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Farm Kitchen:  In the Lunch Box  |
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WoodstreamDreambyNicole
True Blue Farmgirl
177 Posts
Nicole
Marlton
NJ
USA
177 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 23 2011 : 6:19:02 PM
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Hello Farmgirls!
I'm starting to think about what to put in the lunch box come September 6th, my oldest's first day of first grade.
We discussed it at dinner tonight. He had very few "acceptable" lunch items of the ones I rattled off that he eats readily at home.
His "acceptable" list:
drink: ice water in Klean Kanteen
sandwich: PBJ
fruit: apple slices, strawberries, raspberries, mandarin oranges (didn't discuss, but he'll do pineapple that I cut up)
nix'd all veggies & dairy I suggested...
carb snacks: pretzels, cheez-its, granola bar
So, my plan is to practice packing his lunch several times through August to see how he manages. I really would like to give him carrot & celery sticks w/ yogurt dressing dip that he eats at home. Also I'd like to put in a string cheese or yogurt tube or cup of yogurt. I am fine with giving him the same sandwich each day, but I thought it would be boring after a few weeks. He loves cream cheese & jelly roll ups at home (in a tortilla). He eats pita chips w/ hummus at home. I thought they would be good options to switch it up - he shot me down. He doesn't like basic ham & cheese or ham or cheese (alone) sandwiches - he prefers ham on its own, but even that he nix'd.
I bake quite often, so I will probably throw in a cookie or mini muffin (made with whole wheat flour & sometimes wheat germ) as a treat. I don't want to waste money on him throwing out good food or it coming home uneaten (the former being worse). He has a certain mindset of what's acceptable, I'm going to try to broaden that narrow vision over these next six weeks.
So my question is, what have you packed for your children that's been successful? I look forward to this experiment! Thanks for your input!
Nicole
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2011 : 9:47:24 PM
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My girls liked little bowls of pasta with steamed veges and salad dressing for lunch. There's always the option of pitas stuffed with whatever leftovers you have on hand.
I think their favorite right now is the fruit sandwiches. Peanut butter on one slice of bread, butter on the other, sliced fruit in between, bananas are the fruit of the week it seems.
Try celery with peanut butter and raisins or dried fruit of any kind.
Cut the string cheese lengthwise most, but not all, the way up. Then turn 'leg' side down. Poke 2 very tiny pieces of pretzel or vege or whatever into the 'head' for 'eyes'. You now have an octopus!
You can also send him 'sticks and mortor'. It's pretzles and cream cheese! He can 'mortor' a few sticks together and then eat them. Yum! My girls have learned how to quickly build tiny houses that will fit into their mouths. Then they play 'monster' and eat them in one bite!
Check the library for recipe books about lunch box ideas. I have found several at my local library.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2011 : 11:19:14 PM
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I know kids are a bit pickier today. But, personally I would NOT "ask" him what he wants in a list form. Especially since he has I assume never taken a lunch to school before? I know sometimes they don't quite understand till they are actually doing it what they want or how it exactly will be.
So instead of a list of "acceptable" lunches. Instead make a list of the things YOU know he likes. And either just pack it for him (after all "hot" lunch in elementary school when I went was not a choice, they scooped it on to trays and you ate or you were hungry, same with most of what mom's packed lunches as far as I know as well. I don't remember my mom ever asking me what I wanted in my lunch. But, if in your home you really want to give a choice, I would not give a full list of choices for the whole year like that. Instead each day I would give a choice of two things for the following day. IE Would you like a ham sandwich or PB&J, tomorrow? That's about as much as a child that age can really perceive in choices with out being overwhelmed and not fully understanding what they are choosing.
BTW, my brother, husband, step father, uncles, and my self's favorite sandwich is left over meatloaf! I think a pasta salad with meat in it would also be a good choice. My husband and I love that kind of salad. However, my sister hates them. lol
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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embchicken
True Blue Farmgirl
1487 Posts
Elaine
Ocean
NJ
USA
1487 Posts |
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WoodstreamDreambyNicole
True Blue Farmgirl
177 Posts
Nicole
Marlton
NJ
USA
177 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2011 : 08:20:27 AM
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Thanks for the suggestions. I am planning to go to the library for some of those books.
He doesn't like raisins or craisins, but loves dried mango (that's pricey, so I only buy it occasionally - it's on my list of want to try to make sometime in the future).
In talking this morning he says that he didn't say PBJ, he wants ham sandwich with lettuce. He changes his mind often, so we'll be doing an eating experiment. I think that once he sees that other kids have more than a sandwich & water (or probably juice box) for lunch, that he'll want more packed. We did discuss that anything left over or that he didn't want stays in his lunchbox & comes home with him. I pack lunch wherever we go (more economical & healthier), so he sees that we bring home whatever's uneaten and I pack in reusable containers, so they come home, too.
I wanted to open the conversation about what was for lunch because if he's involved in the prep/decision, he's more likely to eat it. He helps out plenty in the kitchen with mixing and grating veggies for baking. He tries the food he helps make and usually likes it. When I was a child I remember getting in trouble for tossing parts of my lunch that I found unappetizing and then being hungry all afternoon. We didn't have a lot of money and my parents were providing what they could, sometimes it was free lunch (then there were different colored lunch tickets for "free lunch" kids - at least it's not that way anymore!). Giving him something that I've chosen because I felt like it won't work - he's too much like me. I prefer options. I give two options for breakfast and two for lunch most days. For dinner we all eat the same thing unless I have leftovers that the boys would prefer and I don't have a problem heating leftovers, but I will not make another dinner from scratch each night.
I like to have a list of items to work from, to buy when on sale or in peak season. It's easier to plan ahead for a week of lunches and a few weeks of snacks if I have a list of foods that will work and can throw in an experimental item from time-to-time.
I think I need to get a stainless thermos container for him so I can send in warm pasta or soup (something he nix'd last night, but I think when it's really cold out he may reconsider with a big piece of bread to dip into the soup).
Thanks for the suggestions!
Nicole
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embchicken
True Blue Farmgirl
1487 Posts
Elaine
Ocean
NJ
USA
1487 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2011 : 5:10:19 PM
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Nicole~ I just picked a great book up at Kohl's for $5 - "Top 100 Recipes for a Healthy Lunchbox" by Nicola Graimes. It has many great ideas in it!
~ Elaine
Farmgirl sister #2822
"Find yourself a cup of tea; the teapot is behind you. Now tell me about hundreds of things." ~Saki
http://embchicken.blogspot.com
http://gusandtrudy.blogspot.com |
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Futters
True Blue Farmgirl
608 Posts
Michelle & Ashley
CA
USA
608 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2011 : 3:12:46 PM
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Hi Nicole,
When my Ashley was little, we made up index cards and she chose what she was going to have for lunch each day. Say one index card said ham and cheese sandwich, fruit cup in light syrup, carrot sticks and ranch, water bottle. The next card had PB&J sandwhich, chips, string cheese, celery and peanut butter, water bottle. We did this for the five days she was at school. She chose the card she wanted for lunch the night before and then I would make it that morning. Actually, I made and took the same lunch as her each day. If she wanted the same thing two days in a row, that's what we had. We even put in a warm lunch choice and I packed it in one of those heat thermoses. Hope you get some help out of this suggestion. Let me know how it works.
Have a good day!
Michelle & Ashley
Farmgirls #760
Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.
http://thetatteredquiltcottage.blogspot.com/ |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2011 : 06:52:11 AM
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Just an fyi about peanut butter--my sil, who lives above Indianapolis, was given a note at the end of the year that, starting the new school term, children weren't allowed to bring Peanut butter sandwiches or pb and crackers anymore due to so many children with peanut allergies--they couldn't ensure children WITH allergies wouldn't get a hold of other's lunches...While I understand the danger of a peanut allergy, I think it's ridiculous (and my nephew even HAS a peanut allergy) but it's something schools seem to be considering!!!
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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WoodstreamDreambyNicole
True Blue Farmgirl
177 Posts
Nicole
Marlton
NJ
USA
177 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2011 : 09:48:12 AM
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My son's school has a peanut/tree nut-free table in the cafeteria for the children with severe allergies - it's wiped down with separate stuff from the rest of the cafeteria so there's no overlap of crumbs. In the classrooms, the kids are supposed to bring in only peanut/tree nut-free items for snack. Peanut butter is a mainstay in our home, so unless it's completely outlawed at school, he'll have PBJ a couple times per week. We have several friends with peanut and/or tree nut allergies and I'm always careful with what I serve when they visit.
Thanks for the suggestions. I like the idea about index cards of lunch options.
Thanks!
Nicole
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Farm Kitchen: In the Lunch Box |
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In the Lunch Box
