PreK What Should Lunch Be for a 3 Year Old?

Cut up pieces of fruit, vegetables, sized to pick up and eat. Crackers that don't include dairy. Bits of meat - ham cubes, lunch meats, whatever he likes. Small amounts of non-dairy dips such as salsa, salad dressings. Pretzels, the curvy kind. Pieces of celery with peanut butter in them. Small peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cut from regular sandwich. Small sandwiches of any sort and he can pick them apart if he wants to. Have some fun with it!

My first thought would be to keep him home with you and decide each day together what you'd like to have for lunch. I'm sorry if this sounds really bold, but I think our society pushes lots of activities and organized things for kids much earlier than necessary. The fact that a three year old is required to wear a uniform is icing on the cake in this example. I have six children who are happy and well adjusted and test very high for their grade levels and after the first, we didn't do preschool programs, classes, etc. Kids need time on a parent's lap with lots of books, cuddles, trips to the park, library for story time, grocery store to learn about colors and sizes, etc. They don't need fancy classes that are costly.

Hi, I agree with the mom who suggested that you get a copy of the monthly lunch menu so that you can mimic it as much as possible. That way, your son won't feel "left out." Also, he may be more apt to eat/or at least try something if everyone else around him is eating it. . . I do happen to send my child to a French Immersion Private school for Pre-school and it is 4 days/week, 6.5 hrs/day. He loves it because he needed more than what I could give him thru ECFE and my own personal music and art classes (taught by me). He's an introvert by nature and has a small group of close friends so it was good for him to expand and learn how to be part of a group. (he's always been one to not want to do group activities unless it was with one of his friends.)He's also told me now that mom just doesnt' seem to play as hard or as much as his friends at school (smile). Lunch is an extra $535/year for 10 months at our school. It's well-balanced and tends to have things that appeal to more than the american palatte so it exposes him to new things.

I agree with the moms who say to try to teach him want you want him to know at home>... It's not as hard as you may think. Kids need to be kids too. School is so much more structured and harder than it ever used to be and they are expected to grow up way too fast!!! Reading, playing in the dirt, doing crafts, and going on errands with you will be just as much of a learning experience as school.

Food ideas to send to school if you still chose that route.
+ pb and j sandwich
+ baggle with topping
+ cold hotdogs
+ left over cold pizza
+ crescent roll with pizza sauce and pepp. or hamb. on it
+ mini sub sandwich made from french bread
+ buttered noodles (premake so the butter is saturated on them and he can just eat them cold)

= small cup or thermos with milk or water

= just add some fruit, raisons, nuts, and/or pickles to complete the meal

I know it's a very personal opinion and not a very popular one now days, just something to think about

I'm a horrid oppt. of kids in school before 1st grade. I loved the idea of kgt. when it was the social building skill time so children could focus on education once they reached 1st grade.

That said, I wouldn't worry about him getting dirty at lunch. He IS 3 yrs old. If they think that getting dirty is such a bad thing they shouldn't be having preschoolers (pre being the key word) in such a structured setting.

there are so many things you can find online!! try parents or parenting magazines, i know one of them once had awesome ideas for sandwiches - and i served some to my child care kids and it was fantastic! LOL. the typical sandwich is always good, but fruits and veggies with some wheat bread or crackers works just fine too.

just go with anything. it probaby doesnt have to be a lot, but you know how much he eats.
just be creative. things you wouldnt think of, they might just be fantastic. it all depends too on if you can have it stored in a cooler, or warmed up at lunch time, whatever.

good luck!

I am surprised that they are charging you extra. Most places have it included in the weekly price. When our 4 year old takes field trips, I send her with a Lunchables type of meal. Mostly finger food with crackers or small pieces of bread. Cut up an apple or carrot pieces. Small pieces of thick lunch meat. You do not need to send a lot.

You could get a hold of a menu from the school and see what they have. You could pack something too look like what the others are having.

My son's preschool is very particular about parents sending each of the food groups - he's also allergic to dairy. I'm sure you've got the dairy substitutes figured out by now (hot dogs have dairy), I send a fruit/vegi juice box, sliced pickles, olives, cooked carrots etc. to cover the veg. A fruit, crackers, bread sticks or honey sand. for the bread, soy yogert or milk for the dairy and some rolled up or sliced meat - plain or in a sand. Pick a special day each week for choc. soy milk if he likes it. My first son ate peanut butter sand. every day for a year. That's what he wanted. It's a challenge. Good luck. My son enjoys when I send matching plates and napkins of Diego or Dora. They also like when I use cookie cutters to make shapes out of their sand.