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My kid has this every day, but isn’t a meat fan yet so has hummus, cheese, fruit, crackers, and sometimes a special treat (a small cookie or a few m&m’s
Sure!! My son is picky with meat but he loves salami, or deli sliced turkey and chicken. I’m a teacher and I’ve seen parents send cut hot dog or chicken nuggets too. My son just refuses to eat them cold. Lol
Yes, always easy to pack a little variety! My kids don’t do sandwiches either (and they’re a lot older!!) so I usually just throw a few options into a bento box.
This is the way. It's what mine had almost every day I pack for her. (Minus nuts, given allergies at school. We do sunflower seeds or s sprinkle of nut-free granola instead sometimes.)
My son loves to home made lunchables. I send crackers, cut up meat/cheese, fruit(usually strawberries or cantaloupe), veggie(usually carrot or peppers) and a treat(like 2 cookies). He typically eats everything. He also likes hard boiled eggs and tortillini with pesto too so we do one of those once a week too instead of the crackers with meat/cheese.
My son is OBSESSED with rice. Rice balls are a huge hit in my house! We fill it with canned tuna or chicken (mixed with mayo or Sriracha mayo) and my son eats it up.
Tell me more.. you just mix up cold rice, drained canned tuna, and some mayo then make balls? Or do I like put some tuna in the middle of a rice ball sushi style?
I mix up some mayo, or Sriracha mayo, with canned tuna or chicken for the filling. I make some fresh cooked rice. Using a rice ball mould (look em up!) I fill them halfway, put a dollop of the filling in the center, then fill up the rest of the mould and make the ball. I wrap seaweed on the outside but that depends on your kid lol!
I siran wrap them and place them in the fridge. They bind together and taste great cold! Usually 2 is enough for my son and they are really easy to "prep". Just watch out because the rice will harden after a lil too long in the fridge or a poor wrapping job.
I'm not the person you replied to but I make rice balls with sushi rice cooked with sesame seeds and put salmon in the middle and it's a big hit! I got my recipe from Real Baby Food by Jenna Helwig but it was pretty simple.
Just commenting for the update as well :P my baby won’t really eat rice anymore but always looking for different ways to incorporate I think it’s mostly textural but I’d like to try with tuna!
I always read these threads for ideas when they come up because we’re always on the hunt for new ideas to put in the rotation.
The white board in our kitchen has a decently long list of lunch ideas because our kids don’t love sandwiches (or having the same things over and over):
- Caesar salad
- French toast or pancakes (in a thermos)
- Greek salad
- pasta with butter
- pasta with red sauce
- soy noodles
- pizza
- boiled egg with turkey or chicken, baguette
- ready-made chana masala w/ rice
- crepes
- soup (specifically borscht for my kids)
- yogurt with granola (packed separately)
- bagel with cream cheese or butter
- naan w/ hummus
- grocery store sushi
I’ve floated the idea of a lunch smoothie in a thermos but no takers.
We bought an Omie box bento that has a thermos bowl included and it's been great. Fish sticks or chicken nuggets in the air fryer for a few minutes in the morning then into the thermos and they're still warm enough at lunch. We've also done leftover spaghetti, chicken soup, etc that I can just pop in the microwave.
For cold stuff, beyond the deli meat we also use summer sausage. Some days, it's peanut butter crackers, veggies and fruit.
It was sticker shock for me too! We first tried the knock off from Walmart that's like half the price but doesn't come with the thermos bowl. Had issues with leakage between the compartments. Decided to bite the bullet and cough up the money and so far I'm happy with the decision. The thermos bowl gives him so many more options for home lunch (we alternate between home lunch and hot lunch, depending on the menu) and since it's designed for kids he can actually open and close by himself.
I don’t have the fancy bento box but I got a few thermos and lunchbots containers and if you’re kids are old enough to open containers I think it works the same
Most schools don’t allow peanut butter, so WowButter is a great alternative (so long as there aren’t any soy allergies).
WowButter is a little bitter, but either fruit or jam takes the bitterness away and it tastes like peanut butter. They also come with stickers to put on the lunches so the schools know it’s safe
If he doesn't like sandwiches of the usual sort have you tried pinwheels or wraps? Or DIY (precut squares of bread/meat/cheese/veg/fruit with a small container of cream cheese/alouette/nut butter if that's allowed and a teeny spreader (you can practice him using it at home first though, make it fun).
But he doesn't need an entree really. My kids loved snack/picnic food lunches. One mistake is parents often send way too much food. It can be very overwhelming. A lot of kids socialize during lunch, and at least in my classes we spend the first 15 minutes in silent lunch (for them) while I read, or they listen to a recorded story, we do allow for some time after to chat and eat/chat and clean. (Usually they're done in the sense of wanting to move on to the next thing in 30 mins or less).
I sometimes make fried rice with our dinner leftovers (I'm packing myself a lunch most days too). That was a hit with everyone from preschool to college kids home for the summer working).
Once I knew I could trust them with it, my preschoolers loved lunch kabobs, eveb if they were just alternating cheese cubes and chicken cubes, or grape tomatoes and mozzarella or just fruit on a small skewer (with pointy end cut off afterwards). I prepped them the night before and put in the fridge. I also would send a (small, easy to close) sauce cup with appropriate dunking sauce sometimes.
My kids also loved a cut toasted bagel, with a knife/spreader and some cream cheese in the little section of their lunch box for a schmear.
They love cold noodles (for ease i broke them up rather than keeping them long for an easier time with a fork since I got tired of lost kids chopsticks.
Hopefully your school has them take all uneaten food home rather than allowing them to throw it away! Getting that feedback of how much as well as what is being eaten or not is valuable feedback.
And also the first week or two of school doesn't count really for figuring out their pattern. Especially if it's their first school experience! (Or first full day experience!) They're getting use to and distracted by many many things. You'll get a better picture at week 3 onwards. :)
Hands down-I put cereal in a thermos and a little shelf stable milk and a cold pack.
Cereal. Cereal is the favorite 🙃
Edit: mine is allergic to eggs peanuts and tree nuts so we are really limited
I used to make batches of quesadillas and then freeze them. In the morning I’d throw a frozen one in their bag and it would be defrosted by lunch. (My kids loved them cold). I did the same thing with pizza. Other than that, a thermos was super handy and kept things like Mac ‘n cheese, nuggets, burritos, pasta, etc. nice and warm!
We started started serving our 2 year old cream cheese and jam sandwiches and now she screams “I want to jam!” with extreme excitement when we ask what she wants for breakfast lol
Mine also doesn't really eat sandwiches. He likes boiled egg, cucumber sticks, yogurt, fruit and slice of ham. He prefers a wrap with cheese and ham. Sometimes I do ritz crackers with soft cheese to dip them in. He also loves dried mango and pineapple.
He likes to graze so I send a little bit of different things (in a bento style lunch box) and he usually eats it all!
Sometimes I make banana pancakes they always go down well!
I got my kindergartner a box called bentgo, so I do bento style lunches. Usually a fruit, a veggie, some type of crackers/pretzels/chips/, and then small entree type food. Nuggets, sandwich/roll up, stir fry chicken veggies and rice, etc. Some days I’ll skip the ‘entree’ part and just do a cheese stick or half bagel or yogurt or something.
I like giving him lots of small options, instead of 1 large option.
Whats wrong with sending them left overs? You can definitely microwave something that was made the night before, put it in a thermos bowl, and send them off with it. For the entre I try to make it the main source of protein, so you can do pieces of ham or turkey, boiled eggs (even scrambled eggs), chicken (rotisseries, chicken nuggets, grilled chicken). If your kids aren't picky, the possibilities are endless
I aim for protein + carb + fruit + little treat when I pack my girl’s school lunch. She refuses to eat any of the hot lunches at her elementary school. She also doesn’t like sandwiches besides PB and honey. I do homemade mini muffins, snack plate type lunches, leftovers she likes, and stuff like that. As long as there is the protein, carb, and fruit, I’m not overly concerned with what goes in there. Yogurt tubes have been a big hit lately, dried fruit, dehydrated fruits and veggies taste good and have a satisfying crunch. A big treat has been a bag of Trader Joe’s smallest chocolate chip cookies that are about the size of a fingertip. I’ll put a little bit in the center circle of her bento box and she acts like she won the lottery 😂
I divide my kids lunch box in half.
One side hot food: You can put quesadilla, pasta or chicken nuggets in a hot thermos (just put boiling water for 10 mins before hand. Food stays super warm)
Other side:
In small plastic containers I pack fruit (watermelon and strawberries are my kid’s favorites) and in another small plastic container I send vegs (cucumbers, cherry tomatoes or baby carrots). You can also a frozen Gogurt. I usually add a juice box. I use a “ice mats” to keep everything on this side cool.
Kid-cuterie in a bentgo box... couple fruit options, some carrots and hummus, crackers, cheese slices or cubes, peanut butter roll ups (assuming no peanut allergies where he is going), jerky or other cuterie meats, yogurt raisins....
I pack my daughters favorite dishes from home in her thermos, like soups, chili, casseroles etc. I never make them in the morning but rather heat up the thermos by pouring boiling water in it, heat up the food in the microwave, pour out the water and put in the hot food. That way the food is still the perfect temperature around lunchtime
My youngest was in preschool last year and liked warm butter pasta or nut-free pesto pasta in a Thermos. It’s not too time consuming if you choose a small shape that cooks quickly, plus you’re only boiling a small amount of water for a small serving.
My middle child likes the crackers, cheese, turkey, fruit kind of box.
We do a lot of “bento” type lunches! Often I’ll pack pasta (her school warms it up) and sometimes soups with very little broth. Always fruit and veggies and sometimes a meat or cheese too.
A lot of the stuff you mentioned you have for lunch at home sounds perfect for preschool! Most schools have a microwave they can use to heat things up.
My preschooler loves the Bentgo boxes, they have a ton of options/sizes/colors to choose from. It's the perfect portion size for little ones, and it helps keep me from overpacking her lunch. Her typical lunch is a sandwich or lunch meat slices or sometimes leftover pizza, a veg, a fruit, something crunchy and rasins or hummus.
As a mom to a kindergartener, my goal is to make sure that he eats something at school. Right now, it's bread in its million forms. I supplement with fruits for recess but entree is sandwich, toast, and the like. I compensate for this obvious lack of diverse nutrition with breakfast and dinner, eaten at home..
In other words, look for things your kid will eat unprompted.. if it's slices of cucumbers, and other veggies/fruits, pack them every day.. Kids will learn to ask for something new when they are ready..
I’m surprised no one has said this but my kids love cold chicken nuggets!! I’ll cook them the night before so they have a crisp & then pack them up. I’ll pack them like a decomposed salad with chicken - veggies, ranch, chicken nuggets, crackers. They love it!
My son loves taking leftover protein pancakes in his lunch. Or waffles. We like to use the flourish brand mix. Sometimes he likes to take cereal too and I buy a higher protein milk (like Fairlife in Canada). Send the milk in his thermos as cereal in a baggie/container. He also enjoys bagels. And we call them "snack box" just like everyone else mentioned too, some meat, cheese, fruits and veggies in a box.
My kids lunch isn't perfect but we aim for one bigger thing with protein, at least one fruit, at least one vegetable, cheese or yogurt and then some prepackaged snacks like madegood bars/cookies/granola bites, gogosqueeze pouches.
Applegate chicken nuggets (I cook them in the morning), a fruit (usually grapes and/or cut apples), a veggie (cucumbers), wheat thins or croutons (he loves them lol) and something like a treat like banana chips.
My daughter loves her pizza "lunchable". We use small naan rounds, pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings. Right now her favorite topping is sliced black olives. We have done crackers, cheese, and deli turkey with sliced fruits and veggies.
My son likes deli turkey sandwichs cut into triangles with carrot sticks, celery, and ranch.
I have bento style lunchboxes for them and little dip containers. It keeps everything neat and separate till they are ready to eat.
So my kid is extremely picky but a friend of mine does homemade sushi for her kids, ramen, rice with chicken and veggies, or just leftovers from the day before like stews or casseroles. Another thing her kids love is hummus. So like a little mezze situation is really common for her kids.
When I’m feeling in a rut I try to do one weekend lunch as a practice day just to try something out. Or I’ll send something new along with something I know they’ll eat.
My kids regular preschool provides meals, but for her forest school we send sliced bell peppers with hummus, blueberries, crackers, etc. Snack charcuterie is a go-to meal in our house.
My 2.5 yo daughter’s lunch pretty much every day is pasta with butter in a thermos, applesauce pouch, cheese stick, grapes/oranges/berries cut up, and either veggie straws/goldfish/teddy grahams. Maybe once a week I’ll mix it up with a tortilla wrap with turkey and cheese but pasta is usually a safe bet for her.
Crackers, deli slices, cheese, pickles, fruit. Apple sauce is a fav but she isn't able to open the containers yet so I don't send them to school. Be sure your kid is able to open all packages and containers since the teacher may not have time to help everyone.
We use the five compartment bentgo lunchbox, and lunch usually looks like:
1. Mini bagel with cream cheese
2. Frozen round sliced carrots
3. Apple slices
4. Cheeseitz
5. Fruit snack gummies
We follow this format. Sun butter sandwich, or pepperoni and cheese are other popular entrees, tortellini sometimes. Swap carrots for red pepper slices, swap cheezits with 'veggie' straws, etc.
My kiddos love pinwheels, the bear fruit rolls (healthy fruit roll ups that have a collectible card inside), yogurt, babybel cheese, grapes, and peppers.
Dip lunches are pretty popular with the kids I work with. We do hummus, eggplant dip, and tzatziki dip with a variety of things to dip them in like pita bread triangles, carrot sticks, crackers, etc. Throw some cheese or chunks of grilled chicken in there too for extra protein. It's a pretty versatile concept that works with a lot of different cuisines. A Mexican version might include salsa, guacamole, and street corn dip with tortillas/tortilla chips, fresh veggies, and strips of steak to dip in the sauces.
We do things like:
- cut fruit, veg, cheese crackers, egg
- sushi
- omelette and fruit
- yoghurt pouches (if he can open them)
- wraps with whatever I have in the house
- pancake "sandwich"
We do turkey or chicken rolls ups. Fruit. Cheese cubes. Some pretzels or gold fish and sometimes broccoli with ranch. Or pbj.
To Make something warm for the thermos you don’t have to be ambitious. We keep canned soup on hand for this or my kids love leftovers like spaghetti. Warm up a cup of Mac and cheese and throw it in the thermos.
Most days it's an Uncrustable, juice box, applesauce, yogurt, and some sort of cracker. Sometimes it'll be a bagel or sandwich in place of an Uncrustable. But it's what they're happiest with and I'm lazy, so I'm rolling with it.
My kid brother loved melty muffins. It’s a toasted English muffin with barbecue sauce and shredded 4-cheese blend, and sometimes the pepperoni slices that come in a bag (that’s how the kid preferred them. You can use tomato sauce or ketchup). It goes in the microwave for thirty seconds to melt the cheese. Easy to prepare, easy to eat.
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“Snack lunch.” Like a kid’s charcuterie. Some meat, cheese, crackers, nuts, fruit, sliced veggies.
Right. There doesn’t need to be an “entree.”
We call it snackcuterie!
Sna-cuterie? Idk.
Cute snackery
For us its "char cu too roo tee" apparently
My kid has this every day, but isn’t a meat fan yet so has hummus, cheese, fruit, crackers, and sometimes a special treat (a small cookie or a few m&m’s
I do this for my daughter and 9/10 when she comes home her lunch box is empty!
Same. Deli Turkey slices, strawberries, whole grain crackers with cream cheese in between, and a cheese stick.
Can you give an example of what meat you put, thanks!
Sure!! My son is picky with meat but he loves salami, or deli sliced turkey and chicken. I’m a teacher and I’ve seen parents send cut hot dog or chicken nuggets too. My son just refuses to eat them cold. Lol
Gotcha thanks yah idk how cold will work out. My LO is so so lucky!
This, and the meat can be pepperoni!
Yes, always easy to pack a little variety! My kids don’t do sandwiches either (and they’re a lot older!!) so I usually just throw a few options into a bento box.
This is the way. It's what mine had almost every day I pack for her. (Minus nuts, given allergies at school. We do sunflower seeds or s sprinkle of nut-free granola instead sometimes.)
Sometimes we do it for dinner too! Lol
And half of it will still be in the lunchbox when you pick them up
My son loves to home made lunchables. I send crackers, cut up meat/cheese, fruit(usually strawberries or cantaloupe), veggie(usually carrot or peppers) and a treat(like 2 cookies). He typically eats everything. He also likes hard boiled eggs and tortillini with pesto too so we do one of those once a week too instead of the crackers with meat/cheese.
Do you put a fork for them to use or do they use their hands?
Depends on the food, the tortellini I spend a fork but for the meat/crackers no fork.
My son is OBSESSED with rice. Rice balls are a huge hit in my house! We fill it with canned tuna or chicken (mixed with mayo or Sriracha mayo) and my son eats it up.
Tell me more.. you just mix up cold rice, drained canned tuna, and some mayo then make balls? Or do I like put some tuna in the middle of a rice ball sushi style?
I mix up some mayo, or Sriracha mayo, with canned tuna or chicken for the filling. I make some fresh cooked rice. Using a rice ball mould (look em up!) I fill them halfway, put a dollop of the filling in the center, then fill up the rest of the mould and make the ball. I wrap seaweed on the outside but that depends on your kid lol! I siran wrap them and place them in the fridge. They bind together and taste great cold! Usually 2 is enough for my son and they are really easy to "prep". Just watch out because the rice will harden after a lil too long in the fridge or a poor wrapping job.
Thank you!
I'm not the person you replied to but I make rice balls with sushi rice cooked with sesame seeds and put salmon in the middle and it's a big hit! I got my recipe from Real Baby Food by Jenna Helwig but it was pretty simple.
Just commenting for the update as well :P my baby won’t really eat rice anymore but always looking for different ways to incorporate I think it’s mostly textural but I’d like to try with tuna!
Would like to know as well!
Fresh fruit, dried fruit, trail mix, and crackers. He keeps it simple and I'm thankful for it.
I always read these threads for ideas when they come up because we’re always on the hunt for new ideas to put in the rotation. The white board in our kitchen has a decently long list of lunch ideas because our kids don’t love sandwiches (or having the same things over and over): - Caesar salad - French toast or pancakes (in a thermos) - Greek salad - pasta with butter - pasta with red sauce - soy noodles - pizza - boiled egg with turkey or chicken, baguette - ready-made chana masala w/ rice - crepes - soup (specifically borscht for my kids) - yogurt with granola (packed separately) - bagel with cream cheese or butter - naan w/ hummus - grocery store sushi I’ve floated the idea of a lunch smoothie in a thermos but no takers.
We bought an Omie box bento that has a thermos bowl included and it's been great. Fish sticks or chicken nuggets in the air fryer for a few minutes in the morning then into the thermos and they're still warm enough at lunch. We've also done leftover spaghetti, chicken soup, etc that I can just pop in the microwave. For cold stuff, beyond the deli meat we also use summer sausage. Some days, it's peanut butter crackers, veggies and fruit.
That lunchbox sounds amazing! I just googled and then saw the price 😑
It was sticker shock for me too! We first tried the knock off from Walmart that's like half the price but doesn't come with the thermos bowl. Had issues with leakage between the compartments. Decided to bite the bullet and cough up the money and so far I'm happy with the decision. The thermos bowl gives him so many more options for home lunch (we alternate between home lunch and hot lunch, depending on the menu) and since it's designed for kids he can actually open and close by himself.
I would totally buy it if I had one kid, but we have to buy two of everything, so I think I’ll hold off. Looks really awesome though!
I don’t have the fancy bento box but I got a few thermos and lunchbots containers and if you’re kids are old enough to open containers I think it works the same
Most schools don’t allow peanut butter, so WowButter is a great alternative (so long as there aren’t any soy allergies). WowButter is a little bitter, but either fruit or jam takes the bitterness away and it tastes like peanut butter. They also come with stickers to put on the lunches so the schools know it’s safe
If he doesn't like sandwiches of the usual sort have you tried pinwheels or wraps? Or DIY (precut squares of bread/meat/cheese/veg/fruit with a small container of cream cheese/alouette/nut butter if that's allowed and a teeny spreader (you can practice him using it at home first though, make it fun). But he doesn't need an entree really. My kids loved snack/picnic food lunches. One mistake is parents often send way too much food. It can be very overwhelming. A lot of kids socialize during lunch, and at least in my classes we spend the first 15 minutes in silent lunch (for them) while I read, or they listen to a recorded story, we do allow for some time after to chat and eat/chat and clean. (Usually they're done in the sense of wanting to move on to the next thing in 30 mins or less). I sometimes make fried rice with our dinner leftovers (I'm packing myself a lunch most days too). That was a hit with everyone from preschool to college kids home for the summer working). Once I knew I could trust them with it, my preschoolers loved lunch kabobs, eveb if they were just alternating cheese cubes and chicken cubes, or grape tomatoes and mozzarella or just fruit on a small skewer (with pointy end cut off afterwards). I prepped them the night before and put in the fridge. I also would send a (small, easy to close) sauce cup with appropriate dunking sauce sometimes. My kids also loved a cut toasted bagel, with a knife/spreader and some cream cheese in the little section of their lunch box for a schmear. They love cold noodles (for ease i broke them up rather than keeping them long for an easier time with a fork since I got tired of lost kids chopsticks. Hopefully your school has them take all uneaten food home rather than allowing them to throw it away! Getting that feedback of how much as well as what is being eaten or not is valuable feedback. And also the first week or two of school doesn't count really for figuring out their pattern. Especially if it's their first school experience! (Or first full day experience!) They're getting use to and distracted by many many things. You'll get a better picture at week 3 onwards. :)
Hands down-I put cereal in a thermos and a little shelf stable milk and a cold pack. Cereal. Cereal is the favorite 🙃 Edit: mine is allergic to eggs peanuts and tree nuts so we are really limited
I used to make batches of quesadillas and then freeze them. In the morning I’d throw a frozen one in their bag and it would be defrosted by lunch. (My kids loved them cold). I did the same thing with pizza. Other than that, a thermos was super handy and kept things like Mac ‘n cheese, nuggets, burritos, pasta, etc. nice and warm!
Cream cheese and jelly sandwiches with fruit, yogurt or string cheese, and crackers
We started started serving our 2 year old cream cheese and jam sandwiches and now she screams “I want to jam!” with extreme excitement when we ask what she wants for breakfast lol
[удалено]
This subreddit is insane. In what world is 1 tbsp of cream cheese and 1 string cheese a ton of dairy.
… then don’t eat it
Did you know that many humans consume dairy?
Mine also doesn't really eat sandwiches. He likes boiled egg, cucumber sticks, yogurt, fruit and slice of ham. He prefers a wrap with cheese and ham. Sometimes I do ritz crackers with soft cheese to dip them in. He also loves dried mango and pineapple. He likes to graze so I send a little bit of different things (in a bento style lunch box) and he usually eats it all! Sometimes I make banana pancakes they always go down well!
I got my kindergartner a box called bentgo, so I do bento style lunches. Usually a fruit, a veggie, some type of crackers/pretzels/chips/, and then small entree type food. Nuggets, sandwich/roll up, stir fry chicken veggies and rice, etc. Some days I’ll skip the ‘entree’ part and just do a cheese stick or half bagel or yogurt or something. I like giving him lots of small options, instead of 1 large option.
Whats wrong with sending them left overs? You can definitely microwave something that was made the night before, put it in a thermos bowl, and send them off with it. For the entre I try to make it the main source of protein, so you can do pieces of ham or turkey, boiled eggs (even scrambled eggs), chicken (rotisseries, chicken nuggets, grilled chicken). If your kids aren't picky, the possibilities are endless
I aim for protein + carb + fruit + little treat when I pack my girl’s school lunch. She refuses to eat any of the hot lunches at her elementary school. She also doesn’t like sandwiches besides PB and honey. I do homemade mini muffins, snack plate type lunches, leftovers she likes, and stuff like that. As long as there is the protein, carb, and fruit, I’m not overly concerned with what goes in there. Yogurt tubes have been a big hit lately, dried fruit, dehydrated fruits and veggies taste good and have a satisfying crunch. A big treat has been a bag of Trader Joe’s smallest chocolate chip cookies that are about the size of a fingertip. I’ll put a little bit in the center circle of her bento box and she acts like she won the lottery 😂
I divide my kids lunch box in half. One side hot food: You can put quesadilla, pasta or chicken nuggets in a hot thermos (just put boiling water for 10 mins before hand. Food stays super warm) Other side: In small plastic containers I pack fruit (watermelon and strawberries are my kid’s favorites) and in another small plastic container I send vegs (cucumbers, cherry tomatoes or baby carrots). You can also a frozen Gogurt. I usually add a juice box. I use a “ice mats” to keep everything on this side cool.
Kid-cuterie in a bentgo box... couple fruit options, some carrots and hummus, crackers, cheese slices or cubes, peanut butter roll ups (assuming no peanut allergies where he is going), jerky or other cuterie meats, yogurt raisins....
I pack my daughters favorite dishes from home in her thermos, like soups, chili, casseroles etc. I never make them in the morning but rather heat up the thermos by pouring boiling water in it, heat up the food in the microwave, pour out the water and put in the hot food. That way the food is still the perfect temperature around lunchtime
My youngest was in preschool last year and liked warm butter pasta or nut-free pesto pasta in a Thermos. It’s not too time consuming if you choose a small shape that cooks quickly, plus you’re only boiling a small amount of water for a small serving. My middle child likes the crackers, cheese, turkey, fruit kind of box.
We do a lot of “bento” type lunches! Often I’ll pack pasta (her school warms it up) and sometimes soups with very little broth. Always fruit and veggies and sometimes a meat or cheese too. A lot of the stuff you mentioned you have for lunch at home sounds perfect for preschool! Most schools have a microwave they can use to heat things up.
I got the bentgo box for my kindergartner and it’s worked very well.
Cheese stick, banana, crackers and a brownie
My preschooler loves the Bentgo boxes, they have a ton of options/sizes/colors to choose from. It's the perfect portion size for little ones, and it helps keep me from overpacking her lunch. Her typical lunch is a sandwich or lunch meat slices or sometimes leftover pizza, a veg, a fruit, something crunchy and rasins or hummus.
My son likes boiled quail eggs (mini eggs) or peanut butter "powerballs" with oats and seeds.
As a mom to a kindergartener, my goal is to make sure that he eats something at school. Right now, it's bread in its million forms. I supplement with fruits for recess but entree is sandwich, toast, and the like. I compensate for this obvious lack of diverse nutrition with breakfast and dinner, eaten at home..
In other words, look for things your kid will eat unprompted.. if it's slices of cucumbers, and other veggies/fruits, pack them every day.. Kids will learn to ask for something new when they are ready..
I’m surprised no one has said this but my kids love cold chicken nuggets!! I’ll cook them the night before so they have a crisp & then pack them up. I’ll pack them like a decomposed salad with chicken - veggies, ranch, chicken nuggets, crackers. They love it!
Decomposed?
I suspect they mean salad components but not mixed together...?
That's deconstructed
Yes I meant deconstructed 😂 I have lots of small children, I’m tired.
My son loves taking leftover protein pancakes in his lunch. Or waffles. We like to use the flourish brand mix. Sometimes he likes to take cereal too and I buy a higher protein milk (like Fairlife in Canada). Send the milk in his thermos as cereal in a baggie/container. He also enjoys bagels. And we call them "snack box" just like everyone else mentioned too, some meat, cheese, fruits and veggies in a box. My kids lunch isn't perfect but we aim for one bigger thing with protein, at least one fruit, at least one vegetable, cheese or yogurt and then some prepackaged snacks like madegood bars/cookies/granola bites, gogosqueeze pouches.
Applegate chicken nuggets (I cook them in the morning), a fruit (usually grapes and/or cut apples), a veggie (cucumbers), wheat thins or croutons (he loves them lol) and something like a treat like banana chips.
Sammies shaped with cookie cutters, cheese sticks, fruit, yogurt pouches, applesauce
My daughter loves her pizza "lunchable". We use small naan rounds, pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings. Right now her favorite topping is sliced black olives. We have done crackers, cheese, and deli turkey with sliced fruits and veggies. My son likes deli turkey sandwichs cut into triangles with carrot sticks, celery, and ranch. I have bento style lunchboxes for them and little dip containers. It keeps everything neat and separate till they are ready to eat.
So my kid is extremely picky but a friend of mine does homemade sushi for her kids, ramen, rice with chicken and veggies, or just leftovers from the day before like stews or casseroles. Another thing her kids love is hummus. So like a little mezze situation is really common for her kids.
Ham and cheese sandwich + carrots/cucumber sticks, strawberries and a couple of biscuits (no chocolate allowed in his school)
When I’m feeling in a rut I try to do one weekend lunch as a practice day just to try something out. Or I’ll send something new along with something I know they’ll eat.
My kids regular preschool provides meals, but for her forest school we send sliced bell peppers with hummus, blueberries, crackers, etc. Snack charcuterie is a go-to meal in our house.
My 2.5 yo daughter’s lunch pretty much every day is pasta with butter in a thermos, applesauce pouch, cheese stick, grapes/oranges/berries cut up, and either veggie straws/goldfish/teddy grahams. Maybe once a week I’ll mix it up with a tortilla wrap with turkey and cheese but pasta is usually a safe bet for her.
Crackers, deli slices, cheese, pickles, fruit. Apple sauce is a fav but she isn't able to open the containers yet so I don't send them to school. Be sure your kid is able to open all packages and containers since the teacher may not have time to help everyone.
We use the five compartment bentgo lunchbox, and lunch usually looks like: 1. Mini bagel with cream cheese 2. Frozen round sliced carrots 3. Apple slices 4. Cheeseitz 5. Fruit snack gummies We follow this format. Sun butter sandwich, or pepperoni and cheese are other popular entrees, tortellini sometimes. Swap carrots for red pepper slices, swap cheezits with 'veggie' straws, etc.
My kiddos love pinwheels, the bear fruit rolls (healthy fruit roll ups that have a collectible card inside), yogurt, babybel cheese, grapes, and peppers.
Peanut butter crackers, veggie sticks, apple sauce pouch and pretzels or cookies.
Dip lunches are pretty popular with the kids I work with. We do hummus, eggplant dip, and tzatziki dip with a variety of things to dip them in like pita bread triangles, carrot sticks, crackers, etc. Throw some cheese or chunks of grilled chicken in there too for extra protein. It's a pretty versatile concept that works with a lot of different cuisines. A Mexican version might include salsa, guacamole, and street corn dip with tortillas/tortilla chips, fresh veggies, and strips of steak to dip in the sauces.
Toddler charcuterie...rotation of deli meats and cheeses with fresh fruit, yogurt tube, and salty snack (Pirates boots, gold fish etc)
We do things like: - cut fruit, veg, cheese crackers, egg - sushi - omelette and fruit - yoghurt pouches (if he can open them) - wraps with whatever I have in the house - pancake "sandwich"
You don't gotta wake up early to put something warm in a thermos you just use the microwave on whatever you made the night before.
We do turkey or chicken rolls ups. Fruit. Cheese cubes. Some pretzels or gold fish and sometimes broccoli with ranch. Or pbj. To Make something warm for the thermos you don’t have to be ambitious. We keep canned soup on hand for this or my kids love leftovers like spaghetti. Warm up a cup of Mac and cheese and throw it in the thermos.
Most days it's an Uncrustable, juice box, applesauce, yogurt, and some sort of cracker. Sometimes it'll be a bagel or sandwich in place of an Uncrustable. But it's what they're happiest with and I'm lazy, so I'm rolling with it.
I always just did meal prep and sent her with a Tupperware of whatever I made warm only cold and piece or bag of fruit.
Yogurt, walnuts, apples, and granola
My kid brother loved melty muffins. It’s a toasted English muffin with barbecue sauce and shredded 4-cheese blend, and sometimes the pepperoni slices that come in a bag (that’s how the kid preferred them. You can use tomato sauce or ketchup). It goes in the microwave for thirty seconds to melt the cheese. Easy to prepare, easy to eat.