Kid Pleasing/Mom Happy Packed Lunches

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norgeskog

Washing Up
Joined
Aug 28, 2004
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Location
Eugene, Oregon
I found this list of helpful hints in getting your kids to eat the packed sandwiches you fix for them. My daughter loved them.

1) Stuff regular or whole wheat pita bread with tomatoe, favorite cheese (usually at this age American) and strips of crispy bacon. Fruit dessert.

2) Use oatmeal bread with muenster cheese and low sugar jam. Serve with milk and a bannana.

3) Heat chilli and pour into a wide mouth thermos. Send along a wedge of corn bread and strips of American cheese. Add jello & fruit.

4) Make trail mix of popcorn, bite sized wheat, corn or rice cereal, nuts and dried fruit. Accompanh with fresh fruit and milk.

5) Whip uo a quick salad dressing of mayonnaise and hamburger relish. Toss with leftover cooked macaroni,diced ham and American cheese. Pack in a plastic container (do not forget the fork or spoon, I did)

6) Heat canned baked beans with slices of hot dogs and spoon into wide mouth thermos. Add a couple of bread sticksl and an apple that has been cut into eighths, cored and reshaped and wrapped tightly in plastic.

7) New club: stuff sliced ham, turkey breast, crisp bacon, lettuce and tomatoe into pita.

8) Add toasted sesame seeds and carrot chunks to tuna salad.

9) This was a hit with my daughter because she did not like the texture of egg salad. Scramble eggs with their favorite chese and chopped green chillis (the ones they like). Let cool and put on a roll or bread.

10) Lightly spread chewy granola bars with whipped cream cheese seasoned with fruit juice (not too much so it gets too thin).

11) Heat canned beef tamales in chili sauce or just plain chili and put in wide mouth thermos and corn chipc or fritos to dip with.

12) Stir honey and cinnamon into plain yogurt. Pack with some granola for a crunchy topping and a slice of date bread.

My daughter thought her lunches were a little special because everyone else had PB&J which she would not eat, PB only, or tuna salad.
 
What great ideas.

My son is grown up and away from home but,
my husband would love a bunch of these things!

THANKS!
 
pdswife1 said:
What great ideas.

My son is grown up and away from home but,
my husband would love a bunch of these things!

THANKS!

my pleasure, pdswife, glad someone can use these things I used for years on my daughter who also is grown and away at college.
 
These are great ideas. My 2nd grade daughter is not to excited about the school lunches and her home made lunches have to be done with specific things. She has never been a pb&j kid either. Some of these will work very good with her. Thanks for the ideas! :D
 
The school is lunch programs are a joke.

I personally can't wait for Connor (my 2 1/2 year old son) to have the coolest lunch everyday at school.
 
I am so glad for this posting! I am trying to stay away from prepackaged lunchables and the like! (which my boys love!)

Thanks for the wonderful inspiration!
 
Thanks guys, I am happy to pass on these ideas that really worked for my daughter when she was a child. She did not like the school lunches, she would describe them by putting her index finger in her mouth and crossing her eyes.
 
Hi Norgeskog I really liked the ideas you shared. My 7 year old son hates the same old peanut butter and jelly sammies and deli style sandwiches so I am always looking for newer ideas.

I wanted to ask you though when you make pita sandwiches how do you keep them nice and rolled so things don't spill out. My son is never ready to take burritos or pita rolls because he say's it's too hard to eat.

Some other things I make for him are as follows:

I make a lot of eggrolls and freeze them. I fry up or bake a few at night. I pack it in his bag and he enjoys eating them at room temperature.

I also make home made chicken nuggets or tenders so that I have better control of the ingredients. I like to bake them and season them well so that they are not bland. My son is not a huge ketchup fan so he likes to nibble on them without a sauce.

I also make samosas (an Indian version of empanada). I stuff them with veggies or meat and keep them frozen, I fry them and send those along with him.

Finally I like to make hamburger patties and kebabs (made with ground meat or chicken) at home and give him that from time to time. I once again season them with Indian seasonings (my son's taste buds are used to cumin, corrainder, little heat from chili powder) so it's a welcomed change for him.

He refuses to carry thermos for soups etc.
 
Yakuta said:
Hi Norgeskog I really liked the ideas you shared. My 7 year old son hates the same old peanut butter and jelly sammies and deli style sandwiches so I am always looking for newer ideas.

I wanted to ask you though when you make pita sandwiches how do you keep them nice and rolled so things don't spill out. My son is never ready to take burritos or pita rolls because he say's it's too hard to eat.

I wrapped them real tight with plastic wrap or wax paper and perhaps string or a rubber band and then roll the plasttic wrap down when eating much like peeling and eating a bannana.
 
I thought this might be a good time to add any new ideas anyone had....as for me Im lost as what to include in Seth's lunch...they dont have a microwave as they did last year....just a thought
 
I struggle with packing lunches for myself that are sufficiently interesting that I don't go out for pizza and sufficiently filling that I don't end up at the candy machine at 3 in the afternoon. I've been watching this blog http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/ and it's given me some good ideas. Today's lunch was leftover homemade pizza, carrot sticks, apricots and plums, an apple, a mini-muffin sized coconut-citrus cake and soy pudding. Yesterday's was fusilli with spinach, onions and lentils (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/108885 -- very good cold!), apricots and plums, an apple, soy pudding, carrot sticks and hummus.
 
My dad used to give us those pita sandwiches. He would fill them with rotisserie chicken, mushrooms, tomato, avocado and sunflower seeds. That actually sounds good right now. I make those for my husband to take to work sometimes.

He also would get jumbo black olives and mushroom, then fill them with cream cheese. Those were good too.

Banana bread with chocolate chips. mmm
 
Does anyone ever pack rice or pasta in their kid's lunch? If so, do you heat it up then just put it int he insulated lunch bag? I always want to pack rice or pasta, but am afraid it wont taste good because it'll be eaten at room temp, since school doesn't have a microwave. Thx!
 
My 14 year old doesnt like the school lunches either thankfully. Currently she likes deli chicken, mozzarella slices, and whatever veggies, and puts them on a wrap, which is healthier than white bread.
 
I make a salad and put leftover chicken in it. I use the snack size baggies for the dressing and the croutons. I freeze juice box ,it will be thawed by lunch.

Soft taco shells lunch meat and cheese rolled up I make a sauce with mayo and salsa use the baggie for the sauce and they can dip right into it.
 
htc said:
Does anyone ever pack rice or pasta in their kid's lunch? If so, do you heat it up then just put it int he insulated lunch bag? I always want to pack rice or pasta, but am afraid it wont taste good because it'll be eaten at room temp, since school doesn't have a microwave. Thx!

First, I'd like to say...Norg, I miss you. Haven't seen you on the board in a long time. Hope you're doing well & please come back.

htc, a thought - make a cold pasta salad at home (i.e. spiral pasta mixed with veggies like broccoli florets, shredded carrots, etc.), place in a zip lock bag & put a dressing of choice in a little plastic covered small container. When ready to eat, pour the dressing into the pasta (or salad) zip lock bag & toss around to combine the dressing. Could try adding some mixed fruits chopped up (melons, grapes, etc.) in another zip lock.
 
Have you considered using a thermos? They make all plastic ones. If you warm the bottle with very hot water before putting the food in, it should be fine for lunch.
 
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