What’s for Lunch? High School Back to School Edition

August 26, 2021 9:46 AM

Parents of Metafilter - what do you recommend keeping in the fridge for a high schooler to make their own lunch to take to school every day?

I find myself in a step-parent role to a Senior in High School who just started back to in-person school.

They are a fantastic, conscientious kiddo and like to pack their own lunch the night before for school the next day. The trouble is, they stand in front of the open fridge and say there is nothing for them to eat there. I know this is in part just them being a teen (or just being a human!) but also in part that they are correct. Their dad and I usually have heated up leftovers for lunch, and that really isn’t an option for them.

So - what do the parents of metafilter recommend keeping in the fridge for a teen’s packed lunch? We have crudités, crackers, cheese, fruit (apples, bananas), trail mix, chips, and stuff to make sandwiches (both PBJ and deli meat style). We also have stuff to make a Cobb type salad. But I feel like that might get dull, and am hoping for suggestions of other options.

(Also, we have asked them what they want, and gotten them most of the things they have asked for - I’m looking for a little more out of the box, but in the lunch box, thinking.)

Thanks!

posted by susiswimmer to Food & Drink (19 answers total)

We keep fruit (e.g., clementines, which peel easily, or apples, or else sliced cucumbers); PB&J or deli meat & cheese for sandwiches; and some leftovers in dated/labelled containers. Oh, and graham crackers for the vile PB&J&GC. There are animal crackers in the cupboard, and usually homemade cookies in the pantry. If they want something besides that, they are going to have to ask specifically for it.

Honestly, they are so busy at lunch that the food isn't much paid attention to, no matter what they say at home while packing it.

Our fourth kid starts 8th grade soon, and we haven't lost a single one to malnutrition yet, even with Scouts, running, and busy social lives. :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 9:54 AM on August 26, 2021 [2 favorites]

I always really like things like pizza pretzels and pizza buns in my lunch. Very carby, but delicious and don't need to be reheated.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:55 AM on August 26, 2021

Bread, mayo, mustard, cheese, cold cuts, lettuce, tomato, and a jar of pickle spears. Pretzels, potato chips, goldfish, Oreos...
posted by emelenjr at 10:07 AM on August 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

If they would LIKE hot food/leftovers, you can get them a lunch container that would keep warm.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 10:09 AM on August 26, 2021 [4 favorites]

Does High School Senior eat yogurt? Bagels? My kids get bored of the same old things and go through phases. So, maybe mix up the kinds of chips and trail mix and also add in the occasional granola bar, pop-tart-type-thing, cheese sticks, kind of meat, and so on.

Would Senior go to the grocery store with you? Another way to get at this: "What do your friends eat?"
posted by bluedaisy at 10:17 AM on August 26, 2021 [2 favorites]

Cold pizza? Salami/summer sausage slices along with cheese and Triscuits? Beef jerky and/or meat bars? These are unheated things I eat for lunch regularly.
posted by jabes at 10:31 AM on August 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

My kid loves ramen, we put the hot broth in a thermos and the cold noodles, veg, chicken in a separate container.

One additional suggestion: make some kind of routine menu. PBJ on Monday, Turkey sandwiches on Tuesday, etc. etc. It may seem dull but I think even older kids enjoy a routine. It will make shopping easier and be one less thing to think about when things get busy.
posted by jennypower at 10:36 AM on August 26, 2021 [4 favorites]

Peanut noodles or sesame noodles. Great cold or room temperature. Easy to add in any veggies or protein that you like.

Fried Chicken + a side

Curried cous cous is great at room temp or cold.

Leftover spaghetti is fine at room temp or cold.

Honestly, I'd find a few things they like and keep them on rotation, so lunch is either A, B, or C. Too many options makes this task more difficult than it needs to be. I probably ate the same thing everyday for lunch, and bought something at school if I needed a change of pace.
posted by hydra77 at 10:41 AM on August 26, 2021

We have three highschoolers who make their own lunches and our general rule is that they should include a protein, a snack, and a fruit/vegetable.

Little pre-packed hummus and guacamole cups are favorites because they make good dips and they cover off the veggie part without much effort.

To start this year, we’ve had a few days where I bought pre-bagged salad from Aldi and send the kids with a small container of Caesar salad. That was a hit and easy to make.

Every Friday is “muffin lunch,“ where they get to just throw a package of little blueberry mini muffins in with some pretzels or chips and call it a day.
posted by AgentRocket at 10:42 AM on August 26, 2021 [2 favorites]

nice baguette, cheese, maybe salami or pepperoni.
rice crackers, carrots(sliced cucumbers, celery), hummus.
single-serve guacamole, chips, salsa
wraps - fill with rice, beans, salsa, sweet potato or any combo of deli meat, cheese, lettuce, veg. You can add some seasoned salt to cream cheese, and it's a great base for a veg. wrap.
Keep bottles of water in the freezer if you have concerns about stuff going off; the water will be ready to drink, the lunch will be cool.
absolutely 2nding peanut sauce and noodles and fruits.
If you portion chips, trail mix/granola, a few cookies or animal crackers, pickles, etc., into baggies, they can grab portions easily. It's not just having the ingredients, it's having lunch bags, baggies, etc., easily accessible. When I worked 'outside' that was a big part of starting to carry my lunch.
posted by theora55 at 11:15 AM on August 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

I have the official honor of making the best lunches ever awarded by all of the classmates of both kids, but unfortunately I don't really remember what they were. Seriously, the kids made me make extra servings so they could share.
I'll get back when I have asked the kids again. But for now:
Soba noodles with cucumber and sesame seeds, with a dressing of sesame oil, lime juice, light soy sauce and thinly sliced chili peppers.
Penne with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, feta and a dressing of olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt and pepper
We actually talked about it the other day, and the kids mentioned some sandwiches I had forgotten. And now have forgotten again. I'll guess whole rye, mayo, mustard, prosciutto, mild cheese, lettuce, tomato.
From the parent point of view, it is interesting that there was less variation than one would imagine. Six months of two favorite pasta salads is just fine, with a few surprise sandwich days.
What we talked about was why it was a succes, and the conclusion was that they liked that I listened to them and their wishes, that eventually included a larger group, I was cooking for half the class for both kids.
posted by mumimor at 11:54 AM on August 26, 2021 [4 favorites]

Might also help to make sure they know where in the fridge/cabinets the best lunch candidates are kept, especially if they don't regularly cook in the house. Or even create a designated kid lunch fridge shelf, if space allows.
posted by february at 12:08 PM on August 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

My favorite high school lunch was cold cheese tortellini with pesto. Any other kind of cold pasta or pasta salad works too!
posted by MadamM at 12:40 PM on August 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

Some things that have helped us up our lunch game...

Make at beginning of week and eat at room temp
- Potstickers
- Falafel
- Kabob
- Rice balls or gimbap
- Cold noodle salads
- Rollup sandwiches
- Meatballs
- Tonkatsu or chicken tenders

Buy and keep on hand (prepackaged or put into containers at beginning of week)
- Cheese sticks
- Nuts
- Peanut butter
- Hummus
- Carrot sticks
- Yogurt sticks
- Cut up fruit
- Pretzels/Crackers

Things to make it fun
- Containers for dipping sauces like hummus, tzatziki, sweet chili sauce, teriyaki sauce, etc.
- Nice bento boxes
- Onigiri making tools
posted by jraz at 1:13 PM on August 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

baby carrots and hummus
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:37 PM on August 26, 2021

My boys, athletes with an appetite that would not quit, would take cold mac and cheese with bacon, leftover Chinese food, pizza, and we would have bread and wedges along with meats and cheeses and lettuce to make sammies. Also, we would go to the deli the night before and get whatever they wanted for the next day. Their school also had an open campus policy for seniors so they would go pick up at the deli or sushi or bagel place, etc. I would also make a shit load of meatballs and they would make meatball parms.

Also keep hard boiled eggs in fridge. Protein shakes too were dranken often.
posted by AugustWest at 10:15 PM on August 26, 2021

A lot of lunchbox items tend to be very carb-heavy. Make sure there is easy access to protein sources--hard boiled eggs, egg bites, single serving packages of nuts, cheese sticks, yogurt cups, hummus cups, tuna salad and cracker snack packs.

Also make sure the carbs they do get have fiber--whole grain bread instead of white, granola for the yogurt, popcorn.

Also also, leak proof containers they can fill with water (or whatever it is they drink, preferably not super high in sugar or caffeine).
posted by jessica fletcher did it at 4:56 AM on August 27, 2021 [2 favorites]

I babysat by niece and nephew, and had them make their own the night before, after a grocery run where they selected things. They both hate sandwiches and are gluten sensitive. They chose peanut butter stuffed gluten free pretzels, frozen Gogurt, string cheese, berries, hummus in little cups and gluten free crackers with chips. We also made zucchini muffins,
which they took as a snack. They seemed to like being able to pick things.
posted by answergrape at 8:30 AM on August 27, 2021

Above, I said I would return after asking the kids (who are now adults). They don't remember many details either. They do remember that they didn't cook noodles, so they mainly relied on sandwiches made with wholegrain rye bread. Mayo or goat cheese, lettuce, cucumber, prosciutto or salami, a fruit, a bottle of tap water. It was all very simple, but they still felt they had the best lunches.
posted by mumimor at 9:32 PM on August 29, 2021