What does your child like to have packed in his or her school lunch?

[accomp]

My ds will be off to full-day kindergarten in two weeks. It is a private school and they do not prepare lunches there. I guess that they have some fast food that is brought in and able to be purchased, but for the most part I am going to have to be ready to pack his lunch daily. (He is a very picky eater, BTW). What does your child like to take for lunch at school? Thanks!

 

[WendyZ]

My DS is picky, too! He has a PB & jelly sandwich everyday. Sometime w/ pringles, crackers, pretzels, etc. Nothing healthy thats for sure. God forbid he eat anything like that! Then he takes a quarter, cuz he'll only drink chocolate milk. It's not hard to make his lunch, but I don't see how he can stand to eat the same thing everyday. But he's happy!!!

 

[jx3smom]

Mine has always liked a PB and J sandwich, raisins or fruit snacks, a frozen gogurt (keeps everything cool) and some juice and maybe a few cookies.

 

[Cindy B]

I've been packing my sons lunch for two years! And all through out camp as well.

Right now he likes PB & J, a Thermos full of juice (usually Kool Aid), (The drink boxes were pretty small, and he was still thirsty!)

I bring two snacks as well. Usually its a granola bar and something. Sometimes grapes, pretzels, or fruit snacks.

 

[cinlee3]

My son takes a sliced ham - no bread cause it gets soggy, sometimes pita bread. Grapes or applesauce. Some kind of chips or crackers and cookies. He takes bottled water or sometimes buys a Frutopia.

This year he starts middle school so who knows - he says he wants to buy his lunch, but I don't think that will last.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

My son just finished middle school. Every day it was the same thing - turkey sandwich, Oreos, and bottled water (because I said no to soda.) Occassionally, a fluffer nutter.

DD buys in high school, bless her.

 

[accomp]

Bumping for the nighttime DISers.

 

[shortbun]

Dh packs Ds's lunch. PBJ using good high fiber bread-
Brownberry. We have one of those round sealers that
takes off the crusts and seals the edges-he loves that!
Grapes or an apple. Baby carrots. water and milk money
in case they have choc milk that day. on Thursdays, the
school serves pizza, banana and carrots- so we don't
have to pack. I've eaten with ds on several occassions
and watched his friends eat nothing but the candy their
parents/the lunch packer put in as a treat and throw the
rest away. Ask him what he wants and set some parameters.
We designed this lunch after my being in the lunch room and
watching what was eaten by others and ds saying what
he wanted. BTW-PBJ is very healthy if you use the lowfat
peanut butter, no sugar added jelly and healthy bread.
AND-according to the pediatric nutritionist I've consulted-
chocolate milk is more nutritional than white!

 

[justjulie]

We have a challenge because although my kids like peanut butter we can't send it or anything that may contain. The "may contain" is where the problem lies almost everything has a disclaimer of "may contain or have come into contact with peanuts and/or peanut products".

 

[browneyes]

My 6 yo ds likes a turkey sandwich on white bread with lots of mayo and lot and lots of tomatoes (I have to put 4-6 slices of tomatoes on his sandwiches for him). Also, a bag of chips (preferrably doritos), either a peach or a plum, some hershey's kisses and a juice.

My 9 yo dd likes a ham sandwich on white with mayo and mustard, a very small bag of chips, some bite sized chocolate chip cookies, some hershey's kisses and a juice. Sometimes she'll wrap a quartered pickle slice in aluminum foil, too.

Their favorite lunch is when I buy the lunchables. They both like the nachos one. My dd will eat the pizza one too. My ds sometimes just wants the crackers and turkey one.

They don't take their lunch too often. It's easier for me if they buy their lunch.

 

[meeshi]

DD likes salami and provolone sandwich,
DS likes chippped ham and american cheese sandwich

They both get chips, pretzels or crackers; gogurt or fruit snacks and a juice box. They'll also get on a baby carrot and dip kick where they want those too.

They bring a packed lunch 3 days and buy 2 days usually. If they were to buy lunch every day it would cost me $17 a week and that seems like a lot for the crap they get served. They like to eat when there's pizza or tacos or something.

 

[SeaShelley]

My DS buys lunch at school...he loves the salad bar. Snacks are usually a lunchable, baby carrots and dip, peanut butter crackers, or half a PB&J. Always with a juice box.

 

[UrsulasDaBomb]

I know when I was a kid,my favorite thing to take to school for lunch was a tuna salad sandwich with pickles and a bag of nacho Doritos. We usually bought our lunch though because we qualified for a subsized lunch program where lunches were only like 2 dollars per week per kid.
I'd check into this at your school if I were you.It might be easier and cheaper in the long run.

 

[WDWfanatic288]

I pack-
a sandwich or a lunchable
a juice box(i can't drink that much soda...a can is alot for a lunch period...lol)
chex mix
and a fruit thingy...like fruit roll-up or what not

 

[BethR]

Katherine likes pepperoni and cheese on a hamburger bun or white bread. I then include an individual fruit cup, piece of fruit, or carrots. A bag of some kind of chips or crackers. And a snack cake of some kind. Water for her to drink.
This year I am going to try to include yogurt more often.
Laura would like to have salad every day if I would pack it for her...

 

[JerseyJanice]

My son likes most cold cuts and his father brings lunch too.

Every week, I buy 2 or 3 different kinds and 1 kind of cheese and mix it up throughout the week. Typically, I buy turkey, ham, roast beef, bologna or chicken breast (ever try Boar's Head Barbecued chicken breast--YUM!) and American, Swiss or provolone.

The only thing DS is very picky about is that he wants all traces of crust cut from his bread. Oh, and it has to be sliced bread--no rolls.

Currently, he's into Kool-Aid Jammers pouches for a beverage, and we have lots of different snacks. Cookies, cheese & cracker things, pieces of fruit or container of watermelon, fruit roll-ups or snacks, baby carrots, pudding snacks, brownies, etc.

For my kid, variety is the spice of life. I try to keep him from getting bored with anything.

 

[disnee15]

Most of the time I buy lunch, at middle school... It good, but sometimes I pack, usually

A turkey, lettuce, mayo samich
A coke, or spirte or orange crush (mmmm)
Chips
And a rice krispie.. Not need much more, we all share!

 

[accomp]

You guys are great! You've given me a lot of great ideas!

 

[Cindy B]

Interesting choices, I see here.

 

[MerryPoppins]

Family Fun Magazine used to always offer great back-to-school brown bag ideas. You might want to check out their latest issue and see. I've seen articles in women's magazines this time of year as well. Look with your son. He'll know what sounds good to him.

My kids are 15 and 11 and they always take their lunches. They prefer brown-bagging to purchasing in the cafeteria. I started something new last year. I buy several chips/crackers, several fruits, and several lunch meats/cheeses. Every night after dinner, they choose a sandwich, a chip, a fruit, a drink box and a sweet. No more compaints that they didn't like something and I don't have to pack anything. I just have to pull it out of the fridge in the morning.

My kids like for me to get soft breadsticks. We cut them lengthwise (but not clear through), put pizza sauce inside, add pepperoni and a string cheese. I microwave it a little in the morning before I wrap it and they think it's great!

They also are fond of wraps. It's a nice change from bread every day. They just build a sandwich in a tortilla (or 2 in my son's case) and roll it up.

PBJ is my daughter's standby. She eats it almost every day during the school year. I get her to vary it a little by buying different jams, honey and even apple butter (her personal favorite). I usually get her to take a break from it during the summer, but I guess it's almost time to stock up again.