What do you put in your childrens lunch boxes?

[Pinkbutton85]

I have an almost 4 year old and a 5.5 year old. I do the same rotation of lunches when they're not having school dinners.

Looking for ideas!

What do you put in your childrens lunches?

At that age, sandwich or wrap, cheese triangle or mini babybel, carrot/cucumber/tomatoes etc portion, a tangerine or grapes, juice box, and a treat eg kitkat, mousse etc

I fought for the right to include sweet stuff as both were underweight and dd1 was under the drs did her weight.

Sausage roll Freddo quavers yoghurt. Yes it’s allowed. She has had that lunch forever and a day.

Dd is 4

Falafel, hummus wrap
Ham salad roll
Cream cheese and smoked salmon bagel
Cheese and cucumber sandwich
Chicken tikka and wraps

Veggies normally cherry toms, lidl mini cucumbers, mini peppers and carrot sticks but sugar snaps, peas, and baby corn will make an appearance

Fruit usually a portion of berries, apple or banana

Then either a yoghurt, small cake or flapjack

For my teenager a sandwich (white bread), sticky bub or cake, bag of crisps, two chocolate bars, a chocolate roll or cookie, cucumber, and a drink.

I could have predicted half these responses
sandwich, handfull of crisps, cucumber, yogurt and (whispers) a treat!

I spent many hours making interesting and healthy packed lunches. Spent a fortune on little tubs, ice packs etc.
They didn’t ever eat it so I gave up and went with a simple, minimalist approach. Plain sandwich, piece of fruit or veg sticks, homemade cake or biscuit. It always came home just mushed up a bit.

Ds is 7, he gets a ham or marmite sandwich, cucumber sticks and cherry tomatoes, sausage roll, yoghurt, satsuma, raspberries and a bottle of water.
Some of the above is often substituted for a sausage, a small pot of twiglets, grapes, blueberries, cheese and crackers... basically, whatever is in the fridge and cupboards but normally 5-6 things.

Sandwich - I vary the bread and filling
Cut up veg and fruit in small container
Biscuit and crackers/cheese
Soup in winter months

Boring but they are happy with it when I ask. No crisps, choc or sweets.

the standard menu is:
a small roll with filling of their choice - most often tuna or salami
cocktail sausages
pot of carrot sticks
pot of chopped fruit
a sugar free jelly

Plus a second piece of fruit for break. I have neither the time nor the inspiration for creative and varied packed lunches.

My 4 year old has

Ham or chicken sandwich
Yoghurt
Brioche roll
Fruit
Chicken satays

Sandwich, roll or wrap. Ham, cheese, marmite, peanut butter, soft cheese.
Babybel/ little individual cheese.
Frube / rice pudding.
Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, grapes, banana, carrot sticks.
Popcorn, crisps.
Little chocolate bar/ cake bar.

9 year old pescatarian DD with the appetite of a sparrow!

• Sandwich with Quorn ‘meat’ slice (made from 1 slice of bread and crusts cut off)

• Babybell or similar type of cheese snack.

• 1 Peice of fruit - switch it up but generally 1 of the following - few strawberries cut in half, handful of blueberries or grapes or raspberries.

• 1 ‘veg’ item such as cucumber, cherry tomatoes (technically fruit I know) or I use my mini thermos flask and send in a hot mini corn on the cob (that’s her favourite).

• small yoghurt of some description

• occasional treat item like mini Soreen bar or small pancake. I tend to save them for a Friday.

• drink is either apple or orange juice carton. I did previously buy the small lunch box milk cartons from Morrisons but she won’t have them now they changed the carton from the plain design to paw patrol (why did they do that? )

That said even with her small portion lunch she rarely eats it all. Sometimes 80% of it comes back untouched. She will happily eat the babybell and have the drink and call it a day - school just let them get on with it when it’s a packed lunch but they make them eat if it’s a school lunch. Probably the reason my DD hates having school lunches.