Any creative ideas for a 16 year old's school lunch?

Question

My girl likes to pack her lunch instead of buy. They do have access to a microwave. She's been taking hot pockets and sandwiches, but I'd like to mix it up a bit and make sure it's nutritious.

What do you pack for your kid?

Thank you :)

Answer 1

When I was in high school I was a veggie and we were forced to take the meat part of the lunch so it was "balanced" so I often brought my own.  Why not make a few dishes and separate them out in tupperware and stick em in the freezer.  Pasta dishes, rice n beans, grilled chicken dishes, soups, homemade pot pies, etc.  all freeze and reheat very well. Plus it's easy in the morning, label them and she can grab what she wants.  

Answer 2

Reruns.  

Answer 3

I have 3 teenage daughters - all athletes. We try to keep it healthy!

I only buy wholegrain breads - there are some very good square bagels that work GREAT for sandwiches. (Thomas is the brand - like the english muffins!).

We love Kraft's new sliced Havarti cheese - makes it a gourmet sandwich! Other great cheeses are Provolone, Muenster, Baby Swiss. I never buy American cheese or anything with hydrogenated fat (check out Dr Oz on Oprah.com!!!).

We also pack Larabars (all natural), Nutrigrain fruit and nut bars, Kashi Bars, Fruit cups, bananas (they collect all the banana stickers!), apples and other fresh fruit, applesauce cups, fruit snacks, raw veggies and light ranch, PB and celery sticks, granola from our health food store, wheat thins, Wholegrain goldfish, sun chips, etc...

Read the labels! Any store bought cookie (unless it's organic) has bad fats and is loaded with sugar.

Another thing is pack a salad and get packets of salad dressing to throw in her sack. My daughters make Caprese Salad and put it in tupperware - it's fine by the time lunchtime arrives. Alternate Sliced Fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, ev olive oil drizzled over and chopped fresh basil. They add a little salt and pepper and say it's one of their faves for school lunch!

Look for 100% juice boxes (we like Tropicana single OJ cartons), bottled water, or have her buy milk at school.

Hope I could help - we've been doing this for a while! 4 kids and 2 are in high school this year, one in Jr. High.

Check out your local health food store and have her pick up banana chips, different snack bars, organic sodas and seltzers sweetened with fruit juice, etc... YOGURT is a great thing to pack in a lunch too - keep an ice pack in her sack or lunchbox. Soups in thermos work good too! Some casseroles are good cold!  I'll bet you could make up fruit smoothies in the morning and keep those in a thermos or insulated drink carrier - that would be awesome!!!

Answer 4

chicken salad or tuna wraps  - better then sandwich

soup in thermous so it stays hot

chef or grilled chicken salad with lots of veggies

cold pasta chicken salad or use tuna

Answer 5

Yea wraps.

You can do ANYTHING with a wrap & aren't they cool?

I was goofy & cut cheese & bologna to a 'ritz' cracker size (I had a cookie cutter) & made home made lunchables.  (my daughter's also 6 years old)

Make sure to add some fruit at least, if not try to include some veggies (maybe add dip to it)  

Answer 6

When I was in high school, Years ago, There used to be a couple of kids who kept a small bar-b-q grill at school, and durring lunch, they would alwalys go out and cook.  They cooked everything from hot dogs to vienna sausages.  They were weird guyz, but I can remember sitting there with my peanut butter sandwinch, Wishing I could have been those guyz.

Answer 7

http://www.recipezaar.com/sitenews/post.... They have some great recipes for bagged lunches! This link will take you directly too them.

Answer 8

On cold days some soup she can nuke and some garlic bread.

A container with some leftovers from dinner.

On warmer days I like sandwiches, just single fillings of things I like to eat. Tomatoes, eggs, lettuce, cold lamb or corned beef. (leftover from dinner)

Fruit bananas, pears, apricots etc.