Lunches - What to pack?

MommyToAshley wrote: What do you pack for lunches besides PB&J?

Ashley leaves for school at 8:15 but her lunch isn't until 12:30. So, I'm afraid to pack lunch meat, cheese, etc. Although, I do put in some veggies and dip as that can hold up a little longer. What do you pack for their lunch other than PB&J?

Ashley will be packing 4 days this week, and I need some ideas please! Plus, I am more sensitive to the kids that are allergic to peanuts, but I don't have a clue what else to pack.

kit_kats_mom replied: I was wondering this last night too. I know K thrives on variety in her lunches. I found this site which was helpful.
http://www.healthychild.com/healthy-school-lunch-ideas.htm
Also, freeze 4 juice boxes on Sunday night and pop them in her lunchbox to keep things cool (and safe). They will be thawed by lunchtime.

lisar replied: Lexi hates for me to put anything with cheese she says its nasty by the time she eats lunch. She always gets a PB&J sandwich. Its the only kind she likes. Unless I get her a lunchable.

my2monkeyboys replied: You can always pack sliced apples, grapes, fruit cups - that sort of thing, too.

MommyToAshley replied:
I have sent fruit cups and pudding (already sealed and doesn't require refrigeration), dry snacks, and granola bars. I have also sent fresh fruit such as grapes, whole apples, or bananas. But, wouldn't apple slices turn brown?

I guess I am looking for more main entry/sandwich type ideas that won't go bad.

I thought about the frozen juice (it's a good idea Cary) but I am still not sure about packing things that can go bad. I am really picky and have major hang-ups about food handling and how long things have been unrefrigerated. I don't let Ashley eat food at picnics that have been sitting out unrefigerated either. I know in most cases it is probably ok, but I can't bring myself to let her eat it. See, told you I had hang-ups.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: I bought Wil an insulated lunch bag from Whole Foods a year ago and throw in those blue ice packs. He goes from 8:30 until 12:30, eating lunch at noon. The food still feels cold when I pick him up. Since I can't do PB&J, I do bologna and cheese sandwiches, grilled cheese (made the night before), cheese quesadillas (made the night before or that morning), tortilla wraps (sliced turkey, mayo or cream cheese and a little lettuce). I also buy those mini wheat bagels and spread cream cheese in them, sometimes turkey on top. Pizza slices from the night before. Cut it in small strips. I've even chopped up hot dog and put in a small container. Or chicken sliced up in a small tupperware. Throw in some ranch dressing for dipping. HTH

Kaitlin'smom replied: whe I had to pack for K I got her Ice packs to put in her lunch, she found princess ones...LOL that way I could pack more things than pb&j and some school nowdays wont let you pack pb. I did anythign from sanwiches to left overs, I have small containers I would use for left overs. I dont know if you have to option of having something warmed up for her or not, but Kaitlin loved left ofer steak, chicken, pork, pasta, pizza...almost anything we had recently. I also woudl ask her in the morning, I can pack you this or that for lunch, she liked having the option to pick in the moring, some times she woudl even pack herself and me I had a drawer for her in the fridge with things she could pack and a basket on the counter, made it pretty easy.

mom21kid2dogs replied: I rarely pack but on the days I do, I freeze her juice pack so it keeps her wrap, yougurt or whatever cold til lunch. Don't put them in the deep freeze, though. They won't unthaw by lunch!!

stella6979 replied: I found this site that has a ton of cooler lunch bags and they are VERY cheap. Just throw an ice pack in them and she can take anything.

http://www.myshopangel.com/promotional_bag...CFQVkswodCCj9gg

kit_kats_mom replied: I just got back from Target where I picked up a cute pink thermos that fits in her lunch sack. It has a little spoon attached. I'll send spaghetti, soups, noodles, leftovers and whatever else in that.

Boo&BugsMom replied: In the dollar section at Target last year I found two little ice packs I use for Tanner's lunches.

As far as food...apples, organic smooshed fruit, organic juice pouches, PB&J on whole grain bread, raw veggies like carrots, beans, and cucumbers, raisins, string cheese, cheddar bunnies (like goldfish, but organic), grapes, strawberries, cantaloupe, and other items of the like.

Of course, that's not all in ONE lunch, but those are things that are packed regularly. I am weird about sending lunch meat too. I remember my mom use to pack me bologna sandwiches and by the time lunch came it would be warm...yuck! I always threw it out. Of course, my mom didn't use ice packs though. The ice packs seem to keep Tanner's lunches cold enough. He doesn't complain.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Do those keep the food warm enough? I have been wanting to send things like that with Tanner but I wasn't sure if there was something that would keep it warm throughout the day.

kit_kats_mom replied: I think it said it would keep food warm for 5 hours if it's prepped correctly. I figure I'll run hot water in it before I fill it up, and heat the beejezus out of the item I'm putting in. That way it should stay hot enough.

Jamison'smama replied: I used the thermos for Jamison last year and she said everything stayed warm--I even put sliced up grilled cheese in there as well as chicken nuggets. I used ice packs for cold stuff and it always stayed cold. Jamison is PICKY so I had a rough time.

~Alyssa~ replied: here might be a few ideas

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/family/spe...school_food_sf/

mom21kid2dogs replied:
Olivia has a Thermos brand one. She has to put ice in her soup at lunch because it's still hot. She does have an early lunch but it stays hot from 8am to noon.

Sam & Abby's Mom replied: I think about this all the time -- when I was a kid,, I got a bologna sandwich in a brown bag that sat in my locker all morning until lunch. I dont know how our generation wasnt wiped out by food poisoning !

Sammy isnt in school, yet. But,, for some reason I've been thinking about his school lunches and I figured I'd use an insulated bad and put a frozen ice pack in it.... that's way better than I had it and somehow I survived. LOL

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Awesome! Thanks!

mckayleesmom replied: I picked up one of those ice pack things from the dollar tree......That reminds me...I need to put it in the freezer.

kimberley replied: jacob almost always had a meat sanwich and sometimes soup or leftovers from dinner in a thermos. james lived on mini pizzas. we'd cook it in the morning. he also would bring keilbasa and tortilla wedges. they eat at 11:50am and start school at 8:55am.

jcc64 replied: We're big fans of dumplings, aka potstickers, which we steam in the morning, then pack in tupperware. They may not be piping hot by lunchtime, but the kids never complain. Another favorite is Annie's mac n cheese with spinach or green peas mixed in.
And Dee Dee, you can prevent apple slices from turning brown by rubbing fresh lemon juice on them. I do that all the time for Corey.
A few more things my kids like: hard boiled eggs, tofu hot dogs, frozen stonyfield yogurt tubes, tortellini, ravioli.

kit_kats_mom replied: K LOVED the sandwich on a stick that I packed for her yesterday. Ham cubes, cheese cubes, bread cubes, a piece of lettuce and a couple grape tomatoes on a skewer. Big hit

luvmykids replied:
That is a GREAT idea! I also do peanut butter on celery sticks, a tortilla with cream cheese, pita pockets with whatever thrown in. To make things fun sometimes I'll use hot dog buns for sandwiches too.

jcc64 replied: We also do bagels and cream cheese. Corey is a lox fanatic, which is sort of weird for a kid her age, but that's a good lunch for her.