Packed lunches hints/tips/best items

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

I'm swapping dd (going into y5) onto packed lunches. She is really picky and I'm sick of paying 2.50 for her to have a plain baked potato with some sliced cucumber on the side. She eats certain school meals (the roast and the fish dishes) so they will stay.

Any tips on managing daily packed lunches? Prep st the weekend for the full week? Prep daily? What sort of things do your DC like in them?

Thankfully school isnt nut free as dd loves peanut butter sandwiches, and she loves all fruit and veggies.

Any good alternatives to sandwiches?

We did packed lunches (Eugh I hated making them!) but things that worked:
-apple and cheese quesadillas
-pinwheels (used to love chicken and pesto ones)
-cold pasta salad
-mini quorn sausages
-soft white rolls instead of sandwiches for a change
-always cut up cucumber and tomato
-frubes/squeezy yogurt
-I used to buy a massive bag of those veg stick crisps things and put a portion in a small Tupperware every day

The one thing I’d say is incest in some small size Tupperware of some resealable bags that can be washed. Makes life so much easier and much less waste! Mine used to go straight in the dishwasher when they got home.

Good grief inVest not incest

We used to us nom nom snack bags and they’ve lasted 2 years and a million washes!

We have a Sistema bento box and always include:
Main

• sandwiches
• rolls
• cold pizza
• pasta salad
• wraps
• falafel & hummus
• cheese & biscuits
• rice/ cous-cous salad

Vegetable

• cucumber
• tomatoes
• peppers
• small salad

Fruit 1 or 2 snacks bits

• boiled egg
• falafel ball
• cheese chunks
• crisps/ pea & bean sticks
• cheese & spinach muffin
• fruit leather
• yoghurt
• raisins
• biscuit or cake if we have baked

Obviously I vary the size and nature of the snacks bits in relation to what else is included. Some days they have half a sandwich if they have a savoury muffin, for example.

Prep the night before and put in the fridge.

Have a formula, for example mine is.

1. A Main (sandwich/wrap/pasta salad/sausage roll)
2. Fruit / veg
3. Savoury snack (Crisps, pepperami, crackers, cheese cubes something like that)
4. Sweet treat (usually small Choc biscuit)

How do you stop your pasta going sticky? Dd doesnt like sauces - at home if she has pasta she has it plain, hot and covered in parmesan.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

How do you stop your pasta going sticky? Dd doesnt like sauces - at home if she has pasta she has it plain, hot and covered in parmesan.

The starch in the pasta makes it sticky. If you run boiling water over it in the colander/drive after it's cooked it rinses off the excess starch. Or you could drizzle with a naice olive oil instead 😂😂

She would probably like that.

@CarryOnNurse20

Good grief inVest not incest

😂😂

For me I’d do variety but based on what she likes so eg:-

Pasta salad with ham, sweet corn red peppers
Falafels with flatbreads or even with vine leaves and chickpea salad (can buy all in pots or make
Bagel with peanut butter
Sandwiches - vary filling let her choose
Soups if allowed in flask. Again let her choose eg Nairn’s oatcakes in the separate packs.
Yoghurts or muller rice
Fruit - any she likes but pack with kitchen towel eg if peaches plums
Cheese strings
Dates slit in half with peanut butter
Try variety of bread maybe German black bread, quesadillas, cold leftovers
Quiche and potato salads etc
Drinks vary on what she’s allowed
If crisps etc allow or pretzels in small bags
Homemade cakes etc

Olive oil stops pasta going sticky or butter

Get a decent flask - mine love things like chilli with nachos, tomato soup, pasta, leftover Bolognese / curry in autumn / winter.

Summer is sandwiches / wraps or pasta salad.

They have made their own since y5.

Keep in fridge overnight and use sandwich bags

Treat items like eg Kit Kat 2 finger etc

Can she take hot items in a larger flask come winter? You can make some great soups - I make a nice courgette and oregano one with Philadelphia cheese and you can make cheese scones.

The sistema boxes some come with folding cutlery but you could buy your own.

Nice insulated packed lunch bag to take it in.

You could buy a nice set of napkins and wash weekly if you don’t want to use disposable ones.

Raisins good but be careful re teeth brushing.

Crudités with strips of pepper, carrot, cucumber and houmous, guacamole - can make or buy this are a nice side dish.

Get her to help make her own (eg start off with sandwiches) or choose ingredients or prepared when out with you. Also get to pack lunchbox.

My kids make their own and have since they were 8/9.

They know what they are allowed and either get it ready the night before and put in fridge or in the morning.

@idontlikealdi

Get a decent flask - mine love things like chilli with nachos, tomato soup, pasta, leftover Bolognese / curry in autumn / winter.

Summer is sandwiches / wraps or pasta salad.

They have made their own since y5.

She doesnt eat anything wet. It's a pain in the arse. Dc2 would eat all of this though!

Get her to make her own. Obviously help her but at least get her to put it all together

The thermos foogo flask is amazing.

Leftovers too.

Chicken drumsticks.
Hard boiled eggs.
Babybels.
Pork pie/gala pie.
All with salad, and a dip if she will eat it.
I actually think a lot of children prefer the same sandwich with the same filling every day, and don't actually want a huge variety of things.

I agree to get her to help to make them with the aim that they are doing most of it by yr7.