Share ideas for packing lunch at school

[eepster]

It suddenly occurred to me that I need to figure out what DS taking for lunch this year. To complicate matters, it should be peanut and tree nut free (if it isn't he has to eat in the office.) To top off matters, of course DS is picky like most 4 yo, so a bunch of the usual things won't work.

I figured that this was a common issue here, but when I searched the forum found nothing. So I figured, I would start a thread of good school lunch box ideas. This way we can all share ideas, and our little veg*n kids won't be eating the same meal over and over.

[eepster]

Even though it is my thread I thought I'd get the ball rolling with:

Cold Soba Noodle Salad:

one bundle soba noodles
enough water to fill a small sauce pan 2/3 full
a couple of table spoons of soy sauce
3 sheets of nori
a quarter cup of sesame seeds
a couple of table spoons toasted sesame oil (you can substitute regular sesame oil or olive oil)

Heat water and soy sauce in a sauce pan. Start cutting nori into tiny strips about 1/4 to 1/8 inch wide and 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. When the water and soy sauce come to a boil add the soba noodles and stir. Cook noodles till soft (3 to 5 minutes usually.) Drain noodles and pour half of the oil on to them. Toss noodles, nori strips and sesame seeds together. Add more oil as needed to keep the noodles from clumping together. Chill in a tightly sealed container (if there is too much air, the noodles dry out.)

Makes about 4 servings.

[mommajb]

I've narrowed it down to leftovers or sandwich, fruit, and drink.

pb&j, seasonal fruit ready to eat (ex sliced apple), thermos or box of milk wrapped in ice pack
you could sub sunflower seed butter

for leftovers in a thermos I usually use pasta/rice dishes that are tasty hot or cold

anything in a cute bento box goes over well

I want my kids drinking organic milk so I send it rather than buy it at school. It was a late addition to the routine. Dd2 wasn't eating at school and was having behavior issues over it as soon as she got home. She will at least drink her milk at school then eat her lunch when she gets home. She also needs the food to be very ready to eat or she "doesn't get around to eating it" at school. I think the cafeteria is a bit of a scene and she sits and watches. If lunch is her only school issue I'll take it.

Occasionally we vary from the routine but there is always some complaint I haven't thought about. One of my girls loves boiled eggs and would eat them by the dozen but didn't like the way they smelled at school when she opened her lunch. Another doesn't like how oily the cheese gets. The yogurt I couldn't keep in stock at home came back uneaten "because it seemed off." They love beans, rice and salsa mixed just like that. Anything too messy can be a problem. Apparently bananas are too full of inuendo to eat in jr high. One girl likes nothing better than to ask for help, another would rather starve to death than ask for help so make sure containers can be opened, spoons are included, napkins are available....

[eepster]

I changed the title. I realize that people might think I was talking about school lunches from the cafeteria. I think this makes it more obvious that I was thinking we should share recipes/ideas for what to pack in the lunch box.

[williamsmommy2002]

We do cheese sandwiches, cheese and crackers, yogurt, fruit and other snacks. My oldest is allergic to tree nuts and a few other things. He also doesn't really like school lunch types of food so we have a rule, we send healthier choices to school but he can eat as soon as he comes home and many times that is his real lunch. He also has issues with all the kids and noise in the cafeteria and is a slow eater due to poor muscle tone/strength.

My youngest didn't eat much last year at school but was in k and came home right after lunch. In fact the only reason he stayed at school for lunch was because we thought it might help him socially(on the autism spectrum). He likes more traditional cold lunch stuff though.

[lilyka]

spaghettios....i know, I know, but it is a quick lunch and its vegan.

left overs (the thermos has gotten a lot of mileage)
crackers and dip hummus, curried bean dip, cheese spreads (the girls get a limited amount of dairy) , tuna or fake tuna

sandwhiches include pband j, fake tuna, pita pockets stuffed with this and that, tortilla rolls with fake cream cheese or hummus to bing it together.

fruit, crackers, drink (juice or water), something snacky and junky usually is included in a very small portion. Taking their lunch to school sucks for them they get excluded to s special table where the five or sic kids who brought their lunch have to sit instead of sitting with their class. I would still rather them take their lunch instead of buying the CRAP our school serves. So they get a treat for taking their lunch.

[betterparent]

+

[mommajb]

I'll bite.

Do you have a link for the vegan spaghettios? I'm confused because I thought it was a cheese and tomato sauce.

[Nickarolaberry]

Things that have worked for us (I am always game for new ideas!):

Hummus and crackers (sometimes if we're flush I buy the single-serve Sabra containers of hummus because it gets a bit messy in a small reusable container, but whichever works is fine); also baby carrots, celery, peppers cut into pieces, the small organic yogurts (stonyfield farms, either the tubes or the yo-kids),

Bagels with cream cheese or peanut butter (or both, for one kid) or sunflower or soy nut butter

Wraps with leftover rice and beans

Pita with Israeli salad (diced cukes, tomatoes, peppers with little lemon juice and s&p), sent with tahini or tzatziki sauce

Leftover rice or pasta (I bought those thermos hot food containers which has really improved the transit etc. related to leftovers -- now they eat them! )

Cheese sticks, crackers, veggies, etc.

Each of my kids will eat a different combo of fruits and/or vegetables so I have to get creative with that. I also throw in a few snacky items (granola bars, popcorn, bag of cheerios, crackers) since they can have a snack during the day.

[chamomeleon]

I am also curious about vegan spaghetti-o's. I've always kept my eye out for a vegan version and have never seen one.

My guy happens to be going through a bit of a picky phase at the moment so packing lunches has been tricky so far. He doesn't like sandwiches (I mean really - sandwiches? What's not to like?) And I really need to get him a thermos, as there are many foods he likes warm, but will not eat cold.

I have managed to hit on a few things he likes though. Pups in blankets (recipe from the Vegan Lunchbox cookbook) were a major success. Muffins are a great way to sneak in veggies and whole grains - this week I made pumpkin muffins and added a handful of chocolate chips to sweeten the deal. Popcorn with nut. yeast, edamame, applesauce, fruit - as long as there is absolutely NO chance of it becoming mushy! , raw veggies but only green pepper and cucumber seem to be acceptable at the moment.

If you have a Trader Joe's in your town, they have a great selection of snacky dried fruits and veggies like banana chips, dried peaches, pears, mango, berries, etc. The crunchy freeze-dried green beans & snap peas are a great substitute for chips or pretzels.

Things he has loved in the past that have fallen from grace: hummus, refried bean "quesadillas" with guacamole for dipping, veg sushi, apples & peanut butter (I love those individual peanut butter packets - you can also find almond and sun butter versions.)

I'm going to try that Cold Soba Noodle Salad, thanks Eepster!

[Hoopin' Mama]

We are in our first week of kinder, and I'm already at a loss. I think I need to buy the thermos hot food container. Is this different from a regular cylindrical thermos?

When I think about the money I've already spend on food containment items, I find it ridiculous. I'm using laptop Bento boxes in BPA-free insulated lunch bag and a Sigg bottle. this is after realizing the Tiffin 2-tier stainless steel system does not work

Ds is so tired of sandwiches (was in preschool up to kinder) and I'm at a loss. I'm packing a whole bunch of little snacks in the bentos and he's not opening them. He may not even be pulling them out of the bag. I'm guessing that's why the laptop lunchbox is good, it's all laid out already.

[Nickarolaberry]

The thermos food containers are shorter and squatter (word?) than the tall drink thermoses. They are well worth it, and on the thermos.com website there are usually some good sales. However Walmart and Target both have knock-off brands that are very useful also. maybe slightly shorter lifespan, but still good and a lot cheaper.

I am right there with you on the $$ spent, although we didn't do bento boxes or anything. But I did buy nicer lunchboxes from lands end and ll bean because I want them to last (the discount store ones we bought last year had to be replaced).

[smallmama]

This is the list I made for myself (and my husband) last year when DS (3 at the time) was in a preschool program with lunch twice a week, also nut-free. He's lacto-ovo, so some may not work for vegan kids. Also, check out the Vegan Lunchbox blog. Lots of great ideas there I plan to implement next year for kindergarten!

Entrée:

Leftovers*
Auntie Anne's Bunny Pasta with peas and carrots added*
Mac & cheese*
Chickenless nuggets*
Spinach nuggets*
Veggie corndog*
Egg poppets
Mini bagels with cream cheese
Quesadillas (with cheese or cheese and black beans)
Soy butter (and jelly) sandwiches or pinwheels
Soy butter on crackers
Grilled cheese*
Pasta with meatless balls or beanballs or veg sausage
Chickpea salad – plain, in a pita sandwich, on crackers
Veggie burger
Refried bean and cheese roll-ups
Ravioli or tortellini
Pizza bagels/English muffins
Beans and rice and salsa
Hard boiled egg
Bean dip with crackers
Hummus with dippers (pita chips, pita triangles, carrots, cukes)
Hummus sandwich or pinwheels
Vegetable soup
Baked potato with toppings
Chunks of baked marinated tofu
Pasta salad
Veggie beans and franks

Fruit Side:

Apple slices (with or without soy butter)
Strawberries
Grapes
Watermelon
Orange (peeled or mandarin sections)
Blueberries
Applesauce
Fruit salad
Diced peaches, fruit cup
Pear
Dried fruit
Raisins
Banana


Vegetable side:

Baby carrots
Cucumbers (with ranch or hummus)
Leftover veggies
Celery
Corn
Steamed carrot pieces
Mashed sweet potatoes
Mashed cauliflower
Baked potato pieces
Frozen peas
Black olives

Treats (occasional):

Fig Newton
Homemade cookie or brownie
Snack pack of pretzels
Veggie/Pirate Booty
Graham crackers
Cheerios
Organic fruit snacks
Yogurt-covered raisins

Drinks (pack with cold pack):

Motts for Tots juice box
Chocolate soymilk box
Sippy or small bottle of water

[arb]

So glad to see this thread: I also did a search for vegetarian lunch and came up empty-handed!

I am wondering if anyone has good recipes ideas for baked patties/eggy things, mini-quiches/rice balls, that sort of thing. When my kid was little (2-3) I used to make bento-style shaped brown rice balls using molds, maybe I need to try that again. But I'd love something that holds together a bit better.

Also, my new kindergartner's #1 request for her first lunch (Tuesday!) is "Gogurt," which I have told her is not good yogurt, but I promised I would try to figure out a homemade version. I do not want to go the route of ziplock bags with the corner cut off (too wasteful) so my latest thought is to buy some soft plastic squeeze bottles (like Wilton makes, for candy-making supplies.) I need to check but I think they are made from one of the slightly better plastics (PET?). Anyone?

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/pro...93DEB3041892C7

[caiesmommy]

I'm in this boat too! Were veg, and ds is allergic to dairy. So it should be fun. Ds's school is starting full day every day jk this year. So he needs a morning snack and lunch. I could bring him home but lunch is 40 min and with ds messing around I think I might get 15 min of actual eating time if I brought him home

I'm really worried my grocery bill is going to sky rocket!

[karne]

My middle schooler likes to take falafel chips and a container of hummus, fresh fruit, like a small apple, beans and rice, either in a thermos, or wrapped in a wrap, a great salad with chopped eggs in a cool pack container. In a pinch, which has been actually several days now, I send frozen Kashi meals, heated and sent in a thermos. DD says they are better than anything served at school, and they are very filling.

[eepster]

Originally Posted by arb

Also, my new kindergartner's #1 request for her first lunch (Tuesday!) is "Gogurt," which I have told her is not good yogurt, but I promised I would try to figure out a homemade version. I do not want to go the route of ziplock bags with the corner cut off (too wasteful) so my latest thought is to buy some soft plastic squeeze bottles (like Wilton makes, for candy-making supplies.) I need to check but I think they are made from one of the slightly better plastics (PET?). Anyone?]

As you've figured out, it is the fun packaging, not the quality of the yogurt, that appeals to kids. Those Wilton bottles aren't that fun, and are pretty big.

These little soy sauce bottles, come in fish and piggy shapes. They are very very small though, so you may need to send a few, but that would allow you to send multiple flavors at once.


http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Club-H453...3272546&sr=8-1

Then there are honey bears. They come in a variety of sizes, and are just adorable.

http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=1359
http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=1345

[laughingfox]

The Vegan Lunch Box blog is a great source of inspiration. Even my non-veg friends love it.

My daughter's favorite packed lunch is cold Pad Thai. Weird, huh?
We also do "normal" foods in fun shapes (tofu nuggets, sandwiches, carrot slices, etc that have been cut with small cookie cutters). She's 9 and still loves this.
Salads are a big favorite of hers, especially if she gets to pick/slice the veggies herself.
She loves veggies sandwiches, but we have to pack the bread and veggies separately so the bread won't get soggy.
Hummus and veggie sticks, raw green pepper, celery, carrots, and sometimes broccoli.
Leftovers of any kind.
Mixed refried beans and salsa as a chip dip.
Mini bagels and hummus.
Homemade "Lunchables" with veg*an ingredients, cut with cookie cutters instead of in squares (I save the scraps and eat them myself so nothing goes to waste).
Pasta salad.
Fruits of any kind, especially grape-and-berry kabobs on toothpicks.

arb- Horizon makes an organic and all natural version of "GoGurt".

[arb]

Homemade Gogurt!

Update! We found two small squeeze bottles, not Wilton but a similar brand. I threw the wrapper away already but I'd guess 4 oz. each. The yogurt was slightly tricky to get in the smallish opening but I did it. Small square of plastic wrap over the opening before replacing the screw-on lid kept it from leaking (because there's no second cap to go over the opening of the top). The 5-year-old practiced unscrewing the lid & replacing it the night before. Worked like a charm, she was thrilled. I think the novelty of squeezing the yogurt into her mouth is what charmed her. Also I can draw on the bottles with Sharpies & add stickers. The bottles are #4 LDPE, which is considered one of the less-dreadful plastics, BPA-wise.

I am so pleased with this solution that I think I will start a new post just to let anyone else in the same pickle know it worked for us.

I love those honey bears but 12 oz is too big.

Originally Posted by eepster

As you've figured out, it is the fun packaging, not the quality of the yogurt, that appeals to kids. Those Wilton bottles aren't that fun, and are pretty big.

These little soy sauce bottles, come in fish and piggy shapes. They are very very small though, so you may need to send a few, but that would allow you to send multiple flavors at once.


http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Club-H453...3272546&sr=8-1

Then there are honey bears. They come in a variety of sizes, and are just adorable.

http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=1359
http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=1345

[arb]

I really appreciate that tip, seriously, and will keep it in mind. In general I avoid Horizon ever since reading the Cornucopia Institute report--they get kinda bad marks! But this Gogurt thing is serious, so it is good to have a back-up plan!

Originally Posted by laughingfox

arb- Horizon makes an organic and all natural version of "GoGurt".