School Lunch Ideas for Kindergartener?

[JuniperMama]

We start kindergarten in a week! :

I just realized that I'm going to have to pack lunches daily. (What can I say, I just had baby #2 a month ago, I'm still not totally in reality. )

The school does not allow peanut products but do allow almond butter. He likes almond butter/jelly sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, etc. but I imagine this is going to get boring quickly.

I need ideas to diversify the lunch menus. What do you pack in your kids' school lunches?

Thanks!

[mamatoablessing]

Originally Posted by JuniperMama

We start kindergarten in a week! :

I just realized that I'm going to have to pack lunches daily. (What can I say, I just had baby #2 a month ago, I'm still not totally in reality. )

The school does not allow peanut products but do allow almond butter. He likes almond butter/jelly sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, etc. but I imagine this is going to get boring quickly.

I need ideas to diversify the lunch menus. What do you pack in your kids' school lunches?

Thanks!

Just a few that seem to work well for us:

ham or turkey and cheese sandwiches
ham or turkey and cheese roll ups using wraps
hummus with crackers and cut up veggies for dipping
homemade chicken noodle soup (or any soup-just use a thermos to keep it warm)
cold pasta salad with chunks of salami, cheese, veggies and a light dressing
almond butter and banana sandwiches or roll ups
quesadillas (my kids will eat these cold, so that works for us but you could make them that morning and they'd probably be kind of warm by the time lunch was served)
slices of salami and turkey pepperoni with crackers
frittata or a slice of quiche (again, if they'll eat it cold)
pizza slices

[kjbrown92]

stew or soup in a thermos
cold cuts (the natural kind)
fruit (banana, apple, orange, cut up kiwi, berries, etc.)
cut up veggies (carrots, celery, cucumber)
black olives
chickpeas
raisins or other dried fruit

[isosmom]

Even if you're not veg*n, check out http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com for tons of ideas.

[gmvh]

We do leftovers fairly often, especially burritos. My husband combines anything that remotely resembles beans and rice and puts it in a tortilla.

[mistymama]

Some of my son's fave sandwichs are:

deli meat & cheese on wheat bread
wheat bagel & cream cheese
Quesadilla
Burrito
Any sort of wrap - his fave is to use a whole wheat or spinach tortilla, spread a little cream cheese, fill with deli meat, cucumber, tomato, roll up and slice into little circles.
Pizza Bagel (split bagel in 1/2 and toast with sauce, cheese & whatever toppings)

For snacks we mostly do cut up fruits and veggies, raw. Apples, carrots, celery, broccoli, cucumber, orange slices, watermellon, raisins, etc. He does not like to dip, but if he did I would include hummus.

Sometimes I include a homemade trail mix - you could still do this without nuts. Just combine several salty and sweet finger foods he likes.

In winter I will sometimes send a thermos with warm soup, or leftovers.

[PatienceAndLove]

don't forget using lettace as wraps. we did this for dinner a few times, and DD wanted to do it for lunch!

[BlueStateMama]

Hardboiled eggs are a huge hit here. Plus organic frozen yogurt tubes thaw nicely by lunch. I do mixes - healthier crackers plus some pretzels. I use small tupperwear type containers and put in chunks of watermelon or DS likes grapes and bananas too...

[EMS]

My son just started kindergarten, too. We've been packing leftovers (usually rice and beans, sometimes with meat). I pack it the night before when I'm cleaning up from supper, which makes it easier. The teachers heat it up for him in a microwave at school.

[sedalbj]

I am going a little nuts trying to figure this out! I don't want her using the microwave at school, so either it has to be packed to stay warm or cold, by itself. And what lunchbox to buy? I usually go with the flow with anything but for some reason this lunch thing is freaking me out!

Any tips on packing lunch to stay warm by itself (besides a thermos?). I was thinking of sewing a bag and filling it with beans and nuking it every morning to put in her lunch bag.

Thanks for the food ideas above. Hard Boiled egg sounds like an excellent idea. I could even slice it up and make something neat, bento style!

[PatienceAndLove]

Originally Posted by sedalbj

I am going a little nuts trying to figure this out! I don't want her using the microwave at school, so either it has to be packed to stay warm or cold, by itself. And what lunchbox to buy? I usually go with the flow with anything but for some reason this lunch thing is freaking me out!

Any tips on packing lunch to stay warm by itself (besides a thermos?). I was thinking of sewing a bag and filling it with beans and nuking it every morning to put in her lunch bag.

Thanks for the food ideas above. Hard Boiled egg sounds like an excellent idea. I could even slice it up and make something neat, bento style!

The Vegan Lunchbox gal has been doing a lovely spread of different recipes using different lunch boxes.
The hits, thus far (and other than the laptop lunch) seem to be the Mr. Bento (though the Ms. Bento is smaller and would be more appropriate for a kindergartener), Lunchsense (which I want for Vivi), To-Go-Ware (which I think may be more grown-up/HS appropriate), and LunchBots. DD currently uses a Fit N Fresh Lunch On the Go which works nicely on keeping items cold. I can even pack dressing without worry!