Any advice on what to pack in my 6 year old's lunch?

Question

She HATES peanut butter - she's not allergic, she just won't eat it, so PBJ sandwiches are out of the question.

I have packed turkey, ham, etc sandwiches/wraps but she gets tired of them fast. Also, have pack Lunchables on occasion but she doesn't care much for them either.

In addition, I always pack some goldfish crackers, applesauce/fruit, carrots, raisins, maybe a granola bar and some fruit snacks.

She is not really a picky eater, it just seems getting her interested in her lunch at school is challenging. (At her school, kindergartners have to bring a lunch, they cannot buy a hot lunch until 1st grade.)

Thanks!

Answer 1

Does she have a Thermos? If so, you can send her to school with some soup or pasta. With a slice of bread and a handful of cherry tomatoes on the side, this makes a well-rounded lunch.

Buy some new foods that she hasn't tried yet--maybe she'll like hummus or vegemite. You can also make some pretty interesting sandwiches with cream cheese. Try packing chicken, but limit tuna--the mercury levels can be harmful if you eat it more than once or twice a month. You didn't mention if she likes cheese, but if you let her try a few varieties she may take to it.

Most kids like pretzels, tortilla chips, and other crunchy snacks. Have you tried Pirate's Booty? It's a like a healthier version of Cheetoes.

If she likes eggs, hard-boiled eggs might be nice. You can draw faces on the shells, and such, to make them more interesting.

Like someone else said, if she tends to get bored with sandwiches, try putting them on different kinds of breads and rolls.

I hope some of these suggestions work well for you!

Answer 2

I HATE peanut butter too maybe u could

buy 1 of those  hello kitty sandwich makers

like I got! it prints hello kittys face & bear

face on sandwich & it also seals the food

inside of the bread!  (eye candy)

can make grilled cheese or french toast

or  tuna melt  with pickles

or any thing you want to stuff into them!

then  there are poptarts (prettier than granola bars.  or dried cereal in baggy

or  graham crackers teddies or twix cookie bars if desparate...   banannas grapes or strawberries  bluberries  cantaloupe or sweet pineapple chunks

yogurt packets

my sons also love salad

but  mostly  feed  her well before school &

when she gets home!

Answer 3

Wow, you pack a lot of stuff in the lunch box!  Think about what she's really eating VS.  what comes home or gets thrown out, whatever the case is and try to adjust to meet her needs.

At our school, lunch is 45 minutes, and it's the only chance to sit with kids from the other classes (vs. the kids in your classes all day.)  So my son spends a lot of time being social rather than eating.  I've seen my fair share of lunches come home because he didn't have enough time to talk and eat.

Try to make "fun" lunches.  Use a cookie cutter to cut out the sandwich from the bread (you mention she will eat turkey and ham.)  How about rolling up the lunch meat without bread, also a fun option.  Try lots of different bread, little rolls, mini bagels etc. just to make a difference. it's great that you are sending healthy snacks. My son really likes "Pirates Booty" which is puffed rice and corn with white cheddar (instead of goldfish, which your daughter likes, but just for a change.)

Also try cut up veggies with some healthy dip in a small little cup with a lid, that's always fun to dip.

Finally, ask her to help you write up a "lunch list" for the week.  Pick a theme (Valentine's day for example) or  cowboy/cowgirl week and then have lunches that go with the theme.  Having your child look forward to eating something is half the battle.

Good luck!

Answer 4

we let our daughter pick out two different types of meat at the deli each week. and then we alternate them so one day she has ham the next day is samali then the next week she can choose to have say turkey and chicken.

we also have a variety of fruit, she can choose between grapes, oranges, applesauce etc. and then we let her pick out a dessert which is usually a small piece of candy or we let her pick out a granola bar something like that.

every once in a great while when we have pizza for dinner if there are left overs she loves to take cold pizza for lunch, its a special treat but it also helps with the variety.

Answer 5

stromboli

salad- pasta

            potato

            garden

pizza pockets

bagels sandwiches

Answer 6

Did you try cream cheese and jelly, tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad or hard boiled eggs, fried chicken (which is goood cold). cheese and crackers.Good luck have the same problem...

Answer 7

Butter and jam/jelly.  Cut her sandwiches in shapes using cookie cutters or free-hand.  

Mixed nuts.

Sugar-free cookies.

Pretzels.

Grapes.

Orange sections.

Fried baloney sandwiches.

Answer 8

well my mom had that same problem with me. so i just didn't bring a sandwich. i don't like sandwiches at all and i was fine! the things you pack for her are what my mom packed for me. just keep up that routine.

Answer 9

i LOVE tea sandwiches!!!

alright. take creamcheese chop up arugala and mix it in there

or buy cream cheese with chives already in it (Philidelphia brand) spread it on some bread that has been all done up with a cookie cutter just to make it fun and different. then put some turkey on there. its marvelous. cut up straw berries in half. she can get a little messy with it, thats wuts fun about fruit. throw in a granola bar, little baggy of chips, natural juice or milk, just make it a fun and happy lunch. think different.

PS cucumbers are a hit!!!

Answer 10

vary the breads. Try rolls too. Try alternating everyday. Salad, ham,honey,meat,jam (jelly) sandwich. If she is only getting it once a week she can't become bored with it

Answer 11

what about some vegetables cut into sticks (e.g. carrot, celery, peppers) and some dip for her to dip into that makes it a bit more fun.

As someone said earlier, try varying the bread (e.g. white bread, wholemeal bread, sandwiches, rolls, wraps, etc.)

If you can be bothered making mini quiches the night before that might be another idea.

pasta salad

fruit salad

different pieces of fruit each day (apple, banana, precut orange, plum, apricot, peach, nectarine, container of grapes, container of berries, etc.)

yoghurt

dried fruit/nuts

cheese and crackers

savory muffin (again if you can be bothered to make them!)

bag of popcorn (not as unhealthy as a packet of chips without all the salt and butter)

Answer 12

well my daughter loved bring a thermos with soup when she was that age. try using a thermas to wormthings up.  we actualy did variant on kraft (pasta in thermas to be kept worm) two things of milk 1 to drink 1 to pour on pasta a stir in cheese. You can give it a try.