in thinking this is a totally suitable lunchbox contents for a 2.5yr old?

[LifeIsButtercream]

I send DD to preschool with a packed lunch - several people have commented that I don't put enough in there (a friend was round once while I was packing it, and I discussed it with someone else - don't ask me how we ended up talking about it!)

Her lunchbox today contained:

• sandwich made with one slice of brown bread and cream cheese
  
• 3 cherry tomatoes
  
• matchbox-sized piece of cheese cut into cubes
  
• carton of watered-down apple juice
  
• 4 mini Organix gingerbread men (ones from the little bags) - ok one didn't have a head lol!
  
• packet of raisins
  
• Innocent smoothie tube
  
• yogurt
  

Just to explain - DD is a fruit-fiend, if I had put 4 bananas in there she would have been just as happy - it's hard work to get any carbs or protein into her sometimes! I do vary her lunchbox, and serve her something similar at home (and she rarely eats all of it) - someone commented that I should "chuck a pack of crisps in there to make it into a proper lunch" - in my experience DD would eat a whole pack of crisps, the fruit, and leave the rest........

She is a healthy weight and height.

[grumplestilskin]

its a LOT more sugar than I'ld pack. yes toddlers love fruit but its up to us to control it a bit

[Sirzy]

Sounds like more than enough to me!

[Haberdashery]

That sounds like absolutely loads! My five year old would eat a similar amount, maybe less.

[ChocHobNob]

My 3 yr old eats less in his packed lunch.

[sparkle12mar08]

It is very high in sugar and very low in protein. I'd scrap the gingerbread men for a start, and give only one of the last three items on any given day. If you don't pack the high sugar treats she can't eat them and will eventually learn that she needs to eat more of the complex carbs (via her sandwiches). Would she eat chicken in a sandwich?

[squeakytoy]

make her a banana sandwich.. kids love them and they are very nutritious too..

[onepieceofcremeegg]

I think that is quite a lot actually. When my dd was a similar age and took a lunch to the childminder she would take sandwich (one slice as you do), yogurt and fruit/salad. The fruit would be a few grapes chopped up in a pot, plus maybe 4-5 slices of cucumber.

Bearing in mind that most cms/nursery/pre-school settings also offer milk and nutricious snacks mid morning and during the afternoon.

I am not anti-crisps but I am quite [shocked] that they are seen as an essential item in such a young child's lunchbox.

Occasionally as a treat I would send a bag of organix "crisps" - the cm used to make them last 2 days. dd was quite happy with half a pack at a time!

[FabbyChic]

20 years ago my kids would have had a fruit shoot, crisps, chocolate bar and a sandwich. No fruit.

One child of mine doesn't even eat sandwiches!

It sounds like a nice lunch.

[MorelliOrRanger]

Sounds good to me.

I'm taking DD's crisps out of her lunchbox on Friday (she has school dinners on a Thursday), because she's not eating her fruit.

DD is 4.5 and her lunchbox consists of:

A sandwich (her choice, lemon curd, honey, ham or jam).
packet of raisins
grapes, apple, cucumber, strawberries and melon. (few bits of each so not really masses)
baby bel cheese
carton of fruit juice
fruit flakes
packet of crisps.

I think that's loads but as she's leaving her fruit she's not having her crisps.

Like your dd my daughter loves fruit and is not so keen on veg so even though I do a cooked dinner in the evening she doesn't eat a huge amount of veg so I have to compensate that with fruit.

[hobnob]

That looks perfect. I'd go so far as to say it's exemplary. (Crisps = 'proper lunch'?) Your DD's weight and height tell you all you need to know. Is she still hungry afterwards? I presume not, with that lot. Besides, if she's at preschool she'll be home fairly early in the day and can be refuelled then. Most people eat too much these days anyway. Including me.

[whackamole]

Sounds fine to me. In fact, even a little bit too much, but that's only because my 2 year olds tend to gorge themselves at breakfast and dinner time and only have a small lunch.

[EsmeWeatherwax]

Thats roughly what my 2.5 year old dd2 would eat at lunchtime, sometimes she'd eat less, but thats only because she can take or leave sandwiches. She would be the same too, if I put in crisps, that's what she'd go for first. So I'd say its a pretty normal lunch!

[thisisyesterday]

sounds absolutely fine to me!

[worraliberty]

I don't think it would ever occur to me to pack that much food for a 2yr old's lunch...it's more than enough!

[skybluepearl]

I never pack crisps. Why give your kids crap to eat?

I've just packed my 8 year old boys luch box. Seems dull but i know the amount is right ...
2 sices of bread with mushroom pate.
Clementine
Dried fruit mix
5 cheesy oat biscuits
water with a splosh of lemon juice

[MumblingAndBloodyRagDoll]

My 3 and a half yearr old doesn't get that much! Mine has a peanut buter sandwich cut in half, a yoghurt, a few cucumber slices and carrot slices some strawberries and water to drink.

It does seem high in sugar....what you are giving, I agree that the gingerbread men hould go. Why not cut the Innocent Smoothie (FULL of sugar) and add a small muffin or some strawerries instead?

[ChippingIn]

Sounds fine (well, lovely actually) ... and no, I would not be routinely putting in a packet of crisps. It's a bad habit to get into.

[LifeIsButtercream]

I think I will start taking out the gingerbread men - they don't have sugar in (well, grape juice which I guess is sugary) - I just know that she is a bugger for not eating her sandwich and I'm desperate to get some carbs into her if she doesn't. Some days she only eats the tomatoes and cheese in her lunch - and licks the cream cheese off the bread

Sometimes I put a few of the Organix crisps (like 5-6 in a little pot) in, she's my first and I'm by no means an expert in feeding toddlers (or even myself) so it's great to get the pointers!

I hadn't put as much protein in today as the ham I'd had in the fridge had gone off (I popped a yogurt in to try and gain some ground back)

[Tidypidy]

crikey! some of these lunchboxes sound packed! my 4yr old took cheese sandwiches made with two slices homemade bread, a petit filous fruit layer small pot, homemade fairy cake, a small apple and water today. Was more than enough. You are the best judge of how much your child needs and wants to eat - don't give in to the 'helpful' advice of others.

[SarfEasticated]

gawd it's a shame you have to provide a packed lunch. My dd's nursery provides lovely lunches and all the children eat together, probably eating food that she wouldn't eat at home. The pack mentality really helps them all eat well.

[Sidge]

Don't put enough in there? Crikey I think that's a pretty hefty lunch for a 2.5 year old.

No-one needs crisps in a lunchbox. (well I do but I'm allowed as I'm the grown up).

Your DD has a fair bit of sugar in her lunch, she doesn't really need gingerbread men, raisins, a smoothie AND a yoghurt.

My 5 yr old has a sandwich (one slice with cheese, ham, egg, marmite, tuna or cream cheese), a pot of chopped fruit (strawberries, grapes, pear, pineapple etc), a Babybel cheese, a small fromage frais pot, a banana and a drink.

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

My 7yo ds doesn't get that much!

Way too much sugar and quite a lot of fat too. An adult should only have a matchbox sized piece of hard cheese a day.

[Tidypidy]

just thinking about the carbs, my kids both like cold pesto pasta or rice for packed lunch, you can mix in some ham or chicken, peas, sweetcorn, raisons etc.

[MumblingAndBloodyRagDoll]

Sarf I like that we do her lunch. It is not long bfre they begin school and then it's all out of our hands...even if they take their own, the packed lunch police are breathing down necks!

OP does she like breadsticks? Mine likes the cheesy ones...they're a bit salty but ok....