Spin-off: What do your (home) school lunches look like?

[LauraQ]

After reading about school lunches in France (oh how I envied french students from the moment I first learned of them in 7th grade French class, and on through 5 more years of French classes ending my senior year in high school), I was curious about what other HSers do for lunch.

 

When we started, I had more time at home but less money (I now work 36+ hrs a week as an ER nurse). From the get-go I wanted to feed my children well, and did not want to resort to sandwiches every day. Soup was often on the menu as it is affordable and nutritious (and I almost always make them from scratch rather than opening a can) and go nicely with fruits and homemade breads. Snacks included things like our favorites: peanut butter & apple sauce on wheat crackers or celery with cream cheese or cut veggies with hummus. When we did do sandwiches, we ate good peanut butter with low-sugar fruit spreads (or just sliced bananas or apples or mashed berries with a little sugar sprinkled on top, or pb with honey) or leftover meat (healthier than "lunch meat") and always with 100% whole grain bread, preferably home-made.

 

Now that I'm busier but have more money, we eat more fish, leaner meats, and more fresh veggies with cool sauces, and lunch mostly involves leftovers of last night's dinner. However, my kids have gotten into the homemade soup craze, and at 12 & 14 often make their own homemade soups for lunch--I just stock lots of veggies, low-sodium broths, and also pre-cook (and lightly season) chicken breasts, ground beef, etc. for them to use in their soups.

 

I agree with long lunch breaks. I love that my kids have enough time to make their own lunches as I know that when they are on their own, they will be able to make healthy one-person meals for themselves.

 

Of course, we often have a couple days a week where the kids eat unhealthy things, too ;-) Both of them love Ramen (NO idea why) & Chef Boyardee, and both love to buy these Deli Creation sandwiches at the store. I give in to these purchase requests, but limit the number so that they have no choice but to rely on healthier fare for all but a couple lunches in any given week.

 

I also keep a huge plastic bin on my kitchen counter filled with apple sauce cups, raisin boxes, Kashi granola bars and fruit cups. These are snack foods for everyone to grab whenever. I also try to keep fresh fruit in stock, but they often eat all that I buy in a few days, and then have half the week to suffer through with only frozen & sauced fruits until I get to the store again.

[DianeW88]

One of my favorite cookbooks for kids' lunches is "Lunch Boxes and Snacks" by Annabel Karmel. We make (and love) lots of things from it. Especially her pasta salads (which include lots of veggies)....which we eat quite a bit for lunch around here. Here's a link to it on Amazon.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Lunch-Boxes-Snacks-delicious-sandwiches/dp/1416548920/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271958030&sr=8-1

 

Diane W.

[dhudson]

All natural made from scratch bean and cheese burritos are a big hit at my house with a side of veggies and fruit. Lots of home made soup and my little girl likes wheat thins, babybell cheese and all-natural ham slices with veggies in homemade ranch. I like hummus, all-natural turkey and tomatoes on a matzo cracker.

[Nicole M]

I have always said that "lunch" is the hardest part of homeschooling. I think it's partly because I have to scurry to my job in the afternoon. The French schools thread has gotten me to thinking about how to make our lunches less hurried and more intentional and nutritious. Thanks for asking this question.

[Carrie12345]

Lunch is often pb&j sandwiches (whole grain bread and usually fresh ground pb, but almost always bad-for-you jam) with raw vegetables or fruit.

 

I do not enjoy cooking, so I try to save as much motivation as possible for dinner. ;)

I do sometimes make wraps with leftovers, and my dds occasionally have a Big Salad. Once in a while we'll do tuna or egg salad. But, yeah, lunch is pretty boring around here!

[Tracy in Ky]

Often we just eat leftovers from previous suppers (that is what we ate today--last night's supper: leftover deer roast, potatoes, carrots, broccoli/cauliflower). Yesterday was tuna and fruit for the kids and pbj and fruit for me. My son loves cheese and pep. tortillias, and we sometimes have grilled cheese sandwiches.

 

Lunch isn't very exciting around here; I just try to make sure it is generally healthy (although those cheese and pep. tortillias are't healthy :glare:) :D

[Kathleen in VA]

I'm ashamed to admit that both breakfast and lunch around here are hit or miss, dyi propositions. I am one of those kinds of folks who never gave much thought to food until I got married. If I get busy, I forget to eat. As a wife and mom, I've really had to try hard to put some effort into it and it is still a struggle (coming up on anniversary #24). The French school lunch thread has got me thinking that I really need to get my act together and start thinking not just about food, but about atmosphere and presentation as well. It's kind of hard though when the family table doubles as a work station for school, crafts, computer repair, games, sewing, etc.

[MamaT]

We usually eat leftovers from the night before or a big salad. If there are no leftovers, sometimes I cook pasta or make tuna salad or something. Lunch is nothing special around here. Sometimes my kids even eat at different times, depending on when they get to a stopping point in their schoolwork.

[jenn-]

I am embarrassed to admit what my kids eat for lunch. I guess that is a good sign it is time for a change. I am going to check out the book that was recommended. Any other recommendations would be helpful.

[Daisy]

Most common lunches around here...

 

PB & Honey, cut-up raw veggies, fruit

Tuna fish

salad with the works (daughter likes it with feta, nuts, veggies, dried fruit, etc.)

some cheese, crusty bread, and handful of olives.

left-overs a lot (homemade soups, pinto beans, left-over meat used in salad, etc.)

hummus with veggies and flat bread

pita stuffed with tabouli

 

I don't cook lunch. The kids fend and get what they want (well, it has to pass my inspection & I don't keep junk in the house).

[Karen in CO]

Most common lunches around here...

 

 

 

I don't cook lunch. The kids fend and get what they want (well, it has to pass my inspection & I don't keep junk in the house).

 

Me too -

but I always eat pb&j for lunch ever since i was in about 5th grade.

[The Girls' Mom]

Most of the time, we are on your own for breakfast and lunch.

 

Somethings the kids routinely make for themselves:

 

Leftovers...when we have them.

 

Tortillia roll ups (with ingredients that range from cream cheese and fruit, to cheese and beans)

 

Sandwiches (again a broad range of fillings...and sometimes they use the sandwhich maker for a hot sandwich)

 

Soups, chili, etc.

 

Eggs and toast

 

Crackers and toppings (peanut butter, chicken/tuna salad, etc)

 

I try to keep lots of fruit, healthi-er lunch meat (low sodium, no fillers) cheeses, etc.

[gandpsmommy]

Well, sometimes we eat leftovers from yesterday's dinner. Sometimes we eat sandwiches (deli meat, grilled cheese, tuna, peanut butter and jam) on whole grain bread. We usually have some kind of fresh fruit and/or veggies with it. Occasionally we will make pizza, macaroni and cheese, or something else. Today we didn't really have enough leftovers or good sandwich makings, so I grilled a few boneless, skinless, chicken bre8sts, warmed up some rice from last night, cut up some veggies to serve with dill dip, cut up a few fresh pears, and offered salad.

[FaithManor]

Three of our typical home lunches:

 

1. Meatless spaghetti - homemade sauce made from home grown tomatoes and some - not all - home grown herbs plus a box of Full Circle organic angel hair pasta.

Parmesan Cheese

Caesar Salad

Carrot Sticks (for the one that won't eat salad)

Mandarin Oranges

 

2. Blueberry Pancakes (organic flour and blueberries picked last summer and frozen)

Sausage links from pig we raised last summer

Apple slices with peanut butter or honey

 

3. venison and gravy (I can venison every Autumn) over mashed potatoes

green beans

homemade applesauce

corn (froze three bushels of organic corn last fall)

 

 

Dh works from home quite a bit now so we tend to have these full lunches and then soup w/sandwiches for supper and simple salads or just fresh fruit with the soup since my soups are always heavy on the veggies.

 

Faith

[angela in ohio]

Usually soup, veggie, fruit

 

Sometimes sandwich on pita, veggie, fruit (if we have to pack)

[LibraryLover]

My kids made red pepper and broc pizza with Trader Joe's store-bought whole wheat dough today.

 

My youngest and I love mashed avo with lime juice on regular Matthews bread. We add sprouts, or lettuce & tomato, sometimes a bit of cheddar.

 

Pretty much anything is fair game. My teen dd made a broccoli quiche for breakfast the other day, but the rest of us finished it off for lunch.

 

We also prepare your basic tuna, nut butter, egg salad sadwiches, sometimes a Greek or other salad etc., as well as Annie's Shells at times.

 

I usually make a soup or two during the week, and that is often lunch (or breakfast lol). We always have fruit and raw veggies, cheddar, yogurt, eggs, and whole grain bread etc, that can also be turned into a nice lunch.

 

This reminds me that I need to loose weight. ;)

Edited April 22, 2010 by LibraryLover

[runamuk]

Today we had homemade vegetable soup. I make it in big batches and then freeze in quart-size bags.

 

We also have:

leftovers (we have this most often)

tuna

quesadillas with black bean and corn salsa and chicken

peanut butter and jelly

mac & cheese (homemade)

fruit and veggie tray with cheese, bagels/bread, and leftover meat

[nukeswife]

Lunch is always a tough one for me. Only my youngest will eat a sandwich which can make things difficult. My oldest will only eat bread in the form of pizza crust or garlic bread.

 

I do really have to try to make lunch more of a priority, right now it's kind of a find what you want when you're hungry type thing, which can be disastrous some days.

[athena1277]

I am also a mom who doesn't much like to cook. Wish I did, but I don't. i do try to have healthy, easy things on hand for lunch. On a typical day, this is thier lunch:

 

1. Meat - choice of ham, chicken nuggets, sausage patties:blushing: (not healthy, I know), or other leftover

 

2. Dairy - yogurt or cheese

 

3. Fruit - choice of bananas, grapes, strawberries, apple, pear, peach (depending on what I bought that week).

[Jennifer in MI]

We always have leftovers from the previous night. Always. I don't want to be scrambling for lunch!

 

But, I usually cut up some fresh veggies to put out right as I prepare lunch. sometimes I put out dip - hummus or a yogurt dill dip. I also throw on a bag of frozen veggies to steam. Occasionally I'll make a salad too. Lots of side dishes!

 

I haven't read the article on French lunches yet.

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

I'm ashamed to admit that both breakfast and lunch around here are hit or miss, dyi propositions. I am one of those kinds of folks who never gave much thought to food until I got married. If I get busy, I forget to eat. As a wife and mom, I've really had to try hard to put some effort into it and it is still a struggle (coming up on anniversary #24). The French school lunch thread has got me thinking that I really need to get my act together and start thinking not just about food, but about atmosphere and presentation as well. It's kind of hard though when the family table doubles as a work station for school, crafts, computer repair, games, sewing, etc.

 

I'm not ashamed to admit that breakfast & lunch are not coordinated, cooked events.

 

In my house, when a child turns 9 he/she is responsible for his/her own breakfast (easy choices within easy reach). When the child reaches 10, he/she earns the right to make his/her own lunch. so far, only the oldest one does this (he's *very* put upon :tongue_smilie:) but his brother is close on his heels. Every birthday brings a new responsibility.

 

Cold cereal or oatmeal for breakfast

PB&J or soup for lunch

Fruits & vegis available at all times for snacks on a help-yourself basis for all family members. When people are hungry they are expected to feed themselves (btw, my youngest is very nearly 6, so obviously this system has evolved over the years...I wouldn't advise it for someone with infants/toddlers)

[Desert Rat]

Today was eggs and toast with grapes. Easy.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Our lunches have fairly healthy ingredients but they tend to be carb heavy. That is one thing I'd like to change.

 

Sandwiches or wraps - usually meat ("natural" kind) and real cheese

 

nachos - beans, cheese, salsa

 

homemade burritos

 

Annie's organic mac & cheese

 

soup - always some veggies in it.

 

I do put out salad if I have some already made. Ditto with cut up fruits/veggies.

 

About once a month we have a terrible lunch of taquitos (from the frozen food section) or Bagel-bites.

[LauraQ]

Thanks for all the replies! I'm planning to show them to my kids who are sure to be inspired to make new things off y'all's lists! Me too! It is neat to see how creative everyone is, including those who claim to not dig cooking all that much. I think that takes more creativity sometimes.

[jld]

Ds11, ds1, and I have been here alone for the last two weeks, so ds11 has gotten his dream lunch every day: 2 veggie delite footlong subs from Subway.

 

I was eating one a day with him, or eating a Thali meal from an Indian restaurant, up until a few days ago, when the scale hit 63 kilos and I freaked out. So now he's still eating the subs (and sharing them with his little brother), and I am eating mashed potatoes (potatoes boiled and mashed with some salt), boiled beets, boiled black beans, and a banana and a mango for dessert. Oh, and red pepper slices for a salad. The scale is down to 62 this morning, so it's a start, at least. I'd like to get back to 57 or 58. And stay there (maybe impossible).

 

If I feel like getting "gourmet" today, I may dice an onion and throw it and some Bragg's onto the beets, lol.

[myfunnybunch]

Our homeschool lunches look an awful lot like last night's dinner.

 

Cat

[Amber in AUS]

We mostly have sandwiches (variety of fillings) and fresh fruit. I did go through a phase of hot lunch on Wednesdays as we had lots on in the afternoon but that has finished now. Since DH isn't home for lunch making it the main meal of the day isn't really fair on him. I could get more creative with lunch, but i am working on breakfast at the moment. One baby step at a time ;)

[RoughCollie]

Sandwiches, milk, fruit

 

Macaroni & cheese, milk, fruit

 

Pizza, milk, fruit

 

Quesadillas, milk, fruit

 

The kids make their own lunches now. The only lunch they remember from back in the day was the time I made grilled peanut butter sandwiches -- which were a huge, memorable flop.

[Mergath]

We often eat last night's dinner, too- yesterday we had Caribbean red bean stew and green beans. I actually post what dd has for lunch on my blog every day to help give people ideas, if you're curious. :)

 

When we don't have leftovers, we'll often have some kind of steamed vegetable, rice or couscous, and fresh fruit. Quesadillas and organic soup are popular, along with cottage cheese with fruit, or pasta with spinach. Several days ago we had cabbage cooked with bacon. Definitely not low-fat, but tasty.