The unbearable tedium of school holiday lunches

[64sNewName]

What do you do for lunch on days when primary-age dc are playing around the house/going in and out to friends etc.?

We have lots of days like this during the holidays. It’s lovely and relaxed but we get into such a rut with lunches; dc always just seem to want a sandwich, crisps, fruit ... same as they get during term time in packed lunches, basically. it’s not a nightmare but it’s so dull. And there are too many crisps. Then again it’s easy, and I don’t really have time to do anything complicated.

I feel like I need to rethink what lunch actually MEANS and shop differently, but it’s like I have a mental block about it.

[MotherOfGodFella]

Well we like to mix it up and go to McDonalds for lunch sometimes in the school holidays

[MotherOfGodFella]

(but other than that it’s sandwiches/crisps/fruit every day)

[naughtynorm]

My plan is to stick with packed lunch type foods unless we're on a day out. Will probably have the odd picnic thrown in.

It's enough to find things to do each day through the holidays without needing to think of special lunch ideas 

[64sNewName]

Yeah, sometimes we go to Costa ... and they have a toastie and crisps 😑

[Musicalstatues]

Joining this thread for ideas!! Tantrums are thrown if I try and serve up anything but sandwiches for lunch! The most variety they’ll accept is using pitta or wraps instead of ordinary bread

[Calzone]

Or do a huge breakfast so they don’t need lunch.....

[worldwandering]

Tomato soup with breadsticks and cheese to dunk
Beans on toast
Sausages, potato waffles and beans
Scrambled egg on toast

All of the above are cheap and easy to multiply for extra mouths depending who’s home and with a friend.

[bonzo77]

Eggs. Mine eat a lot of eggs. And pizzas.

[GrowThroughWhatYouGoThrough]

Toasties, bagels, pancakes, pasta, noodles, soup

[Tawdrylocalbrouhaha]

I'd be delighted! No extra work, and they don't get into fancy habits.

[MotherOfGodFella]

Ok so maybe

Beans on toast
Scrambled eggs
Omelettes
Make some pizzas with dc
Salad bowl with croutons (dd would love this, ds not so much)
Jacket pots

[beela]

My dc like a picnic. This doesn't mean an actual picnic, it means 'all of the bits I can find in the fridge or cupboard put onto the table for them to help themselves' - bread, butter, crackers, cheese, ham, coleslaw, boiled eggs, tomatoes, cucumber, crisps, etc etc. I literally just empty the fridge onto the kitchen table.

[64sNewName]

Liking the picnic idea. Also the huge filling breakfast and then slightly “forgetting” about lunch

[Ledkr]

We tend to flop about in bed then have a late and substantial breakfast so don't need lunch that often

[64sNewName]

Brunch, I’ll call it brunch.

This could change everything.

[Jamhandprints]

We sometimes have sandwiches, but if not, we have soup, pasta, toasties, picnic treats like sausage rolls/scotch eggs, dip and bread/veg sticks, french bread and cheese.
I usually buy in loads of snacks things at the start of the holidays for the hungry hoardes.

[hugoagogo]

You could try making some lovely old fashioned elevenses/cream tea type things, so homemade English muffins, crumpets, waffles, tear and share breads, pizza or pizza snakes.
Just something different you wouldn't normally have time for.
If you want balance, also offer plenty of chopped fruit and salad.

[EggsAgain]

Homemade soup (large vat made st the weekend) with bread / cheese / ham / fruit. That does two or three days. Then baked potatoes, eggs in some form, going out for lunch, toasties for the non soup days.

[64sNewName]

Mine are soup dodgers, sadly. Maybe I need to try again with new soups.

[AdaColeman]

Spanish omelette, broth with noodles shredded chicken/vegetables, or a vat of bean & pasta minestrone style soup, are all quick and easy.

[ILikePaperHats]

Crumpets
Pancakes
Quiche
Omelettes
Egg and toast
Fish finger sandwiches
Hot pork sandwiches from the local butcher's!

[mumwon]

chicken burgers with lettuce & sliced tom, sausage rolls or veggie equivalent, samosas, banana sandwiches or grated apple with cinnamon a sultanas (can toast these, in fact cheese toasties) make pizzas either with ready made bases or make scone base, cheese scones with cheese & side salad, jacket potatoes, introduce them to olives, humous & yogurt with pittas, filled pittas with salad & chicken or falafels & mint yogurt, macaroni cheese (make white sauce with onion & dash of mixed spice & cheese cook macaroni & oven cook for 20/minutes to half hour)

[Jamhandprints]

@hugoagogo, I love the sound of old fashioned elevenses/cream tea but don't think "pizza snakes" are the go to for this meal.
"Scone, Lady Mary? Or perhaps a pizza snake?"
They do sound good though.

[SavoyCabbage]

I’m brunching it up big time this holiday. I’m soooo sick of being asked to provide a meal at lunchtime when they don’t surface till ten.

[ThatDeadlyJetty]

Soup that we make together - activity and lunch. They eat way more variety if they do it 'themselves'.
Not everyday, obvs.