In Need of: School Friendly Lunch / Snack Recipes

donald149
donald149 Posts: 211 Member
in Recipes
Only thing worse than packing my own lunch is packing the kids lunches. In need of elementary school-friendly snacks and lunch recipes. (non-peanut butter)

Replies

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Maybe try chicken tenders:
    http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/parmesan-chicken-tenders/
    1 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
    3 tablespoons fine-ground cornmeal
    1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (about 1/4 cup)
    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    1/2 teaspoon onion powder
    1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
    1 large egg, lightly beaten
    8 chicken breast tenders (about 1 1/4 pounds)
    1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
    Cooking spray

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Hahaha I hear you. My kids barely eat anything at lunch so I'm not even sweating it anymore. They eat a lot of sandwiches, chicken nuggets, and cheese and crackers (with some fruit).

    You could try small kebabs with lunch meat, fruit, and veggies.
  • Tretop76
    Tretop76 Posts: 256 Member
    donald149 wrote: »
    Only thing worse than packing my own lunch is packing the kids lunches. In need of elementary school-friendly snacks and lunch recipes. (non-peanut butter)

    Thank you Michelle Obama. I'm not bitter, just sucks that at my kids' school they aren't even allowed salt!

    Cut up some apples, put string cheese with it, it's good protein and calcium. Also the most convenient things are gogurt. I would freeze them and by the time they had lunch it would be really cold, if you don't want the additives I think there is an organic one made by Annie's or Stoney Mtn. Have you thought about having the kids make their own lunch with supervision. That might give them a sense of pride as well. I have so many more ideas but I'm not sure if you want convenience or any kind of help.
  • AngryViking1970
    AngryViking1970 Posts: 2,847 Member
    edited August 2016
    My son loves it when I make my own "lunchables". Either its crackers and cheese with ham/turkey or a sandwich thin with a small container of marinara sauce, some shredded mozzarella and turkey pepperoni so he make his own mini pizzas. And then I'll add a fruit and a sweet treat of his choice.
  • jes4ujes
    jes4ujes Posts: 3 Member
    If you are packing yogurt everyday, like I do, please make sure it has live active cultures. So many kids yogurts are not anything more than sugary milk. Try an alternative like kefir. I call them smoothies and my kids love them. They have no idea what kefir is. I am switching my whole household to clean eating, and finding things for the kids is often easier than for my husband. Making good choices can be hard. Read those labels.
  • guinevere96
    guinevere96 Posts: 1,445 Member
    AngryViking1970 wrote: »
    My son loves it when I make my own "lunchables". Either its crackers and cheese with ham/turkey or a sandwich thin with a small container of marinara sauce, some shredded mozzarella and turkey pepperoni so he make his own mini pizzas. And then I'll add a fruit and a sweet treat of his choice.

    This is what I came here to suggest! When I babysit the kids ADORE watching me make and helping make lunchables.
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    edited August 2016
    Are they allowed other nut butters? Try almond or cashew if thats what they like. If you have a thermos, you can send pasta with a protein and it will keep warm till lunch - I did a pasta, chicken and pea thing with a little marinara sauce for my kids. Or chili. I also used to send a weiner in a tall thermos of boiling water and a hot dog bun - the weiner was cooked and warm by lunch and they had a favourite for lunch! Though now they say that although it tasted good, it was not visually appealing! I think this issue is the perennial bane of all parents of school aged kids - I was glad when they got to the age when they chose and prepped their own!
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    My kids like cheese and mayo sandwiches for some reason ( i think cheese and mustard is way better) or jelly and cream cheese. (if your kids like peanut butter, but it's banned in your school there are a whole bunch of peanut nut substitute peanut butters...but I've never tried any personally)

    For real, lunch is the same thing for my kids every day.

    Sandwich
    Fruit
    Crunchy snack thing (like pretzels or chips)
    water
    small sweet (like a granola bar).

    On rare occasions that lunchables are ons ale I'll buy them. My 5 year old has no interest in homemade lunchables for some reason.

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