Help with school lunches
August 25, 2015 11:43 AM Subscribe
My daughter will be starting JK in a couple of weeks. She has been in daycare for the past 3 years so we aren't too worried about her adjustment in general....but daycare provided food. Now we have to pack a lunch for her every day! Please help!
She is almost 4 years old, and in the past year has become a much pickier eater. She will not eat:
- sandwiches
- meat (except when she doesn't realize it's meat, like Chicken McNuggets)
- most vegetables
She does like fruit of all kinds, bread and cheese. So we are okay with fruit as a side dish each day, and for snack time. It's the main part of the lunch we are worried about. So far our ideas are limited to: cheese & crackers, pita & hummus, maybe bagel & cream cheese. Any other ideas?
We are hoping for easy to prepare meals that she will actually eat. Obviously no nuts, or anything that requires heating. Any help is greatly appreciated!
She is almost 4 years old, and in the past year has become a much pickier eater. She will not eat:
- sandwiches
- meat (except when she doesn't realize it's meat, like Chicken McNuggets)
- most vegetables
She does like fruit of all kinds, bread and cheese. So we are okay with fruit as a side dish each day, and for snack time. It's the main part of the lunch we are worried about. So far our ideas are limited to: cheese & crackers, pita & hummus, maybe bagel & cream cheese. Any other ideas?
We are hoping for easy to prepare meals that she will actually eat. Obviously no nuts, or anything that requires heating. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Check out bento or preschool bento on Pinterest! It's all about making food more appealing to kids, and including small amounts of several things. Maybe sandwiches would be acceptable if the bread were flattened and it was turned into little rolls instead. I don't make tofu myself, but since your daughter doesn't want to eat meat, that might be necessary. Pasta salad is loved by my picky eater.
posted by Safiya at 11:55 AM on August 25, 2015
posted by Safiya at 11:55 AM on August 25, 2015
Hard-boiled eggs? Mine eats the white only, so I slice them in half and pop out the yolk.
posted by xo at 11:55 AM on August 25, 2015
posted by xo at 11:55 AM on August 25, 2015
Best answer: 1. Cheese and crackers is a sandwich. It's all the same components -- bread and filling -- just crunchier, or spreadier, or smaller.
2. Kids tend to like repetition. We all knew kids who had PB&J every day for years. If you can get 2 or 3 things she'll eat reliably in rotation, you're fine.
3. Meals don't have to conform to standard, one-meat-two-veg or sandwich-and-two-sides configurations. As long as she's getting a reasonable number of calories and her doctor doesn't have concerns, she should be fine. My lunches when I was a kid (including long after kindergarten) usually involved an apple, a packaged fruit snack, peanut butter and crackers, a few graham crackers, and maybe some chips or pretzels. Basically whatever my mom was reasonably certain I'd eat, and would keep in a lunchbag for a few hours, got tried. If loading her up on cheese and fruit is getting her from breakfast to dinner without meltdown and her doctor's not worried about her overall health, I would go with that.
But basically, don't set artificial obstacles for yourself or her by having standards of what a "real" meal is, or that she needs to get perfectly balanced macronutrients within a meal or even within a day. I say this as someone who is also a very picky eater, so I know how hard it can be. There's no point in making it harder on yourselves when she will be just fine eating the fruit and cheese tray from here til 5th grade.
posted by katemonster at 11:56 AM on August 25, 2015 [8 favorites]
2. Kids tend to like repetition. We all knew kids who had PB&J every day for years. If you can get 2 or 3 things she'll eat reliably in rotation, you're fine.
3. Meals don't have to conform to standard, one-meat-two-veg or sandwich-and-two-sides configurations. As long as she's getting a reasonable number of calories and her doctor doesn't have concerns, she should be fine. My lunches when I was a kid (including long after kindergarten) usually involved an apple, a packaged fruit snack, peanut butter and crackers, a few graham crackers, and maybe some chips or pretzels. Basically whatever my mom was reasonably certain I'd eat, and would keep in a lunchbag for a few hours, got tried. If loading her up on cheese and fruit is getting her from breakfast to dinner without meltdown and her doctor's not worried about her overall health, I would go with that.
But basically, don't set artificial obstacles for yourself or her by having standards of what a "real" meal is, or that she needs to get perfectly balanced macronutrients within a meal or even within a day. I say this as someone who is also a very picky eater, so I know how hard it can be. There's no point in making it harder on yourselves when she will be just fine eating the fruit and cheese tray from here til 5th grade.
posted by katemonster at 11:56 AM on August 25, 2015 [8 favorites]
I had one picky eater and one vegetarian (at age 10). Neither ate sandwiches. I stopped considering the "need" for a main part / entree of lunch. Many times they took just lots of small things. First buy a thermos - a good one will keep things hot enough until lunch time. Things that you can do with it:
- soup
- mac and cheese
- pasta/spaghetti
- lasagna
- chicken nuggets (picky kid)
- hot dog (in boiling water which will just be hot by lunch and send a roll - picky kid)
Other stuff to consider: yogurt (can freeze those tube kind to stay cold), fruit cups, cheese sticks, pb&j on crackers (if allowed), trail mix, dry cereal.
posted by maxg94 at 11:57 AM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
- soup
- mac and cheese
- pasta/spaghetti
- lasagna
- chicken nuggets (picky kid)
- hot dog (in boiling water which will just be hot by lunch and send a roll - picky kid)
Other stuff to consider: yogurt (can freeze those tube kind to stay cold), fruit cups, cheese sticks, pb&j on crackers (if allowed), trail mix, dry cereal.
posted by maxg94 at 11:57 AM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Nutella and/or peanut butter on graham crackers
Applesauce
Yogurt
Cold ravioli
Leftover pizza
Falafel
Trail Mix (non-nut versions)
Cheese and veggies (chopped up small) baked into a crescent roll that morning
posted by mikepop at 12:00 PM on August 25, 2015
Applesauce
Yogurt
Cold ravioli
Leftover pizza
Falafel
Trail Mix (non-nut versions)
Cheese and veggies (chopped up small) baked into a crescent roll that morning
posted by mikepop at 12:00 PM on August 25, 2015
Best answer: My nephew does black beans and tamari sauce in a small thermos so they're still warm throughout the day (and to be honest, he doesn't like things too hot anyway, although your daughter may vary). But there are options if there are things that she'll eat warm even if there's no real-time heating available.
The other thing my sister figured out is that while she was carefully packing "Here's main lunch, here's the lunch side item, here's snack one, here's snack two" the reality is that kids will eat whatever they want, whenever they want and it's unlikely that anyone will be policing that. So some days, he eats his beans and a cookie at morning snack and his baggie of pretzels at lunchtime with carrot sticks or whatever. So don't get too wrapped around what's lunch and what's snack, just try to have enough to last them for the whole day. He also usually has a granola bar or something like that in his lunch box as well which can pack a good number of calories and semi-decent nutrition into a small package.
posted by macfly at 12:01 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
The other thing my sister figured out is that while she was carefully packing "Here's main lunch, here's the lunch side item, here's snack one, here's snack two" the reality is that kids will eat whatever they want, whenever they want and it's unlikely that anyone will be policing that. So some days, he eats his beans and a cookie at morning snack and his baggie of pretzels at lunchtime with carrot sticks or whatever. So don't get too wrapped around what's lunch and what's snack, just try to have enough to last them for the whole day. He also usually has a granola bar or something like that in his lunch box as well which can pack a good number of calories and semi-decent nutrition into a small package.
posted by macfly at 12:01 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
She will not eat
This is the perfect time for her to start eating those things, though, since everyone else will be.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:10 PM on August 25, 2015 [6 favorites]
This is the perfect time for her to start eating those things, though, since everyone else will be.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:10 PM on August 25, 2015 [6 favorites]
A packaging suggestion: we recently bought a Bentgo for our 4yo. She's a pretty unmotivated eater, and when we packaged things in individual containers she'd often come home with several containers not even opened. With the Bentgo, she's just got one thing to open and then the food's all right there. It's helped a bit.
posted by gurple at 12:12 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by gurple at 12:12 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Don't get too locked in to what feels like formal "lunch"- your real desire is to have her eat things that are good for her and to have enough that she is not hungry during the day. Cheese and crackers, pretzels, drinkable yogurts or go-gurt tube things, etc all count.
posted by Ink-stained wretch at 12:14 PM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Ink-stained wretch at 12:14 PM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Tortilla roll-ups? You can spread them with cream cheese and mix stuff in to the cream cheese, if she'll accept tortillas over bread. For example, you could cream in some salsa and maybe some broccoli, or cheddar and broccoli.
Would mini-quiches be tolerated? You can make a ton in advance and freeze them. Similarly with that crescent roll idea from mikepop, which sounds awesome, you can freeze that so you are just popping out a couple when you need them, making it easier to change up from day to day.
Veggies with a Greek yogurt dip (for some protein)? Greek yogurt in general could be good.
Like macfly says, you don't want to get super invested in what's a main and what's a side, as they're going to pick and choose pieces here and there, in my experience.
posted by freezer cake at 12:14 PM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Would mini-quiches be tolerated? You can make a ton in advance and freeze them. Similarly with that crescent roll idea from mikepop, which sounds awesome, you can freeze that so you are just popping out a couple when you need them, making it easier to change up from day to day.
Veggies with a Greek yogurt dip (for some protein)? Greek yogurt in general could be good.
Like macfly says, you don't want to get super invested in what's a main and what's a side, as they're going to pick and choose pieces here and there, in my experience.
posted by freezer cake at 12:14 PM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Spread cream cheese on a piece of cinnamon raisin bread. Fold in half, then cut in half again. Those aren't sandwiches, kiddo: they're squares!
My toddler wolfed these down for years.
(Leave the crusts on if you can. Once the kid gets into that habit it's hard to break. And they learn it from others as well.)
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:15 PM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
My toddler wolfed these down for years.
(Leave the crusts on if you can. Once the kid gets into that habit it's hard to break. And they learn it from others as well.)
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:15 PM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
The easiest thing to do is to make double whatever you make her for dinner the night before and just pack it up when you make dinner and stick it in the fridge. That way you know she will eat it and that it's enough food.
posted by amaire at 12:28 PM on August 25, 2015
posted by amaire at 12:28 PM on August 25, 2015
Pickles?
posted by vitabellosi at 12:35 PM on August 25, 2015
posted by vitabellosi at 12:35 PM on August 25, 2015
My kid mostly gets dinner leftovers. And if there was something he didn't like at dinner I usually send a tiny piece for lunch. I agree with folks saying to look into bentos. Here's my rarely-updated kid lunch Flickr set if you need ideas.
posted by tchemgrrl at 12:38 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by tchemgrrl at 12:38 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
The blog Yummy Toddler Food has lots of great ideas. One of the tips from the blog is to deconstruct meals and provide the kid small amounts of the various foods that they can then eat (or not eat).
We've been providing a packed lunch for our preschooler since he was an infant due to food allergies. Generally, we give him leftovers from dinner the night before. If we don't have any, then we do crackers with soy butter + a fruit and veggie. Oh, and tempeh was a surprise hit for us.
posted by statsgirl at 1:06 PM on August 25, 2015
We've been providing a packed lunch for our preschooler since he was an infant due to food allergies. Generally, we give him leftovers from dinner the night before. If we don't have any, then we do crackers with soy butter + a fruit and veggie. Oh, and tempeh was a surprise hit for us.
posted by statsgirl at 1:06 PM on August 25, 2015
Just think in terms of protein, and work back.
Omelette or scrambled eggs on some sort of bready substance that won't associate to sandwich (crackers? pita? tortillas? sliced bagel?).
Poutine
grilled cheese (made with anything but white bread...cut the crusts off to make it even less bread-sandwich-like)
Fish sticks
Dumplings (of any sort)
Remember that deliciousness trumps misgivings. Go a little further to whip up recipes that get her excited. Also: get her hooked on the fillings before you "sell" them to her in the wrappings.
posted by Quisp Lover at 1:12 PM on August 25, 2015
Omelette or scrambled eggs on some sort of bready substance that won't associate to sandwich (crackers? pita? tortillas? sliced bagel?).
Poutine
grilled cheese (made with anything but white bread...cut the crusts off to make it even less bread-sandwich-like)
Fish sticks
Dumplings (of any sort)
Remember that deliciousness trumps misgivings. Go a little further to whip up recipes that get her excited. Also: get her hooked on the fillings before you "sell" them to her in the wrappings.
posted by Quisp Lover at 1:12 PM on August 25, 2015
Best answer: Maybe some people's kids magically become less picky when they go to school, but I wouldn't count on it. I hated new foods as a kid and if I'd already decided I didn't like something, even all of my friends eating it wouldn't have changed my mind.
posted by serelliya at 1:12 PM on August 25, 2015
posted by serelliya at 1:12 PM on August 25, 2015
The Kiddo Vacuum Food Jar is the best hot food storage device I have encountered in 5 years of preparing school meals. I pre-heat it with hot water and the food is still hot at lunchtime.
My kid's lunch usually includes a z-bar, some crackers (goldfish/cheddar bunnies), two kinds of fruit or veg (Persian cucumbers or cherry tomatoes), a main (currently spam musubi, previously it was pasta with 2 meatballs), and a bottle of water. YKMV.
posted by mogget at 1:47 PM on August 25, 2015
My kid's lunch usually includes a z-bar, some crackers (goldfish/cheddar bunnies), two kinds of fruit or veg (Persian cucumbers or cherry tomatoes), a main (currently spam musubi, previously it was pasta with 2 meatballs), and a bottle of water. YKMV.
posted by mogget at 1:47 PM on August 25, 2015
Will she eat rolled up deli meat just by itself? That is what I often send with my non-sandwich-eating kid as the protein.
posted by fancyoats at 1:53 PM on August 25, 2015
posted by fancyoats at 1:53 PM on August 25, 2015
I'm in the same boat. I'll be loading my 4 year old up with his favorite carbs (dry cereals, tortilla chips, fresh buns, crackers) and fruit (berries, apples/applesauce, grapes) but I'll also be adding deli meat, assorted raw veggies (cucumbers, carrots, green peppers, pickles), and cheese cubes to encourage him to try them.
I really like the idea of cutting sandwiches into little shapes and will be trying that. I'm glad to hear that the kids tend to just eat what they want when they want which is what I figured, we have 2 snacks and a lunch so I'm just trying to give enough variety that he has something to eat each time.
posted by lafemma at 2:24 PM on August 25, 2015
I really like the idea of cutting sandwiches into little shapes and will be trying that. I'm glad to hear that the kids tend to just eat what they want when they want which is what I figured, we have 2 snacks and a lunch so I'm just trying to give enough variety that he has something to eat each time.
posted by lafemma at 2:24 PM on August 25, 2015
My mom used to send me to kindergarten with a packet of instant oatmeal and a thermos of hot water. (plus slices of cheese and a sliced apple)
Does she like the tubes of yogurt?
posted by aimedwander at 2:30 PM on August 25, 2015
Does she like the tubes of yogurt?
posted by aimedwander at 2:30 PM on August 25, 2015
A thermos of milk + a bag of cereal to add (have her practice at home)
Savory muffins/cheese and ham scones/buns like you get at Chinese bakeries (you can use pizza dough or we use the dough setting on our bread maker.)
Meat/tofu cube + cheese cube + cucumber + cherry tomato skewers
Piggies in blankets
Edamame as a side packs some protein
Pancakes - I load mine with oatmeal or sweet potato
Drumsticks have gone over well
My school aged child isn't picky per se but suffers sandwich fatigue every year and that's when we experiment. I agree with lots of the advice above about deconstructing lunch components.
I did fancy bento and cut out things and they each worked...once. Cubes of leftover chicken and baby carrots? Sure fire hit. There is no justice... :)
posted by warriorqueen at 3:55 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Savory muffins/cheese and ham scones/buns like you get at Chinese bakeries (you can use pizza dough or we use the dough setting on our bread maker.)
Meat/tofu cube + cheese cube + cucumber + cherry tomato skewers
Piggies in blankets
Edamame as a side packs some protein
Pancakes - I load mine with oatmeal or sweet potato
Drumsticks have gone over well
My school aged child isn't picky per se but suffers sandwich fatigue every year and that's when we experiment. I agree with lots of the advice above about deconstructing lunch components.
I did fancy bento and cut out things and they each worked...once. Cubes of leftover chicken and baby carrots? Sure fire hit. There is no justice... :)
posted by warriorqueen at 3:55 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Pasta? When I taught kids this age, a child in my classroom one year used to come with a simple, simple pasta salad made from finger-sized rigatoni noodles, steamed broccoli, a small amount of oil and a sprinkle of parm cheese. Substitute any vegetable she'll eat; it doesn't make any difference.
And just in case someone hasn't stated this yet, your job with lunch is to provide sufficient calories in some kind of vague nutritional balance. It is not explicitly to provide mains and sides; it is to provide total calories.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:22 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
And just in case someone hasn't stated this yet, your job with lunch is to provide sufficient calories in some kind of vague nutritional balance. It is not explicitly to provide mains and sides; it is to provide total calories.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:22 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also, keep in mind leftovers. Sometimes "lunch foods" are hard to make happen, but if you've recently had something she liked (hamburgers from the grill, some pasta dish, or Chinese), then hold onto a little extra for lunch later in the week. We rely on that for a lot of stuff, even if she grumbles about not getting [favorite annoying kid food] every day...
posted by acm at 4:37 PM on August 25, 2015
posted by acm at 4:37 PM on August 25, 2015
I agree that small amounts of a variety of item are appealing to kids. I involve my kid in the decision making every Sunday before we buy groceries. It will be the same food each day that week (some variety depending on ripeness of fruit). Simplifies my life! Seconding Raisin bread w cream cheese and I add thin slices of cucumber. What worked best for me, was asking classmates' parents what their kid takes for lunch. Then I state it excitedly to my kid: "Lucy's Mom said that Lucy loves sunflower seed butter and jam on rye bread, so let's have that this week!". Some more suggestions : (I had to get over my packaging issues). Seaweed in those little boxes, yogurt tubes (frozen) or drinks, cheese strings, homemade granola bars, smoothies w seeds added for protein. Tomato cucumber salad.
posted by leslievictoria at 9:37 PM on August 25, 2015
posted by leslievictoria at 9:37 PM on August 25, 2015
Best answer: Mine comes and goes with sandwiches, so sometimes I cut them with my jigsaw puzzle sandwich cutter thingie, and sometimes instead of a sandwich I pack rice cakes (the big round ones that look like packing material) or some other cracker.
Things various of my children have enjoyed in lunch boxes: little boxes of sultanas; sliced cucumbers; "school approved" chip like things (current favourite is these weird extruded potato stick things); sticks of string cheese; strawberries; rice balls; homemade seed bars; thin sandwiches of cheese or ham, cut into small pieces.
Don't forget your kid is still eating breakfast and dinner at home, and try not to get too worried about it being all super balanced and nutritious (although trying not to make every single element sugary is probably a good idea).
posted by mythical anthropomorphic amphibian at 11:29 PM on August 25, 2015
Things various of my children have enjoyed in lunch boxes: little boxes of sultanas; sliced cucumbers; "school approved" chip like things (current favourite is these weird extruded potato stick things); sticks of string cheese; strawberries; rice balls; homemade seed bars; thin sandwiches of cheese or ham, cut into small pieces.
Don't forget your kid is still eating breakfast and dinner at home, and try not to get too worried about it being all super balanced and nutritious (although trying not to make every single element sugary is probably a good idea).
posted by mythical anthropomorphic amphibian at 11:29 PM on August 25, 2015
Onigiri might be nice for this and help you get more vegetables and proteins into her diet by mixing up with the flavours she does like.
posted by tavegyl at 10:17 AM on August 26, 2015
posted by tavegyl at 10:17 AM on August 26, 2015
I loathed sandwiches when I was in school, and my favourite lunch was basically crudités. Carrot sticks, grapes, cherry tomatoes , sliced peppers, bologna diced into squares (it seemed fancy to 6 year old me!) and crackers. I don't recall having dip but hummus would be great if she likes it.
posted by peppermind at 4:55 AM on August 27, 2015
posted by peppermind at 4:55 AM on August 27, 2015
Response by poster: Thank you so much for all these responses!
I think all who suggested I am too hung up on a "main" part of the meal are absolutely right. My new plan is to just assemble a collection of various foods she will actually eat, that add up to a reasonable number of calories for the day. Greek yogurt is a great idea for the protein, which I was most worried about.
As with most things in life, I have probably been overthinking this issue. Thanks for the reality check.
posted by barnoley at 9:08 AM on August 27, 2015
I think all who suggested I am too hung up on a "main" part of the meal are absolutely right. My new plan is to just assemble a collection of various foods she will actually eat, that add up to a reasonable number of calories for the day. Greek yogurt is a great idea for the protein, which I was most worried about.
As with most things in life, I have probably been overthinking this issue. Thanks for the reality check.
posted by barnoley at 9:08 AM on August 27, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
We essentially pack the same lunch everyday:
Sandwich (jelly and butter)
one cookie
a piece of fruit (apple or pear)
juice or milk box
yogurt for the kid who likes it and not for the kid who doesn't
And that's about it.
They know what will be in their lunches each day and decide which to eat for snack and which to eat for lunch. There are no surprises and nothing unfamiliar. We save variety for home. School is strictly sustenance, so we make it easier for everyone (kid, us, and teachers) by keeping it pretty much the same every day until the kids ask for a change (which they do every now and again.)
So pick something. Stick with it for a month. Change up as she expresses desire for anything different. What you have listed looks just fine!
posted by zizzle at 11:55 AM on August 25, 2015 [3 favorites]