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?

Maybe I’m overthinking this I don’t know. So yes the overall amount of food is being eaten in 2 sittings. Because of this I pushed back dinner as late as I could to 5pm - but she literally ate nothing. She had a meltdown just coming to the dinner table. She had milk and a snack before bed but I’m maybe looking for her to have a “warm meal with vegetables”
even if it’s a much smaller portion. But she is literally eating nothing as she’s full from finishing her lunch at 3pm.

Ds 3.5 has in his lunch box at preschool
sandwich thin or sandwich with either ham/cheese/cream cheese/ tuna.
either a peperami/babybel/cheese cubes/cold sausage
veg sticks (cucumber, carrot, pepper)
olives or cornichons
fruit & a small flapjack/cake
or a yoghurt/jelly/custard/rice pudding but not with cake, always fruit.
He eats everything as well as a morning snack.

Could you base the lunch more around vegetables? That way it doesn't matter so much if she fills up on leftovers and doesn't eat her dinner.

I think your packed lunch sounds fine- my two DC with smaller appetites wouldnt eat a full sandwich so just get half, together with fruit, veg and a pudding (fairy cake, yoghurt, flapjack). My DC with a big appetite gets a full sandwich (she isn't the oldest but always the hungriest!).
Can your dc have their hot dinner when they get home at 3 and then any leftovers at supper time if still hungry?If it's their first week at nursery they might be exhausted which may be why they aren't able to eat at 5.30.

In the past we’ve done:

Sandwich (2 pieces of bread)
Pom bears
Piece of fruit or berries
Chunks of cheese or yoghurt

The lunch is very big.
I don't eat all that at lunchtime and I suspect I'm a lot bigger than your 3 yr old

I would take on board all that has been said about putting less in.
Apart from the actual amount of food, I suspect there would be an issue with time to work her way though all that.

It is pretty normal to have a snack after school - perhaps give the granola or the fruit then.
Possibly have your evening meal a little bit later too ? 5.30 or 6pm would seem a more usual time to eat in the evenings I would have thought.

I'd just give her some toast or something an hour before bed or whatever and leave it be.

If she's eating good variety of food through the day, it doesn't really matter if she isn't having a hot meal of an evening.

If you want her to have a cooked meal, give it to her at breakfast perhaps?

Success!!!

2 x squares of sandwich, mixed fruit, 1/2 pack or Pom bears and a babybel. Pick up she’d only got some fruit left, she ate this on the way to my parents. She then ate all of her tea (it was only pizza and some veg but still she ate it all)

thanks for all your comments & suggestions it really helped. It’s a learning curve for sure ❤️

Great! 😍