Nursery lunchbox

[Wednesdaywobbles]

My DT’s (3.5) have just started school nursery.

They go for full days and we provide a lunch box - this is compulsory there is no alternative. One of my girls is coming out and then immediately asking for her lunch box, then proceeds to completely eat what she hasn’t already eaten. Today this was quite a lot. And whilst I’m glad that I’m not throwing it away it does mean that she is totally not interested in her hot meal at home.

DH has suggested putting less in her lunchbox, but I’m not sure. Below is an example of what was in her lunchbox today and what was eaten there and what was eaten afterwards.

Ham sandwich (4 squares) - 1 eaten at nursery

fruit - small amount of mixed fruit - strawberries, blueberries & grapes (half eaten)

squeezy yogurt (not eaten at nursery)

1/2 pack or Pom bears (all eaten)

1 babybel cheese (all eaten)

1 small square of homemade granola (all eaten)

I don’t have any other children and this is my first time at doing lunch boxes, I was initially probably terrified of them going hungry and not having enough.

Obviously the other option is to not give her the lunch box and only give her a small treat until dinner is ready (I don’t want to drip but she’s only been there 1 full week as we’ve all been isolating as her twin sister has an operation last week and this is only her 2nd day back)

any advice?

That’s loads - I would be full after eating all that for lunch. You don’t need crisps AND babybel with a sandwich. Likewise, 2 puddings plus fruit?
I would go for sandwich, crisps or babybel, and fruit.

I put equivalent amount in for mine and it all got eaten. I used to put less in but got told by nursery to put in more, so I do.

On a full day they expend a lot of energy, the fact she's eaten most of what you've put in suggests she needs it. Maybe skip the yoghurt.

I'd do

Sandwich

Babybel

Fruit

And maybe a yoghurt or frube

My four year old has less than that in her lunch box. Usually sandwich and two extra things, one being fruit. She gets milk mid morning and a snack from after school club too.

I'd do half a sandwich
Fruit
Babybel OR yoghurt
1 treat - crips OR the granola bar

It's normal to have a snack after school as well though.

Sandwich and a piece of fruit is fine.

They only need a light lunch, assuming they've had breakfast and they'll be having dinner after school.

The thing is though she’s eating maybe 35-40% at nursery and then the rest as soon as she’s in the car - my DH picked her up today and just handed the lunchbox to her once in the car

Thank you, do you do a full sandwich - 2 slices?

I put 2 slices in but cut the crusts off

In which case put in less, see how she goes. Take a small snack for pick up and have dinner by 430.

If you have a good nursery they should communicate with you if more food is needed

I would do 2 sandwich squares
Yogurt or cheese (alternate)
Granola bar or Pom bears
Fruit

Plenty for little ones

Why let her have it if it's affecting dinner?

All kids come out of school hungry, it doesn't mean they didn't eat enough at lunchtime.

Just give her a little after school snack to tide her over until dinner.

I do

Sandwich 4 squares
Berries
Pom bears
Cheese cubes
Yoghurt
Cucumber sticks

He usually eats it all and is 3 and has had the same amount since he was 18 months I don't think it's too much food for a whole morning/lunchtime/afternoon

He is tall though, in size 5-6 clothes and always been on 99th percentile

What time are your lunch and hot dinner? Ours eat lunch at 12.30 so are really hungry again at 3.15 when they get home. They have a decent afternoon tea then (fruit, milk, biscuits or savoury toast, etc) and then we do our hot meal at 5.30, by which time they are hungry again.

Irrespective of how much they eat from their lunchbox at 12.30 (might be lots or little depending on how they are feeling that day), I think they're using lots of brain and body energy at school so it definitely needs topping up by 3.30.

Lunch is at 12pm and they come out at 3pm

she is definitely hungry at pick up, I think we need to include less in lunchbox and take a smaller snack at pick up

I would do a full sandwich, yes. Cut into 4. I've never cut the crusts off a sandwich!

My almost 3 yo has half a sandwich, selection of fruit, dunker, milk cake bar, chunk of cheese, olives and cucumber. She eats the lot! So for those saying less because their older kids don't eat that much, I don't think that's strictly true. My DD is slim, active and healthy so her appetite is appropriate however for another 3yo they might not manage half.

In your circ I'd probably skip the yoghurt and crisps and do half a sandwich and see how she gets on.

At that age mine had
a small sandwich or cheese and crackers or pasta salad,
Some fruit,
Some veg,
One other thing- yoghurt/crisps/biscuit/cake/jelly/custard.

They'd have a snack after school. In your DC's case maybe if what's being left is roughly the same lose the crisps and give her the fruit and a square of sandwich after school.

If she's hungry at 3pm and eating the rest I don't see how a smaller lunch followed by a smaller snack will help. She obviously wants the overall amount of food, just spread across two sittings! Can't the evening meal just be smaller if she's less hungry by then?

Mine are older (Yr 3 and Yr 1) but they often don't eat all their lunch, I think they want to play and there's distractions. So there are reasons other than hunger/fullness that kids don't finish their packed lunch. But they often finish it all on the way home, and then maybe don't want loads at dinnertime, which is fine. I can't quite see why you're looking to lessen anything apart from the fact it's affecting dinnertime appetite? Apologies if I've missed something.

I like not having to bring a snack to pick up - it's just additional work! If they've finished their lunch they don't usually want one, if they haven't they've got their leftovers there ready - job's a good 'un

DD 2y9m has packed lunch at nursery
Goes 9-3

Will have had a large breakfast around 7:30-8am. (She'll have porridge, eggs, meusli, pancakes, cheese on toast, booked eggs, crumpets etc)

And usually has for lunch

• 1/2 sandwich (ham, smoked salmon, cheese spread etc)
• Toms/cucumber/peppers/beetroot/olives small pot
• cheese or.small pit of plain yoghurt.

-1x piece of fruit

• Some sort of"snacky" food (eg handful of crisps, baked chick peas, popcorn, small cake, halva, seaweed etc)

Mostly always gets eaten. Occasionally there's leftovers, which usually get eaten on the way home.

Dinner at 4:30pm.

Dinner at 4:30pm. and is usually a small portion of whatever we're having. She doesn't tend to eat much much for her dinner.

From your lunch I'd send her with this

• Ham sandwich (2 squares) So 1 slice of bread

• fruit - small amount of mixed fruit - strawberries, blueberries & grapes

• babybel

• 1/2 pack or Pom bears

-1 small square of homemade granola (all eaten) OR squeezy yoghurt.

Dc used to take

Sandwich 2 Squares. Or wrap /crackers whatever she fancied

Yoghurt
Babybel or cheesestring
Strawberries
Grapes
Blueberries
(all in a pot like a mini fruit salad)
Mini maryland
Crisps

All eaten. Plus the snack am and pm the nursery provided which could be fruit, veg. Cereal, toast, crackers, bread sticks

Yes dc ate loads but not overweight, tall and fit.

I'd replace the granola with some veg like carrott and cucumber. I'd drop the cheese or yoghurt too.

At that age though I think they do need to eat at lunch, 3pm snack and 6ish for tea. They need to eat little and often because their tummies are still small.

My DC is about the same age and I pack more than that for nursery from 8-4 and most of the time it all gets eaten, and other times it gets eaten after pick up but I don't worry if he doesn't eat the eve meal as I know they've had plenty in the day, but also on nursery days are too tired to eat later on. I don't worry about the hot meal thing as long as they get plenty of healthy stuff.

I pack a sandwich, cake, oat bar, fruit pouch, yogurt, a fruit pot, cheese, egg/meat chunks, cucumber/pepper/tomato. My 9 year old eats much less 🤣

I would keep sending what you have and see what happens - might be they don't get enough time to eat everything at lunchtime or just that they want to go and play and that's why they're hungry at pick up.