox

Our school serves very unhealthy yucky food. Last time I had lunch with them the main course was a baloney sandwich with one piece of meat once piece of cheese and the bun was dry and hard to swallow. My girls keep saying they want to start bringing lunches to school. They are pre-teens.

Could use some ideas!

WickedPineapple

I used to have PB&J or a cheese sandwich, an apple or carrots, a chocolate chip granola bar, and a string cheese. Sometimes I'd get those snack cakes or candy but I think that was only special occasions. If they want to bring lunches, why not have them make/pick out what they want to bring? (This is what my mom did, so by the time I was a preteen I typically made my own lunch. Sometimes I made my mom's lunch too for her to take to work, so this could work to your advantage. )

kmariet7

My boys take homemade Mac and cheese in a thermos with some type of side and either Apple or orange juice or milk in a thermos. They hate school lunches because of he food but also time lost waiting in line. On occasion they will make a sandwich or a salad with meat in it.

FatFreeFrolicking

Deli meat rollups, string cheese, berries, hummus with pita chips

Sandwich- egg, tuna, turkey, ham, etc.

Salad with grilled chicken and fresh fruit

Mafuezee

my school didnt it used to serve salads and wraps, along with the regular meals and pizza if you wanted it

cspa78

If you purchase a thermos, there are lots of options. You can do chicken nuggets, pizza rolls, grilled cheese, soups, mini corndogs. I always put a fruit and carrot sticks or maybe a yogurt as the side. My son would much rather pack and he eats much better when he takes his lunch. These options may not be the healthiest but I guarantee they are not as bad as what is at served at school and he eats better for energy to get him through the day. You can also do salads in a thermos. Good Luck.

panda4153

My kiddos get a sandwich either turkey & Cheese, or PB&J, a peice of fruit usually an apple. My youngest gets applesauce, he doesnt like raw apples. They all get a string cheese, and then they get to pick one treat item, I buy the individual packs of cookies, or chips. I usually make homemade cookies, but I buy the packaged ones too for when I am super busy and dont have a chance to bake. They buy milk from school.

Mafuezee

But back when I actually cared about my lactose intolerance...i used to eat some salt, vinegar, pepper and lemon juice spaghetti

skullshank

a bologna sandwich doesn't sound unhealthy.

ask your kids what they want. this isn't rocket surgery.

my kid gets ham and swiss on white, some pringles, and a couple chips ahoy cookies.
sometimes he opts for grapes, sometimes pomegranate seeds, sometimes baby carrots.

see what they want to eat and either make it, or have them make it.

almostplenty

http://www.5dollardinners.com/31-days-of-school-lunchbox-ideas/

JenAndSome

My kids always take a lunch when they stay with me. They prefer it to the school lunch but their dad is too...busy to fix them lunch. They nearly always do a honey ham sandwich made with love. For sides options they will have string cheese, carrots, cheetos, chips, yogurt, cereal bars, pretzels, apple slices or sauce, pudding cups, fruit snacks and sometimes a snack cake of some sort.

kristydi

What do your kids like to eat?
I pack lunch for my 1st grader everyday because I noticed the same thing about school lunches. In theory the menus don't sound so bad, but in person the food is not very good. Low quality, stale, just generally bad cafeteria food.

Frequent lunches here include leftovers (chunks of grilled chicken, Mac and cheese, sweet potato or regular oven fries, baked chicken leg), meat, cheese and crackers, pasta in a thermos, grilled cheese sandwich. There's always some type of fruit included, depends on what's seasonal\on sale. Yogurt, applesauce, veggies with hummus or some other dip.

I like using leftovers from dinner because I can pack her lunch while I put away the food from dinner then I don't have to worry about it in the morning.

pili90

I take my lunch to school, I'm a teacher. I usually mix a bunch of veggies( lettuce and broccoli tend to be there always, but anything works), some kind of meat, and a fruit. I prefer salads because I don't have to use the microwave, usually it's filthy, and they don't spoil. An ice pack with the salads and perfect lunch.

I would ask them what kind of things do they want to take to school, and work around that.

Today I ate lettuce, arugula, corn, zuccini, green peppers and a salmon patty, other days I also have wraps. Anything that is good cold.

coffeetox

Thanks for all the ideas! I'm going to take them shopping this weekend for next weeks lunches. I just have to watch my youngest. If I let her she will be happy with potato chips and pop for lunch.

coffeetox

cspa78 wrote: »

If you purchase a thermos, there are lots of options. You can do chicken nuggets, pizza rolls, grilled cheese, soups, mini corndogs. I always put a fruit and carrot sticks or maybe a yogurt as the side. My son would much rather pack and he eats much better when he takes his lunch. These options may not be the healthiest but I guarantee they are not as bad as what is at served at school and he eats better for energy to get him through the day. You can also do salads in a thermos. Good Luck.

Never thought of using a thermos. Love this idea.

JenMc14

Leftovers, wraps, sandwiches, soup, salads.

AngryViking1970

My son's lunchbox looked like this today:

AM snack: granola bar
Lunch: PBJ ('cause it's Lent), Cheese Nips, apple slices and a couple of Chewy Chips Ahoy
PM snack (he's in an afterschool program until 4:30): peanuts and raisins

And a water bottle with a Hawaiian Punch drink stick

LKArgh

Leftovers. Whatever we have for dinner, I make double and it is next day's lunch. If there are no leftovers for whatever reason, a sandwich is the usual replacement.