Packed lunch and dinner ideas

[Worriedmum40284]

DC9 is going to an event with school next week which runs until late in the evening.

They need to take food with them for both lunch and dinner. Lunch not a problem (wraps/sandwich with veg sticks, fruit, yoghurts etc) but looking for dinner ideas that differ from lunch and will keep fresh all day please! Will use insulated lunch box with ice packs - does mean 2 cold meals but sure will be fine for the one day.

If he'll eat cold sausage rolls, they would be ok with ice packs.
Ambrosia do pots of custard and jelly that don't need to be kept in the fridge.

Sausage rolls , pasties , cocktail sausages, pizza. Not the most nutricious but will be fine to eat later on. Not too heavy to carry around

Pasta salad or couscous cous with a protein like chicken or tuna.

I'd go for things that don't need to he kept cold. Things like;

• dried fruit
• nuts would be good but probably not allowed because of the allergy risk
• crackers like Tuc biscuits that have cream cheese in them
• fruit like an apple or banana
• jerky
• jam sandwiches (are OK even if they've warmed up a bit)

It might not be your ideal balanced meal but it should last the day ok.

Pasta salad with tuna or mackerel and chopped veggies? Or frittata with chicken, salami or chorizo and peppers/mushrooms/onions. Packaged sushi. Bagel with cream cheese & salmon, cucumber sticks and hummus. Chicken salad with celery, grapes, pecans, dried cranberries and lettuce leaves to make lettuce wraps?

Cold pasta would be suitably different from sandwich/wrap.

Or could they take pasta or soup or something in a flask for lunch then have the sandwich/wrap for tea?

I'm sure if he has two sandwiches for one day only he wouldn't expire, he just needs fuel.

Roast chickpeas, cold baked sweet potato, veg or salad sticks, tomatoes, an apple.

That’s the go-to packed dinner for my 4yo. One day a week I have to take his evening meal to work with me and feed it to him before his club! It’s a bit dull but it’s easy and I don’t think there’s anything that’s too deadly if it gets a bit warm.

Thanks everyone, that's helped to get some ideas going and given me some new packed lunch options to try that I hadn't thought of before for regular school days too.

I like the idea of doing something hot in a flask for lunch and then a cold dinner so think we might give that a go. Off to find a decent hot food flask!