What do you pack for kids school lunches??

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RunConquerCelebrate
RunConquerCelebrate Posts: 956 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I need help here, when my daughter who is currently in first grade, started school I would pack her lunch I would add yogurt, string cheese some crackers and a sandwich pb & j or ham. Other times I would give her a fruit salad but would always add yogurt and string cheese and some type of crackers. Maybe some fruit snacks etc.

But there was a lot of times that her lunch would come back she would barely touch her sandwich and maybe would eat some of the snacks. I bought a thermos so I started making her mac n cheese or spaghetti to change things up. But she would barely touch it.

I started adding money to her school account so he could have some of the school lunches the ones that I thought were ok for her to have. She seems to eat the school lunches ok. But I much rather pack her lunch so that I know what she is eating for sure. She attends a charter school and it is small compared to regular public school and I have seen the school lunches and they look good.

I have run out of ideas on what to pack her, everything that I see online are fancy lunches that moms that have way too much time put together or a chef. Pinteres is very overwhelming for ideas.

So I am wondering what do you pack for your kids school lunches that is healthy, you know they eat and does not take too long to put together.

Thanks
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Replies

  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    I've been packing my kiddo's lunch since 3k (3rd grade now). He used to do nothing but PB&J, but all the sudden hated jelly. Try asking what she would like. Take her to the grocery store, let her pick out her own sandwich bread, jellies, PBs, snacks, juice boxes/milks, etc

    Today's lunch:
    Sara Lee 90 cal bread (the kind I eat too) with PB and chocolate chips
    Fruit leather
    Angry Birds graham crackers
    String cheese

    I also make Nutella and Fluff (blowtorch the fluff to make it s'more-ish), PB and sprinkles/M&Ms/marshmallows, Thermos with ramen noodles, PB roll-up with a Flat Out, yada yada.

    I let him pick out his own snacks and hope he picks stuff I won't graze on. Get your daughter involved in the process!
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Today's lunch:
    Sara Lee 90 cal bread (the kind I eat too) with PB and chocolate chips
    Fruit leather
    Angry Birds graham crackers
    String cheese

    I also make Nutella and Fluff (blowtorch the fluff to make it s'more-ish), PB and sprinkles/M&Ms/marshmallows

    I'm 30 and want all of this.
  • RunConquerCelebrate
    RunConquerCelebrate Posts: 956 Member
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    I've been packing my kiddo's lunch since 3k (3rd grade now). He used to do nothing but PB&J, but all the sudden hated jelly. Try asking what she would like. Take her to the grocery store, let her pick out her own sandwich bread, jellies, PBs, snacks, juice boxes/milks, etc

    Today's lunch:
    Sara Lee 90 cal bread (the kind I eat too) with PB and chocolate chips
    Fruit leather
    Angry Birds graham crackers
    String cheese

    I also make Nutella and Fluff (blowtorch the fluff to make it s'more-ish), PB and sprinkles/M&Ms/marshmallows, Thermos with ramen noodles, PB roll-up with a Flat Out, yada yada.

    I let him pick out his own snacks and hope he picks stuff I won't graze on. Get your daughter involved in the process!

    These are great ideas the PB and chocolate chips sounds yummy. I have taken her with me to the store and she has picked her snacks such but I am going to have her pick out her own bread and spreads etc as well. We have not tried nutella I need to give it a try she may like it. Instead of spaghetti I will try the Thermos with ramen noodles.

    Thanks for the input really appreciate it, this is her last week of school but I will have her go with me to the store before she goes back after the holiday.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
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    Another vote for asking her and getting her involved in the choices.

    I will also say that my SIL was having similar issues and it turned out that it was all about temperature rather than the taste of the food. My nephew didn't care for his sandwich to be cold from the cold pack to keep yogurt and the like. She got an insulated sandwich bag thingy and life has been fine ever since. Not saying that is your daughter's issue per se, but it may be something outside of just the type of food. Do her friends pack lunch or eat school lunch?
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
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    My kids also go to a small school, where wonderful women actually make the food on site. They eat a hot lunch or entree salad virtually every day.

    When I do pack a lunch (primarily for weekend activities), it is usually a meat and cheese sandwich, fruit, cookie, and milk/water. Sometimes a yogurt or cheese stick.

    They pack it themselves about half of the time.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Even when I ask them, they typically don't eat much. I try and pack 3 things (the containers I use have 3 partitions). Typically it's a sandwich (ham sandwich or PB&J) or chicken nuggets (they don't care it's cold), some fruit, then either a couple crackers/grahams or a yogurt tube (tried mini babybels and string cheese for a while but they wouldn't touch it). Sometimes they get bagel with cream cheese or a crepe, or even a nutella waffle sandwich with breakfast sausage... depends on what we have in the house really.

    But they're horribly picky so it sucks. Oh yeah I pack a milk box too.

    I've seen other lunches that some moms pack that look amazing and that my kids wouldn't even take a bite of... lol. They're 5 and in Kindergarten.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
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    Look into bento boxes. Making it pretty can entice kids to eat.
  • RunConquerCelebrate
    RunConquerCelebrate Posts: 956 Member
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    Another vote for asking her and getting her involved in the choices.

    I will also say that my SIL was having similar issues and it turned out that it was all about temperature rather than the taste of the food. My nephew didn't care for his sandwich to be cold from the cold pack to keep yogurt and the like. She got an insulated sandwich bag thingy and life has been fine ever since. Not saying that is your daughter's issue per se, but it may be something outside of just the type of food. Do her friends pack lunch or eat school lunch?

    Some of her friends pack lunch and some eat at school. I must say the other day I went there for lunch to spend time with her during lunch and I noticed that her lunch was a bit more elaborate compared to other lunches so I thought maybe I was going a bit overboard.
  • RunConquerCelebrate
    RunConquerCelebrate Posts: 956 Member
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    My kids also go to a small school, where wonderful women actually make the food on site. They eat a hot lunch or entree salad virtually every day.

    When I do pack a lunch (primarily for weekend activities), it is usually a meat and cheese sandwich, fruit, cookie, and milk/water. Sometimes a yogurt or cheese stick.

    They pack it themselves about half of the time.

    yes our school the food is prepared there as well it is a small school and I have met the man who prepares the food really nice man.

    I am going to get her involved in packing her own lunch maybe she will eat it that way
  • RunConquerCelebrate
    RunConquerCelebrate Posts: 956 Member
    Options
    Even when I ask them, they typically don't eat much. I try and pack 3 things (the containers I use have 3 partitions). Typically it's a sandwich (ham sandwich or PB&J) or chicken nuggets (they don't care it's cold), some fruit, then either a couple crackers/grahams or a yogurt tube (tried mini babybels and string cheese for a while but they wouldn't touch it). Sometimes they get bagel with cream cheese or a crepe, or even a nutella waffle sandwich with breakfast sausage... depends on what we have in the house really.

    But they're horribly picky so it sucks. Oh yeah I pack a milk box too.

    I've seen other lunches that some moms pack that look amazing and that my kids wouldn't even take a bite of... lol. They're 5 and in Kindergarten.

    yeah it is not easy, I was there for lunch once I had given her spaghetti in a thermo, with yogurt, crackers and juice. She was not eating much but when I looked around to some of the lunches her was pretty healthy compared to others so I wondered if she was just embarrassed to eat it. That day I saw the school lunches for the first time and I asked her is he wanted to try them they look pretty good. that day the kids had brocoli as a side.
  • msrootitooti
    msrootitooti Posts: 253 Member
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    I rotate between a cheese sandwich, lunchable, crackers with cheese and pepperoni, and then just this week he asked for salad. And then I pack a piece of fruit, some chips, and a cookie.

    I do try to ask him what he would like but he is less creative than I am. PB&J is out for us because he has a peanut allergy.
  • RunConquerCelebrate
    RunConquerCelebrate Posts: 956 Member
    Options
    Look into bento boxes. Making it pretty can entice kids to eat.

    I have looked into bento but I think the prep is a lot of work and takes a lot of time, I like to prepare her lunch in the morning since I like to ask her what she wants to take. That is mainly everything you see on pinterest.
  • burlingtongrl
    burlingtongrl Posts: 327 Member
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    I sometimes cut up a couple types of cheeses and some ham and send it with triscuits or wheat thins. Then I would put in some orange slices, grapes, apricots, or strawberries (if I sent a whole orange, apple, or pear it would usually come back home in their lunch bags.) You can do this the night before if you like, if your mornings are a little rushed. Oh, in winter, soup was always a big hit.
    Good luck.
  • tattedlady75
    tattedlady75 Posts: 185 Member
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    I have the same problem with my son too. I figured out what the problem was, they eat lunch at 10:30 am and school starts at 730. He just wasnt hungry and it was usually on the days he would eat a big breakfast. So i just make sure to pack something he will at least snack on, even if he doesn't eat his sandwich or main meal. Have you tried asking her, there could be something she doesnt like, also have her help pack the lunch that way she can have input into what she would like to eat that day. Let her pick something different at the store each week to try new.
  • shells1234
    shells1234 Posts: 64 Member
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    I have the same problem but it is more of my son doesn't have the time to eat his lunch or is talking with friends so doesn't concentrate on lunch. I do cut up apples with peanut butter sometimes caramel for a treat. Mostly a ham sandwich or pb&j. I through in some yogurt or a gogurt sometimes. With the yogurt I put a bag of crunches which is just granola.
  • Linli_Anne
    Linli_Anne Posts: 1,360 Member
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    My daughter's lunches tend to come back a lot - but it is because she is too busy socializing/chatting/playing that she runs out of time to eat.

    I have found that if I take the extra minute to cut her sandwich with a cookie cutter it will get eaten 9/10 times. Kids are very judgy by appearance of foods.

    If you change it up even once a week, chances are she will be more likely to eat the food the next time, even if it isn't cut the same way, because she knows it tastes good.
  • serenalesley
    serenalesley Posts: 58 Member
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    My son's lunch today was a breaded chicken burger in a bun with lettuce and mayo, served with a side of a raw, sliced bell pepper, a handful of carrot sticks and a houmous dip, and a bottle of water. He also had a pot of peanuts and a pork pie, because he was out at a garden centre re-potting trees in the cold so I though he could use the extra calories. ;)
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,287 Member
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    my kids like trail mix (we make it) and I use a thermos to do smoothies for my 8 year old. they also like cut up fruit, veggies with something to dip them in, and dried fruit. I've noticed sandwiches go over better if theres variety to them. luckily my kids are also a fan of leftovers, theyll gladly take last nights stir fry to school.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    My son is 4.5 and in reception class. He either has a ham or a tuna mayo sandwich, and a yogurt. He doesn't always finish the sandwich. They get given a piece of fruit at break time in the morning. Before he started school my son would hardly eat. Getting him to eat half a sandwich was a challenge!

    There's no point on making fancy lunches if your child won't eat it. I'd happily make him quinoa, couscous etc, but he'd just leave it.
  • RunConquerCelebrate
    RunConquerCelebrate Posts: 956 Member
    Options
    I sometimes cut up a couple types of cheeses and some ham and send it with triscuits or wheat thins. Then I would put in some orange slices, grapes, apricots, or strawberries (if I sent a whole orange, apple, or pear it would usually come back home in their lunch bags.) You can do this the night before if you like, if your mornings are a little rushed. Oh, in winter, soup was always a big hit.
    Good luck.

    Thank you I like the idea of the cheeses, she does like wheat things I have sent those with her string cheese and those have worked. I am going to try some soups.

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