What do your preschoolers like for lunch?

[JJOlove]

We getting so tired of the "regulars". My dd likes sandwiches (ham or jam) on whole wheat, chicken noodle soup, english muffin pizzas, and eggs. We usually have fruit and/or yogurt for dessert. Does anyone have any suggestions for more creative lunches?

[MyLittleWonders]

Just subbing in because you about summed up what we do around here ... sandwiches (meat&cheese or pb&j), eggs, soup (noodle or tomato), mac & cheese ... I try to get fruit in there at the same time but that doesn't always happen. : Oh, and once in a while we'll have something fun that is left-over, like cold pizza on the picnic blanket in the living room.

[JJOlove]

At least I'm not the only one in the same boat! I don't think my dd really cares if we always have the same thing but I'd like to get more variety in her diet.

[Desdamona]

We usually do left overs (in some fashion) from the night before as lunch the next day. Gabriel enjoys dipping everything so we make lots of different dips. Dill and sour cream for fresh veggies and potatoes. Cream cheese and honey for fruit and sweet breads.

Involving him in the prep makes for easier meal times as well. He loves to make fruit kabobs, even is it is only a grape kabob. Fun shapes for pasta dishes. Tri colored is his favorite. And remembering that seving sizes for these little guys and girls is 1/4 - 1/3 of what we are supposed to consume.

I find that packing nutrients as well as calories into every nook and cranny I can with feeding a preschooler is the way I feel good about their eating habits, or lack there of.

[~Megan~]

Not creative here. dd is in the picky stage now. She likes grilled cheese, lunchmeat, and mad n cheese.
Add in some carrot sticks or fruit and that usually it.
Sometimes we eat leftovers but I'm picky about leftovers. Pizza and spaghetti are high on my leftovers list.

[MyLittleWonders]

Originally Posted by mamao'two

Sometimes we eat leftovers but I'm picky about leftovers. Pizza and spaghetti are high on my leftovers list.

Those are about the only two left-overs I'll eat too! Plus I usually make enough to have left-overs only for dh's lunch - saves us a bunch of money and I know he's getting nutrition. So, lunch is usually a new meal around here.

[gen25gen]

my son loves a snack tray. I wash and cut up fresh broccoli, cauliflower, grapes and baby carrots at the beginning of each week. Then I feel a large plate (or you could use a ice cube tray) with the vegies, grapes or sliced apples and dips. I then add a few bits of protein like nut butter, cheese slices, cooked endamame, etc. He loves the diversity, dipping, etc.

[elsie]

Both DDs are rather fond of veggies. Lunch is usually a few of the following: 'baby' (grape) tomatoes, cheese of some sort, peas, carrots, noodles (either leftover spaghetti or mac and cheese), yogurt, sandwich (usually turkey with chesse), grapes, apples

[Pinky Tuscadero]

My boys just had tomato soup with abc noodles in it. Yesterday they had sweet potatoes. Sometimes we have pirate potatoes- baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream. The boys love pirates so anything called pirate is ok by them!

Suzy

[kimmie-pooh]

~ Chicken noodle soup
~ Mac 'n Cheese
~ PB & J with homemade wheat bread
~ Ham and cheese with homemade wheat bread
~ Appetizers: cheese, crackers, pickle, salami or other lunchmeat
~ Peaches
~ Pears
~ Apples
~ Oatmeal
~ Quesadillas (sp?)
~ Grapes
~ Mangoes
~ Celery with Peanut Butter
~ Yogurt
~ String cheese
~ Pancakes
~ Waffles

That's all I can think of right now. I know he eats more though!