Right after we moved here, we got our girls enrolled in summer Mother’s Day Out at a nearby church. It gives them a chance to make some friends & gives me a chance to come home and take a 5 hour nap. Uh, I mean “go to Wal-mart and buy all of the items our family will need for a week.” Yes. That’s what I mean.
But, I need y’all’s help. There’s a child at their MDO with severe peanut allergies. So, no peanut anything. I’m down with that. I fully support the prevention of anaphylactic shock, especially in small children. But, since we can’t have anything with peanuts, nothing that needs refrigeration, and nothing that needs heating up, I’m at quite a loss about lunch. What can I pack?
Here’s the same old stuff the girls get every week:
- applesauce or fruit cup
- piece of bread, biscuit, or bagel (they love the latter 2)
- crackers (because they need more carbohydrates)
- pretzels (because a bread item + crackers is *still* not enough carbs for them)
- gummy snacks (because they need sugar + artificial crap)
- juice box
- cookie
- maybe a cheese stick if I remember to stick it in the freezer an hour before they leave
That’s it. Soooo boring! I found some sandwich-sized insulated boxes this past week & thought, “Brilliant! I can make them sandwiches!” Then, I remembered that they don’t like sandwiches. They like cheese, they like bread, and 47% of the time they like sandwich meat. But, if you put it together…. as in touching… NO WAY.
So, help a mama out! I have very limited cold space to go in their lunch boxes and I don’t like Lunchables very often (too much sodium & they really don’t eat them very well anyway).
What other items would you pack in a preschooler’s lunch?
Kelli
Someone suggested to me black beans and cubes of cheese.
KarenD
I struggle with this too! Right now the kids are at a place that provides lunch, but in the fall, I’ll be packing lunches again.
Our boys like veggie chips, and we’ve tried a few different kinds: Sunwell which are actual dried vegetables (lightly salted), the kind you can get that are usually green, red, and yellow (spinach, tomato, and potato) and look like regular potato chips, or Pirate Booty which is a crunchy puff-like snack coated in, uh, vegetable powder? I know, yum.
Raisins. Or cut-up fruit like grapes and strawberries, maybe even apple slices if your MDO doesn’t freak out about potential choke hazards. (Mine told me I needed to QUARTER the grapes, I mean, seriously?)
I think your cheese would be fine not refrigerated until lunch. Am I wrong? Oops. But I like to buy the “cheese” cubes or crumbles that are pre-cut which is easier to throw in the bag. I have also found some diced lunch meat or chicken that they make in little cups to put on salads. The boys eat these about 47% of the time. And of course, you pay extra for these conveniences.
Graham crackers instead of cookies. Nabisco makes some without HFCS.
Fruit bars… like Nutrigrain or we buy Jammy Sammys… they are hard to find in the stores, but I usually tag some on our diapers.com order. They have all kinds of flavors (some with peanut butter, though, watch out), and are organic. Read: pricey.
Gerber yogurt bites… so you get some dairy in there. I know, they’re made for like 6mo old, but both my boys still love them. They also now make some fruit/veggie bites. We’re always struggling to sneak in the veggies around here.
Hope that helps!
txtchr
popccorn
yogurt
veggies (with or without dip)
hummus w/something-kate has an easy recipe in her blog
cold pizza
pickles
fruit
guacamole or salsa with chips
macaroni n cheese (i think it can be eaten cold)
KarenD
Will they eat cucumber? Or baby carrots?
txtchr
also here’s a website of a total overachiever mom
http://lunchinabox.net/2007/05/14/leftover-remake-pasta-frittata-multi-grilling/
KarenD
Freeze those Go-gurt yogurts the night before, and they’re ready for lunchtime!
Should I stop commenting now? Hey… you should check out my blog. We’re crafting a lot around here, too!
Jill
what about a little thermos and then they could have soup (is that too hard for pre-schoolers to eat? I can’t remember) sometimes I wrap up heated burritos (beans, rice, corn, salsa, cheese, chicken–any combination) in foil and put them in the thermos. they stay relatively warm until lunch.
Kelly Capron
we call it wrap ups- tortillas, ham or turkey, cheese, and honey mustard- wrapped up and cut like a pinwheel… my kids love them, and they are super fast to make
Elizabeth Johnson
My kids will eat lunch meat (or peanut butter) on a tortilla shell so you might try that. Also if you have a whole foods near you, you might be able to find a peanut butter substitute. My friend has the same problem with her son but found a good substitute at whole foods that they like and is safe to take to school. Also, Jesse likes Ritz crackers with bologna on it. I use a small biscuit cutter to make it fit just right and makes mini sandwich crackers. Also craisins, granola bars and come on throw some Cheetos in there from time to time!
GeekLady
Jerky? My son just loves jerky.
You could put apple butter on the bread/bagels, or nutella if tree nut products are safe. Or cream cheese.
Baby carrots are popular with GeekBaby, and cut up fruit or grapes.
You could just fill the cold containers up with sliced cheeses and send crackers.
Goldfish crackers? The goldfish grahame are really good.
Gerber yogurt drop are also tasty, but also a little expensive.
Cold pasta? Homemade pesto is great on cold pasta, but there have to be other sauces that are mayonnaise free and tasty.
dachshund143
Have your tried other nut butters with your kids? Check out Nutella…I know it is chocolate but it might work for them since its not made of peanuts. Also, check the bulk food section of your grocery store for other nut butters. When my kids were little we mixed the nut butter and the jelly together in a bowl before putting it on bread. Different texture and it works for some.
Happy lunches!!!
~hugs,
Momma G