School lunch ideas

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coffeetox
coffeetox Posts: 34 Member
in Food and Nutrition
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! :)

Replies

  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 701 Member
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    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. :wink: )
  • kmariet7
    kmariet7 Posts: 229 Member
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    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
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    Deli meat rollups, string cheese, berries, hummus with pita chips

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

    Salad with grilled chicken and fresh fruit
  • Mafuezee
    Mafuezee Posts: 38 Member
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    my school didnt it used to serve salads and wraps, along with the regular meals and pizza if you wanted it
  • cspa78
    cspa78 Posts: 3 Member
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    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
    panda4153 Posts: 417 Member
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    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
    Mafuezee Posts: 38 Member
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    But back when I actually cared about my lactose intolerance...i used to eat some salt, vinegar, pepper and lemon juice spaghetti
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,324 Member
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    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
    almostplenty Posts: 43 Member
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    http://www.5dollardinners.com/31-days-of-school-lunchbox-ideas/
  • JenAndSome
    JenAndSome Posts: 1,908 Member
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    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
    kristydi Posts: 781 Member
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    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
    pili90 Posts: 302 Member
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    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
    coffeetox Posts: 34 Member
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    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
    coffeetox Posts: 34 Member
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    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
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
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    Leftovers, wraps, sandwiches, soup, salads.
  • AngryViking1970
    AngryViking1970 Posts: 2,847 Member
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    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
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    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.

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