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We’ve put DS8 in the hybrid homeschool program for a six week trial period.  The issue is now I don’t know what to send with him for lunch(my other two kids attend schools where hot lunch is either provided through a grant or included in tuition fees). He likes lunchables but I won’t pay $5 for some crackers and ham. At home he usually eats waffles and eggs for lunch or peanut butter and jelly.

The caveats for school lunches are:

No nuts or nut products of any kind
no refrigeration
No available microwave

DS8 does not like meat sandwiches. Ideas??

I can do make our own lunchables but I’d like him to eat more than a few crackers and pieces of ham.

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My non-sandwich kid like hummus and veggies or crackers to dip. Other ideas:corn and bean salad; thermos to keep leftovers warm; tomato and cheese sandwich or pickles and cheese; hard boiled eggs; cheese sticks, crackers and fruit

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2 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

Oh and HIS idea is that if I won’t buy lunchables, my office is close enough to the school that I could drop off a McDonalds happy meal the two times a week that he’s there. 

Also a no.

😂 Well, it was worth a try….

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Things my kids were willing to eat:

  • Hummus and pita / pita chips.
  • Cheese sandwiches.
  • Butter sandwiches.
  • Whole raw fruits and veggies.
  • Cold pizza.
  • Cheese sticks.
  • Boiled eggs.
  • Applesauce with other fruits mixed in.
  • I was gonna suggest the range of "nut thins," but oops, they have nuts (obviously)....  But there are many healthy-ish cracker options that don't have nuts....

What do the other kids bring?

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Hard boiled eggs and waffles can come to school, can they not?

Crackers, cheese and ham and salami really isn't different from a sandwich. Just deconstructed.

Salads with chick peas or beans for protein. Pasta salad, potato salad are filling.

Edited by regentrude
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Yogurt with fruit/granola; soup in a thermos; hard-boiled eggs; wraps (I had one child who would eat something on a tortilla that she would not eat on bread as a sandwich; a dip with some form of protein in it and raw veggies

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I am a big fan of filling tortillas creatively.

Chopped ham, shredded greens, and some ranch dressing was a big hit with my kids. But a lot of leftovers that are good cold will work like leftover chicken from a baked or rotisserie chicken , whatever shredded cheese the child likes, and greens or veggies, salsa etc.

I would let him have deconstructed pizza "lunchables" by providing mini flat breads that he could spread pizza sauce on, top with mozzarella and toppings, microwave or bake at home, and then eat cold at school. Most kids like cold pizza.

Hummus comes to mind. It is a legumes but I though peanuts are usually banned, I don't know of any schools in our area that say no hummus. So if he likes that, send it with whatever veggie stick he likes and a breadstick to dip as well. 

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I second the homemade lunchable. You could even get him a special bento box style lunch box to put his homemade version in. My 11yo loves lunchables too and is just as happy with the homemade version.

ETA: And good grief $5 for a lunchable? They're $3.50 or so here and I still groan about the price when I do break down and buy them for him.

Edited by sweet2ndchance
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29 minutes ago, SKL said:

Things my kids were willing to eat:

  • Hummus and pita / pita chips.
  • Cheese sandwiches.
  • Butter sandwiches.
  • Whole raw fruits and veggies.
  • Cold pizza.
  • Cheese sticks.
  • Boiled eggs.
  • Applesauce with other fruits mixed in.
  • I was gonna suggest the range of "nut thins," but oops, they have nuts (obviously)....  But there are many healthy-ish cracker options that don't have nuts....

What do the other kids bring?

The other children have much better mothers than my son does, and they have Lunchables and McDonalds.

(I suspect there are a lot of turkey sandwiches and leftovers; I’ve spotted several of those lunchboxes that you can put hot water in and it will keep things warm as well as soup thermoses)

 

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15 minutes ago, sweet2ndchance said:

I second the homemade lunchable. You could even get him a special bento box style lunch box to put his homemade version in. My 11yo loves lunchables too and is just as happy with the homemade version.

ETA: And good grief $5 for a lunchable? They're $3.50 or so here and I still groan about the price when I do break down and buy them for him.

It’s the deluxe lunchable with the caprisun and cookie or piece of candy. They are highly valued at my house.

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I agree about the homemade lunchables, but would suggest adding some fruit/veggie portions.

In stores locally I've seen little bags of baby carrots or apple slices, single lunch serving size.  While I don't love the packaging, it's undeniably a convenience and doesn't have to be refrigerated.  A little container of seedless grapes works well, as do raisins or dried cranberries.  Celery sticks with cream cheese or a blue cheese spread are excellent.  Jicama or daikon spears keep well.  Blueberries, too.    

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I have picky eaters. I have my kids make a list of five things that they can pack (with my in the room supervision) . It takes a few years for them to be self sufficient, but I am trying to model packing a lunch and building enough synapse connections that they are likely to do the same as adults.

That said, he is in school because you are short on time. If packed lunches means you pick up a pizza on weekends and wrap and freeze slices for him to toss into a bag with carrots and a clementine, go for it. 

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I made DIY lunchables for DS7 when he was 5. By lunchables I just made him a bunch of snacks that I put into a bento box. 

Usually I included stuff like deli meat, olives, fruit, carrot sticks/celery sticks, cheese in snackable size, crackers/pita sliced into smaller bites, when in season he loved cherry tomatoes with mozzarella and basil.

He ate the most when the lunch was broken up in bite size pieces, plus if he didn't eat it during the lunch period he could eat it in the car on the way home.

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Also fwiw, because there is neurodiversity in the house, for a number of years we had a drawing on the front of the fridge of the four food groups with foods listed under each category. They had to pick one from each category as they packed foods. I kept things stored in clear plastic bins along the bottom shelf of the fridge. As kids would burn out on foods, they could add to the list. For my kid with the most severe food aversions we had to renegotiate weekly. They would eat the same food for weeks on end and then one day refuse, so we had to talk about it out loud because their inner dialogue wasnt happening (self awareness issues).

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Just now, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

It’s the deluxe lunchable with the caprisun and cookie or piece of candy. They are highly valued at my house.

Ah, gotcha. I don't know how much those ones cost because I don't buy those ones. Ds likes the pizza lunchables best with cheese and pepperoni and the  ham and cheese cracker one is his go to if they don't have the pizza one.

I usually have him pick a fruit or veggie to go with it. Then a water bottle with a drink packet for the drink. He also gets to pick a dessert of some kind too usually.

If he is the "food can't touch" kinda kid (I've had one of those) Bento boxes are a life saver. I really like this kind on Amazon. Make sure whatever you get it is leak proof between the compartments. Your picky kid will thank you... maybe lol.

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In Australia school lunches are never provided, you have to send them. It's always been a real pain, but with a picky eater it's even worse. For years my son went to school with a plain bread roll and a mandarin, and if they got eaten that was pretty exciting. 

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My boys take  either

jam

Vegimite

Nutella sandwiches

Or raison bread with butter

Occasionally mini pizza we all make together the evening before

They also have in their lunch box dates, an apple, biscuits , small yoghurt. Their lunch boxes are the no rubbish kind, with little compartments for each thing.

Lunches are not provided at the school and every single student brings lunch from home

Because the boys have an 1 1)2 hour bus trip each way they take a seperate lunchbox of things to eat on the bus  usually prepackaged musli bar and some grapes

 

Edited by Melissa in Australia
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How elaborate do you want to go on the lunches?

DS takes a lunch when he is inclined.  I rotate through a few things and make use of a food thermos when it should be something hot, like chili.  But menus are like this:

grilled chicken skewers
rice
sauce (chimichurri, yogurt sauce, etc)
strawberries
brownie

falafel
tzadxiki
chopped cucumbers, red onion, tomato in a light viniaigrette
na'an
snack cake

potato soup (in thermos) + container of toppings:
sliced turkey and cheese
grapes
a few cookies

gyoza
rice
scallion pancake
dipping sauce
orange wedges or melon
pudding cup

taco balls (meat and cheese wrapped up in instant biscuits)
layered dip
salsa
chips
mango slices

Pretty much, if I can make it a complete meal and look palatable to him, he will eat it.  Things he will not eat are:
Sandwiches (except one specific kind)
Kid foods (things with colors, faces, or weird texture)
Cold couscous (but pearl couscous is fine)

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39 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

Oh and this is the child that won’t eat any food that is mixed together unless it is chicken rice casserole or Mac and cheese.

Bento box might be my best friend with this one.

Honestly, I’d make one of each of those and store potions in the freezer. Then, when putting together your own lunchable box is too much, you can heat and put in a thermos and send along an apple. 

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Nachos were a hit here with one child - tortilla chips, cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes and guacamole. Sometimes, I even melted some velveeta and put it in a thermos, but not usually.

One of my kids would eat things if they weren't "normal" bread - so anything you would normally put in a sandwich, but on a bagel or an English muffin  or wrapped in a tortilla or on a cucumber boat.

Cheese quesadillas with either salsa or guacamole to dip it in. Or tomato soup in a thermos.

Muffins?

Does he eat cold hot dogs? My kids did, so occasionally I packed leftover "Pigs in a Blanket" that they ate cold at co-op.

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Great ideas on this thread! I'd combine them--

Bento box with compartments equaling the number of food groups you want to include, maybe 

1. Protein

2. Carbs

3. Dairy

4. Fruit (or one tiny cookie?)

5. Veg

Tweak the amounts so the veg/fruit does get eaten, not just crackers and cheese.

Or if you go with mac-n-cheese or chicken rice casserole, I used to put frozen portions in a lunchbox and kiddo would eat defrosted for lunch. Some prefer reheated, but amazingly my picky kid was happy with simply defrosted food. Depending on the size/thickness, I'd include a freezer pack for foods that defrosted quickly, but not for foods that would be just defrosted by lunch time. Bit of trial and error to figure it out. 

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My kids packed their lunch at that age and we were very formulaic.  Sandwich, dairy food, fruit, veggie, treat, water bottle.

A popular lunch was a sandwich with whole grain waffles, some kinda nut free peanut butter sub, and honey, cheese stick, banana, frozen peas (they would defrost in the lunch box) and some kinda home made treat.  
 

 

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What’s the best nut free peanut butter sub?

Hes on the picky side. Definitely no food mixed or too “smooshy”—he doesn’t like soft foods like yogurt or hard boiled eggs. His favorite food is toast but I don’t know how well that would last.

I read him the posts to see if anything caught his interest and we’ve got some ideas now. However, he’d like you all to know that he’s very disappointed no one recommended Mom dropping off chicken nugget Happy Meals.

Edited by Mrs Tiggywinkle Again
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9 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

What’s the best nut free peanut butter sub?

Hes on the picky side. Definitely no food mixed or too “smooshy”—he doesn’t like soft foods like yogurt or hard boiled eggs. His favorite food is toast but I don’t know how well that would last.

I read him the posts to see if anything caught his interest and we’ve got some ideas now. However, he’d like you all to know that he’s very disappointed no one recommended Mom dropping off chicken nugget Happy Meals.

The peanut butter connoisseur in our house loved Sunbutter when she attended something that was as nut free.  
 

I did send in toast when my oldest was  in a program.  He liked it room temperature and dry so I toasted it and wrapped it in a cloth napkin.  He never complained about it and trust me I would have heard if his toast was not ok. 

Edited by itsheresomewhere
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19 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

What’s the best nut free peanut butter sub?

Hes on the picky side. Definitely no food mixed or too “smooshy”—he doesn’t like soft foods like yogurt or hard boiled eggs. His favorite food is toast but I don’t know how well that would last.

I read him the posts to see if anything caught his interest and we’ve got some ideas now. However, he’d like you all to know that he’s very disappointed no one recommended Mom dropping off chicken nugget Happy Meals.

Tell that sweet boy that Auntie Llama says he deserves nuggets and a milkshake!

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I am addicted to peanut butter and I find sunbutter to be pretty different but also delicious.  

The kids at preschool all clamor and beg their parents for Lunchables but none of them eat more than the dessert and a couple crackers.  One kid will eat some meat.  But the cheese is disgusting and the meat isn't much better.  

Honestly, if it wouldn't cause a riot, I would drop off nuggets every couple of weeks.  Could you put frozen and heated nuggets in a thermos?  I have one preschool kid who does that sometimes. 

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58 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

What’s the best nut free peanut butter sub?

Hes on the picky side. Definitely no food mixed or too “smooshy”—he doesn’t like soft foods like yogurt or hard boiled eggs. His favorite food is toast but I don’t know how well that would last.

I read him the posts to see if anything caught his interest and we’ve got some ideas now. However, he’d like you all to know that he’s very disappointed no one recommended Mom dropping off chicken nugget Happy Meals.

Poor kid! Did you warn him that the Hive is not easily bamboozled by childhood charm? 😂😂😂

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I’d go with what he likes and put it in a cute bento box. Make DIY lunchables.  Send him with waffles, cut them in strips, and send some syrup for dipping. Give him a hardboiled egg with it. If he likes soup, get a thermos and feed him soup and crackers. Has he tried sunbutter? I live peanuts, but I love sunflower seeds too and it’s a good nut-free substitution. Or would he prefer his jelly with cream cheese and have little tea sandwiches? Would he go for pinwheels? Roll up sandwich stuff on a tortilla and slice into discs. What fruit does he like? You can send that fresh or dried with cheese cubes. If he likes any leftovers, you can put them in one of those short wide-mouth thermoses. Will he eat chickpeas or hummus? They’re both good at room temperature. Chicken nuggets can be eaten at room temperature too. I’d probably send a ridiculous variety in the beginning, then narrow it down to what he actually eats. 

Will he go for a fake happy meal? A few nuggets, some of those veggie stick/chips things, apple slices, juice box, and a cookie or something? Stick one of his toys in there if it’s allowed.  
 

I dare you to get this lunchbox 🤣

IMG_1662.webp

Edited by KungFuPanda
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1 hour ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

However, he’d like you all to know that he’s very disappointed no one recommended Mom dropping off chicken nugget Happy Meals.

Mom asked for specific instructions. This momma has totally gone and grabbed CA rolls from Safeway, strawberry bagel, and other takeout food from around her children's school to feed them. You can tell him he's in a much better boat because my children's school is not close enough to McDonald's for me to ever pick up a happy meal for their lunch.

Also, I totally understand not wanting to all the time, but no shame in doing it every so often when you don't feel like curating a bento box that morning.

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35 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

I’d go with what he likes and put it in a cute bento box. Make DIY lunchables.  Send him with waffles, cut them in strips, and send some syrup for dipping. Give him a hardboiled egg with it. If he likes soup, get a thermos and feed him soup and crackers. Has he tried sunbutter? I live peanuts, but I love sunflower seeds too and it’s a good nut-free substitution. Or would he prefer his jelly with cream cheese and have little tea sandwiches? Would he go for pinwheels? Roll up sandwich stuff on a tortilla and slice into discs. What fruit does he like? You can send that fresh or dried with cheese cubes. If he likes any leftovers, you can put them in one of those short wide-mouth thermoses. Will he eat chickpeas or hummus? They’re both good at room temperature. Chicken nuggets can be eaten at room temperature too. I’d probably send a ridiculous variety in the beginning, then narrow it down to what he actually eats. 

Will he go for a fake happy meal? A few nuggets, some of those veggie stick/chips things, apple slices, juice box, and a cookie or something? Stick one of his toys in there if it’s allowed.  
 

I dare you to get this lunchbox 🤣

IMG_1662.webp

I need to find this.

I’ll even buy him a tiny squishmallow and stick it in there the two days a week he goes.

I don’t mind grabbing lunch for him occasionally, but I usually work right through my lunch so that when I leave to pick him up, my work for the day is done and I can just enjoy my evening at home instead of meeting a deadline. Occasionally would be fine, but the kid would live on McDonalds chicken nuggets, no sauce, lightly salted French fries and a blue Fanta, if I’d let him.

I’m ordering sunbutter to see if he’d like it. He loves PB&J.

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We do thermoses all the time here. My daughter has done pancakes in them and brought a side of syrup. My son has brought nuggets with a side of ketchup (when he was younger). There is really no end to the things they have put in thermoses. Pasta is the most often brought lunch. 

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Will he eat a breakfast burrito? My Ds will eat them room temp. I heat them and wrap them in foil. Same with hot dogs. Egg muffins or breakfast casserole? 
 

I do corndog muffins. Slice kielbasa (or hot dogs) and sauté or heat. Make corn bread batter. Fill half the muffin tin. Drop in a slice or two of meat, fill with batter and bake. 
 

Chx strips from home? 
 

Sunbutter is liked here too. 

Edited by ScoutTN
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1 hour ago, Faith-manor said:

Poor kid! Did you warn him that the Hive is not easily bamboozled by childhood charm? 😂😂😂

I am, and I love the idea of including little toy surprises in homemade Happy Meals. 🙂

Auntie MercyA will send toys if necessary! 😉 

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21 minutes ago, MercyA said:

I am, and I love the idea of including little toy surprises in homemade Happy Meals. 🙂

Auntie MercyA will send toys if necessary! 😉 

That would probably vault you right up there with Auntie Llama. 😂 He’s got a squishmallow thing going on and that’s the current happy meal toy.

He’s not a big fan of wraps or tacos or burritos but will eat it deconstructed. I ordered a bento box.

@Drama Llama he drew you a picture of a bonfire, in case it’s cold where you are and you need a bonfire. And s’mores because he believes everyone needs s’mores.

 

0C8EB529-F19D-44F0-ABF3-F081C04B7327.jpeg

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Just now, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

That would probably vault you right up there with Auntie Llama. 😂 He’s got a squishmallow thing going on and that’s the current happy meal toy.

He’s not a big fan of wraps or tacos or burritos but will eat it deconstructed. I ordered a bento box.

@Drama Llama he drew you a picture of a bonfire, in case it’s cold where you are and you need a bonfire. And s’mores because he believes everyone needs s’mores.

 

0C8EB529-F19D-44F0-ABF3-F081C04B7327.jpeg

I do need s'mores.  Tell him it is cold here, but I am now warmed up by his smile and his bonfire and his intuition that I was in need of s'mores.

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9 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

That would probably vault you right up there with Auntie Llama. 😂 He’s got a squishmallow thing going on and that’s the current happy meal toy.

He’s not a big fan of wraps or tacos or burritos but will eat it deconstructed. I ordered a bento box.

@Drama Llama he drew you a picture of a bonfire, in case it’s cold where you are and you need a bonfire. And s’mores because he believes everyone needs s’mores.

 

0C8EB529-F19D-44F0-ABF3-F081C04B7327.jpeg

That face is VERY hard to resist! McNuggets once a week? 😁

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