Hi Moms and (Some) Dads,
My daughter started packing her lunch this year (per her request) and I don't want her to have to eat the same thing every day. Can you guys give me some ideas of different things I can pack for her so that she doesn't get bored? I would also like to find creative ways to add in the veggies (you have to be tricky with this girl and the veggies). Also, what are some hot lunch ideas that I could put in a thermos?
Thanks in advance for all the helpful suggestions,
L.
pita with hummus and sliced veggies
grilled cheese w/tomato
veggie rollup (cream cheese,whatever veggies and roll up,--cut in 4 pieces)
sandwich with veggies to dip on the side (hummus,ranch dressing)
also if you need recipes to hide the veggies- there is a book called deceptively delicious- putting veggies in brownies etc. Get it from the library!
Good luck,
Molly
My daughter likes sandwiches like almond butter & honey, cream cheese & jelly sandwiches, egg salad & tomato, chicken salad with nuts & cheese and salami & cheese on pita bread or flat bread.
She likes turkey wraps with cream cheese, spinach leaves & cranberries.
Pasta salad with feta cheese and shredded carrots.
In her thermos I've usually put leftovers from the night before. BBQ chicken cut up & mixed with sweet potato, Pasta (my kids fav is spinach pasta with alfredo & cauliflower), soup, stir fry, casserole...stuff like that.
I don't have any suggestions on how to hide the veggies in her food except to hide it in pasta. My kids like raw veggies with dip. My son likes his carrots steamed and then cooled in the fridge.
I will also pack stuff like fresh fruit in a tupper-ware container, string cheese, Cliff bar, rice cakes, trail mix, apple, yogurt in tupperware with granola, veggie chips or BBQ pita chips.
I have used my son's Thermos for meatballs & sauce, mac & cheese, pizza rolls (lo-fat) and pasta and sauce. You can pack chicken nuggets, too.
(I fill his thermos with hot water & wait about 5 min before emptying it and putting the warmed food in)
For non thermos things, he likes PB & J, any and all wraps (the more veggies the better!), turkey and/or ham sandwiches with cheese, pepperoni and crackers and cheese, yogurt, string cheese, veggie sticks and dip, and I usually pack a treat of some sort (cookie, rice krispy treat, fruit snacks, etc.)
His fav thing to take is a chargrilled chicken cool wrap from Chik Fil A--I buy on and pack him half for two days.
I love this idea
http://www.parenting.com/recipes-gallery/Recipes/Bento-Lu...
but even if you don't have the time to be super creative like this, it's got some great ingredient ideas and it's all about portion and food groups so very healthy.
And while it doesn't hide the veggies, maybe having the coolest packed lunch in all the school will get her to branch out a little more and try some new things.
and here is a link for a few more healthy ideas that might add some variety.
http://www.parenting.com/recipes-gallery/Recipes/10-Fresh...
I make pizzas for my daughter and freeze them. I then heat them up in the am, wrap really good in foil and she loves them. And in the sauce: I hide all kinds of veggies.
I food process tomatos, italian seasoning and garlic. Then I add carrots and zuchinni. Puree the heck out of it.
spread on whole wheat english muffins and top with cheese. bake in oven and then freeze. paired with milk she loves them and I love the face she is getting something extra!
I have teens that pack their own lunch and I try to get containers that will accomodate good foods so that they don't fall into the "junk pit" of eating habits. I always have fresh fruits available to them and I cut them up and sprinkle them with Fruit Fresh and pack them in small tupperware to grab out of the fridge and take with them. I also have carrots and dip, apple slices with dip or peanut butter, cheese crackers, peanut butter crackers, pudding cups, Yo-Go, yogurt cups, raisins, rice krispy treats, granola bars, and all sorts of those 100 calorie snack bags. My requirement is this....pack a main food item (sandwich, noodle dish, a leftover from last night, mac-n-cheese, pizza, hot dogs, rice dish, or whatever they choose for the main item). Then they have to have either one fruit or veggie item, and then one snack, and either a bottled water or Capri Sun. That's how we do it. My daughters are healthy and fit. Their bloodowork came back recently from their checkups and our pediatrician told us how pleased she is to see normal cholesterol and good iron counts in my teens. She said all she sees are more and more overweight kids and their cholesterol counts are going through the roof too. I was mortified by this but with all the junk and fast food out there, it's to be expected. I hope my advice has helped and I do feel that the best lunches are a packed one. School's are out of their mind with what they are serving the kids these days.....YUCK!
Spinach dip is a great way to get veges in a diet. My aunt makes a great spinach dip that has peas, onions, garlic, and (of course) spinach. We mate the dip with whole grain crackers... our fave is All Bran brand crackers.
My daughter is only 7, but LOVES hard boiled eggs. She usually will throw the yolk out, but it's still high in protein.
And as other mom's have said... I hide veges in the pasta sauces or taco meat or some kind of casserole.
I haven't really tried putting anything warm in a thermos for my daughter yet. I'd have to find one that 'allows' hot items... That's difficult in itself anymore... Unless you spend $25-$30 for a Coleman in the camping section.
Here are some lunch ideas.
http://www.bigbluetrunk.com/ourcorner/600
They will eat anything if you wrap it in a whole wheat tortilla and slice it so they are bite sized, then call it a pinwheel, lol. My little guy would never eat half the stuff i get away with rolling up into "pinwheels" If I a trying something really out of the box I will have him try 1 first. Yet to find a combo he doesn't think is great.
