Toddler Lunch Ideas

[SundayCrepes]

I meal plan our dinners a week at a time, but I'm terrible at coming up with lunch ideas. Anyone have some ideas for toddler lunches? I'm trying to stay away from frozen lunches to save money. We currently do dairy and we raise laying hens so eggs are also okay. She doesn't like hummus.

Here are some of the things I feed my 20 month old for lunch:

Leftovers (This is my favorite to offer her since it's usually something nutritious and healthy. We just don't always have leftovers.)
almond butter and jelly sandwich
scrambled eggs
fruit smoothie with spinach and raw (home laid) eggs
yogurt and fruit
frozen mac 'n cheese
satay and noodles (Trader Joe's)

Thanks

[Koalamom]

We are DF, GF, CF, SF

My dd just turned 3 and some of the things we eat for lunch are:

today was black eyed peas (cooked with kombu seaweed for the minerals), sweet potatoes, and steamed greens on the side.

Or we may have
Lentil soup
Green smoothie
tortillas
veggie soup
sweet potatoes and a handful of nuts

We are not too official on what we eat , but I like there to be a protein (nuts, seeds, or beans -non soy) and a veggie. If the veggie isn't a green, we will have one for dinner.
I feel like if I am getting this in my kid, I am doing alright.

[ihugtrees]

We do quesadillas (whole wheat tortilla, cheese, spinach, sometimes avocado) allll the time.
Boiled eggs
Hummus with veggies & pita bread (you could try hummus made from different beans maybe?)
Beans & rice
Pasta w/ veggies & crushed (in a food processor) nuts or a sauce with meat or tofu in it (we are 75% vegetarian)
Tofu (uncooked, cubed) with a veggie
Cheese with whatever

We strive for a protein, a veggie, & a fruit in every meal. Snacks are often 2 of the 3, though.

Some things I've been wanting to try...roasted chickpeas, miso soup (pre made & reheated), quinoa with veggie.

[GranolaMum]

We have these weekly - veggie wraps (whole wheat tortilla, spread with hummus and avocado, hemp seeds and sometimes grated carrot)

falafel/pita bread/carrots and cucumber slices/hummus

Have you tried making raw hummus (with zucchini instead of chickpeas)?

Also make a raw pate (with almonds and sunflower seeds) for sandwiches.

I always struggle with lunches too!

[Sayward]

Originally Posted by GranolaMum

Also make a raw pate (with almonds and sunflower seeds) for sandwiches.

recipeeeeee???

[vegemamato]

Personally, I find it a lot easier to just make extras for dinner and have leftovers for lunch..

I'm also a big fan of giving each of the kids a tortilla and setting up bowls of whatever we have in the fridge so they can make 'burritos' (any kind of beans, veggies, leftover rice, et cetera), a piece of fruit and occasionally some chips, nuts, rice cakes or crackers..

my nine yr old is a big fan of salad too (she'll eat anything if there's dressing).

[an_aurora]

We have been doing bento-style lunches lately to cut down on fast food, and we all love it. Today I did cream cheese & jelly sandwhiches, carrots, broccoli, grapes, an applesauce squeeze, and a carton of the Horizon chocolate milk.

[lil_miss_understood]

[vegemamato]

Originally Posted by JacquelineR

I guess popcorn could be another option... :nana

[CatsCradle]

Lunch has always been a challenge for us too because it is our primary meal of the day (we tend to have a very light meal in the evening). I have had to pack DD's lunches for the last two years and I too (like a PP) utilize a bento box method. I always try to pack the following: a vegetable, a protein, a fruit (or two), a yogurt, something salty (like pretzels), a grain and a fortified soymilk.

I also pre-make a dip for raw veggies and send a little container of that each day. Generally I'll pack a little container of cherry tomatos, baby carrots, olives and baked tofu as the main part of the lunch. I might put in a half of cheese sandwich or half bagel. We don't do anything over the top but try to vary the veggies and fruits. The only time DD has complained is when I've forgotten to put in something - like the yogurt. Sometimes if I have extra noodles from a stir fry left over I'll send that in too.