Cold Lunches?

I would try the lunchables.. We but them for my 4 year old, and he packs his lunch on the days he will not eat what is served at school. you can also put a ice pack in the lunch box and to keep things a little cool.. I hope this helps you. let me know

What about....

chicken, egg salad or tuna in a mini pita
fruit with dip (strawberry creamcheese mixed w/ marshmellow fluff)
ham, turkey, chicken slice rolled up with a piece of cheese
meatballs (my kids love them at cold)
english muffin pizza (cooked at home, served at room temp.)
pasta salads
cheese & pretzels
apple slices with peanut butter
cracker spread with peanut butter & raisins
yogart or drinkable kind
chopped fruit, pudding, or applesauce cups
bowl of cereal (some kids love to eat it anytime!)

Hope these help! :) K.

It is quick and easy ~ Lunchables. They have a great variety now that will please even the pickiest eater.

what about lunch-ables? or home made ones? my kids love that! Ring bologna, cheese, crackers....cereal and fruit.....cold pizza? ummm......yogurt and jello, maybe pudding? have you thought about simple things like a protein bar? my sister in law give those to her kids all the time! the love 'em! they think they're getting a treat and really they're getting vitamins and protein they need!! salad or veggies w/ ranch or something? my kids like all that stuff too! good luck, hope this may have helped...

N.

You could do turkey wraps. Turkey or ham ,cheese, lettus ,soft toco shell my kids love them and thay are not messy and stay well in little hands. C.

Pretty much anything can be served room temp.

I packed cheese raviolies (no sauce)
Thawed Frozen peas
Apple slices w/ peanut butter dip
PB&Jelly/bananna/sliced strawberry Sandwiches (you can put pretty much any sliced fruit on a pb sammy)
bits of chicken or tofu
Pasta Salad's
Potato Salad's

You can also get a lunch thermos and put macaroni and cheese in it or anything else you want to serve warm.

Cheese sticks or cheese cubes and crackers,
Cut up fruit, (grapes, melon, strawberries, blueberries)(fresh is better-- but you can also buy fruit cups)
Veggies and dip,
applesauce,
yogurt (I'm assuming they will refridgerate?)

My three year old would eat fruit and veggies everyday if it was up to him. I wouldn't be too worried about a large variety. I would try to stay away from too much processed food though.

How about those tuna fish snack packs? My kids love those for lunch. Another thing they really love is a salad from the salad bar at the local grocery store. They rarely eat salad I make but if we goto the store and make it they eat it up.
Another idea to change it up is use pita or flatout bread for lunch meat sandwiches.
Since he only goes one day a week it wouldn't be a big deal to give pbj each time if he likes it, but if you feel bad about that just watch the prepacked lunch type stuff. They tend to be loaded with salt and fat...check out the back of a lunchable sometime, I was shocked to see the fat and salt content in them. Things may have changed with them, I haven't purchased one in a few years since I almost passed out from the label :-)

If you want him to have something warm then you can use a thermos. They work pretty good. If that don't work you can make several other sandwiches. Ham, bologna, turkey. Of course deli style so it is thinner for him to chew up. Make sure you have cold pack for the lunch box or do they keep those in the fridge cold for them? Kids around my house like cold hot dogs also. They would rather eat them cold then heated. Lunchable also work. The ones with crackers, meat and cheese. I sometimes watch my friends little guy who is 1 1/2 and he eats those.

I don't think it is right for a daycare to do this. Do they have a good reason? I think I would be talking to them. I don't know how happy you and your son are with this place but you can always look around at other places if you would rather he have hot meals. There are many daycares out there.

Good luck.

We have the same issue and our son is in daycare 5 days a week unfortunately. Here is an idea of what we pack, but we have a very picky son. I look forward to reading the other suggestions you get for some new ideas...

We send a cold pack in our son's lunch bag and warm items get sent warmed and in a thermos or insulated bowl... I don't really like sending the warm items, but he was getting tired of sandwiches so we had to try something...

PBJ (obviously)
Bologna (or other lunchmeat) sandwiches
Lunchables
Spaghetti
Spaghettio's
Soups
Chicken Nuggets
Rice or Mashed Potatoes

Not much of a selection, but what can you do... Then of course he gets other items like fruit, crackers or bread with butter, sometimes chips but not often, yogurt, and a treat like a small cookie, pudding, or fruit snacks, etc.

I like to send him with V-8 Fusion juices often so I know he's getting his veggies also. Another thing I do for drinks is Pedia Sure. He loves them and I know that even if he just picks at his lunch, he's still getting the nutrients he needs...

Hope that helps a little. Good luck! Can't wait to see what other ideas you get.

Well - you don't have to pack cold lunches. Buy a thermos and send in prewarmed food - it will still be warm enough for him to eat at lunch time. For example: macaroni and cheese, spaghetti & meatballs, tomato soup. Additionally, you can send in warm grilled cheese sandwhiches in tinfoil and (as long as they don't store it in the fridge) it will still be warm enough for your son to eat at lunch time. Keep in mind - it's not that long until the noon hour rolls around, no matter how early you drop him off in the am.

As for a 'cold' lunch - my guys eat pizza cold, room temp or however it's served!

Remember you don't have to stick with only sandwiches either. My son always loved cheese and crackers, veggie sticks with ranch, etc.

It may get a little pricey, but for something new a couple of times a week how about lunchables? They are easy and if you really are "the worst cook in the world" you don't have to do a thing ;) Here is some ideas I give my son - he loves mini muffins, fruit, cheese, subs, pretzels, yogurt and yogurt drinks ... Good luck!

Hey Allison Im T. from hastings MI ... I think thats crazy how they cant warm things up for the kids it only takes a few seconds but i guess its there rules. Fortunatly my son loves can fruit and little chips and stuff. Thats what i send him usualy. I'm not sure what else you can send besides pbj's just try sending can fruit and little stuff like that. I know i probably wasnt much help.. .but hopefully you can find more stuff for that lil guy to eat there:) Good luck!!

hummous and veggies are a good lunch along with maybe a sandwich, if he is a hungry little guy. Or some cut up fruit with the veggies. My son loves finger foods and he is 2.5 years old. Cheese cubes are good also. Maybe yogurt. Mexican roll-ups (tortilla with refried or black beans, cheese, and whatever he likes, corn, salsa, black olives. That can be served cold. Let him help with the choices, he should like that.

Hi A.,
I read all the responses (so I didn't duplicate anything) and it sounds like you got a lot of great ideas to go with. But if your still worried, maybe ask your little man what he wants for lunch tomorrow at daycare. Maybe give a choice or 2 and let them pick. Maybe it will help give you some fresh ideas and it lets him feel like he has a say... Who knows maybe he likes the PBJ that you are worried about.
Good Luck!