What to pack for lunch?

[Alyssa]

For preschool, lunch has either been supplied or we picked them up first. But Aidan will be starting full day K soon and I need to start to think about what to send him with for lunch every day. (And I realize I am going to need to organize myself to do this the night before! :shuffle: )

Aidan's not the most diverse eater in terms of lunch especially, so assuming we can do PB (they could last year, and told us it's looking like we can this year), I bet it'll be lots of PB&J as the lunch staple. I can also see (not each time):


a cheese stick
crackers - wheat or graham, for a treat
fruit (probably grapes, banana or apple) - or maybe even some of those canned oranges b/c he likes them at my moms
yogurt
granola - either loose or a bar
What other lunch ideas do you have? I could see for other kids (not mine :complain: ) veggie sticks w/ or w/out dip.

[Jayne]

We do some of these

PB Crackers
Ham and cheese slices (my kids don't like it on bread :dunno: )
Butter'd noodles in a hot dish type thing. THey stay warm and the kids like them that way
carrots
beef sticks
Pepperoni slices
That is all that is coming to mind right now.

[Mary DK]

Subbing to this thread because I know I'm gonna need help :shuffle:
It has been pretty easy for the two days a week schedule but now it's gonna be 5 days a week :eek:
These are some that come to mind, I'll be back when I have more time if I think of other ones...

~ Pretzels
~ Various type of sandwiches (turkey, ham, bologna) for Eliot (Ian doesn't like sandwiches), not sure if they'll allow pb&j ones :dunno:
~ I remember buying ham and having them slice it pretty thick (because Eliot didn't use to like sandwiches either), I will cut it and some cheese in bite sizes... I will definite be doing this for Ian
~ Raisins
~ Applesauce & jello...for Eliot, Ian is way too messy with those

Alyssa, I'm also gonna have to get on the swing of things about getting lunch & clothes ready for the day after especially on the two days when I won't only have to get Eliot ready but I'll also have to get Ian and myself ready for him to go to preschool and me to work :errr:

[Julie]

Well for us, we have to pack a dairy lunch and the school has a no peanut rule either :(

yogurt - drink or squeezable
cream cheese sandwich - either on bread or on a bagel
pasta
nutella sandwich - yum!
tunafish sandwich
cheese - string
fruit - orange,banana, apple, berries, whatever is easy
carrots
soy beans
fruit leather or fruit snacks
goldfish crackers
graham crackers

and either a juice or a water.

i try to pack something as a main course, then add a fruit, a veggie, and a treat.

[Kaybee711]

Alyssa- Will his lunch be refrigerated? I can get some ideas from my sister but I need to know this.

[Jayne]

Oh..and I pack all lunches on Sunday. I get small baggies and use one of my drawers in my fridge to put things in. I just have it all divided out so I can grab it, toss it in the lunch box and out the door he goes. And actually Tylor packs it himself at that point!

[Alyssa]

Alyssa- Will his lunch be refrigerated? I can get some ideas from my sister but I need to know this.I don't know but I am guessing not, and I'm not sure what time it's at either. But I will buy (or he's getting for his birthday) an insulated lunch bag/box and some new tupperware-like things.

I think he might eat cold noodles so that's also on my possibilities list.

[Alyssa]

Oh..and I pack all lunches on Sunday. I get small baggies and use one of my drawers in my fridge to put things in. I just have it all divided out so I can grab it, toss it in the lunch box and out the door he goes. And actually Tylor packs it himself at that point!I was thinking that from the perspective of things like baggies of pretzels and the like. But I wouldn't think sandwiches would be good that long in advance.

[Kaybee711]

does he like soup? you could get one of thoes thermoses.

[Clare]

Emily takes

-soup in a thermos (or did, Alex just broke the second thermos :angry2: he insists on taking the whole thing apart to wash it and then it doesn't work :mad: )
- sandwich (vegemite or cheese)
- crackers
- muesli bars
- cut up fruit (apples, strawberries, watermelon)
- yoghurt

Harry is a very fussy eater :rolleyes: We are so lucky that his class doesn't have a PB ban, b/c that's all he eats. He takes:

- PB sandwich
- crackers
- piece of fruit to share (currently they cut up fruit for morning tea and share but as of next they need to take their own morning tea). He doesn't eat any fruit though
- tub of apple sauce.

All that he eats is the sandwich. He brings home the apple sauce and crackers.

[Jayne]

I was thinking that from the perspective of things like baggies of pretzels and the like. But I wouldn't think sandwiches would be good that long in advance.

Tylor will only eat Peanut butter sandwhiches so they seem to hold up just fine. Alyssa eats Ham and cheese slices so I just bag up that at the beginning of the week!

[Alyssa]

does he like soup? you could get one of thoes thermoses.Good point - I thought about that a while ago, but forgot...good thing for the wintery months.

Clare - good reminder on the applesauce too. He loves that, and we're buying it now for Jack too. I could also get the "handy cups" the sell, and the jello ones too. I normally shy away from buying that stuff, but school lunches seem like a good reason for them to exist!

Jayne - you remind me Aidan likes bologna too. ( :dead: ) But I bet I could roll up slices ahead of time and try those out. :nod:

[Alyssa]

BTW, Mary...you remind me that I'll need to be better about getting Colin ready too. Joe works until 8am, so I'll have to have everything lined up to go. It was one thing when it was a few times a week...every day is a whole 'nother ball of wax.

[Bev]

Julie, there are some good peanut free lunch ideas on sites if you Google "Peanut free lunches." I know a few are school board sites from Ontario.

I think most schools here are Peanut free, not just classes, the whole School. Right now I only have to worry about snacks; Mason is only going a half day.

[Mary DK]

Oh..and I pack all lunches on Sunday. I get small baggies and use one of my drawers in my fridge to put things in. I just have it all divided out so I can grab it, toss it in the lunch box and out the door he goes. And actually Tylor packs it himself at that point!
What a great idea! :aok:

[Cami]

I make the same old stuff that everyone's listed. Addison's school doesn't allow PB so I'll make:

*ham or roast beef and cheese sandwiches. Last year the girls loved when I put them on hot dog buns, like mini subs.
*string cheese
*apple, grapes, or banana
*yogurt
*veggies: Addison likes carrot sticks. Aubrey likes thawed frozen peas/carrots/corn. I would microwave them in the morning for just a few seconds and put in a plastic container.
*pretzels or crackers

And if we had any dinner leftovers that could be eaten cold, I'd use those.

I put a freezer pack in their lunch bag.

[Clare]

I put a freezer pack in their lunch bag.

I meant to mention that too. My kids' lunch stays in their bag, hanging outside on their hooks till lunchtime. They can't refrigerate it so I put the lunchbox in an insulated bag with an ice pack. Also, in summer I freeze their water bottles so they have a cold drink throughout the day.

[Silke]

I don't know how much help they get at the schools, but Natascha's school had a rule to make sure that kids could open their own containers.

*Sandwiches with lunch meat, cheese, cream cheese, nutella (when she started kindergarten I used a big cookie cutter to cut them into shapes (stars, animals))
*Crackers with cheese, ham or tuna/chicken salad
*cheesesticks
*Instead of bread: bagels, croissant, pita pocket, tortilla wrap
*self-baked croissant from eg. Pillsbury, inside cheese and hotdog
*Cold noodle/rice salads
*cold chicken nuggets with ketchup for dipping
*cold pizza, cold Hawaiin toast
*quiche (baked in muffin cups)
*salad with dressing in separate container
*warm meals in thermo: mac and cheese, soup, Spaghetti Bolognese, chili
*fruit (apples, grapes, watermelon, banana etc), fruit cups, fruit salad, applesauce
*vegetables: carrots, cucumber, broccoli (sometimes with dip)
*juice, tea, water
*yoghurt
*raisins, popcorn, granola bar, muesli bar
*zuchini/banana muffins
*jello, pudding
*crackers, pretzels

I do something similar like Jayne. We prepack snacks and lunch sides on Sunday.
snack bags (all in one container in fridge and pantry)
Fruit/veggies, yoghurt (sides for lunch)