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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask for summer holiday lunch ideas for kids!!

37 replies

mumbo34 · 21/07/2024 19:49

No idea how to feed them for 6 weeks without repeating meals massively and living off a lot of sandwiches. One is quite picky and loves beige food, the other is a bit more adventurous.
At weekends we tend to grab food out and about or they will have sandwiches, wraps, lots of 'picky lunches' (so cold meat, cheese, fruit etc) as we tend to have our main hot meal in the evening. But I don't think these will cut it for 6 weeks. Any ideas gratefully received.

OP posts:
BluebellsAndDaisies1 · 21/07/2024 19:52

No ideas I'm afraid as I struggle with lunches for my 3 year old, but hoping my comment will give a helpful bump whilst also allowing me to follow for ideas!

shellyleppard · 21/07/2024 19:56

Homemade pizza??? Make the dough and sauce from scratch, gives the children a cooking lesson at the same time. Or cheese and toastie and salad for lunch?? Maybe have a look at some cookery books and get them to choose a recipe then plan the whole thing?? My sons used to love the home baking day when they were younger ❤️😊

sciencemama · 21/07/2024 19:57

Rotate between
Sandwiches and fruit
Pitta dip and veg sticks
Noodles
Quiche

I always give them crisps and a treat too

We often end up making cakes, cheese scones and they add on to their lunches too. We've also made our own bread before

Grazianoscubanheel · 21/07/2024 19:59

There's a few 15 minute means here, probably more for the more adventurous one:
https://www.tamingtwins.com/15-minute-meals-1/

But I'm all for beige foods. Buy a cheap toasty maker and that'll keep you going for a week or two, loads of fillings - cheese, ham and cheese, cheese and beans, corned beef, tuna - add jalapenos, peppers, onions, pepperami, etc

Buy tortillas, smear with tomato puree then add toppings, stick in oven for 5 minutes and you have a simple pizza.

Topbird29 · 21/07/2024 20:01

Eggs and toast
Beans and toast
Cheese on toast
Jacket potato
Sausage muffins - tescos do flat sausage patties - cucumber/ tomato on the side
Soup with bread / roll
Pasta or pasta salad.p8cnic bits - scotch egg/mini sausages etc
Pitta bread and veg with pitta strips

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 21/07/2024 20:02

There’s nothing wrong with a sandwich! I wouldn’t be over-complicating lunchtimes.

dijonketchup · 21/07/2024 20:03

We like melts! Wrap, in a frying pan, sprinkled with cheese, tuna and tomato, fold over, flip and cook until browning and melty inside, cut into triangles with scissors.

Hot dogs, dips, and veggies the kids have cut up themselves (child safe knives are a good investment).

Boiled eggs with dippy marmite soldiers, fruit.

rainbowunicorn · 21/07/2024 20:04

Soup
Sandwich
Toastie
Wrap
Crackers with cheese, ham, fruit etc
Jacket potato
Omelette
Boiled eggs
Scrambled eggs
Pitta or muffin pizzas
Noodles with stir fry veg
Houmous with breadstick, veg, pitta

Thetwix · 21/07/2024 20:04

Mine mostly get sandwiches, wraps or cheese with crackers - that’s what they eat in term time, round here holidays are no different. Occasionally they might get beans on toast, a pizza, jacket potato or we might make soup. But mostly they get a sandwich, fruit and crisps.

If they want something more interesting they’re welcome to suggest it and help to make it but funnily enough that rarely happens!

TheGriffle · 21/07/2024 20:06

Mine are sometimes happy with a packet of noodles or a packet of flavoured microwave rice with some carrot & cucumber sticks and hummus for a quick lunch. Sandwiches, wraps, picnic plate (sausage rolls, veg, crisps, scotch eggs all the beige) French bread pizzas, cheese on toast, omlette, dippy eggs, scrambled eggs on toast, soup and bread to dip, tuna pasta salad, pesto pasta, beans on toast, bacon/sausage sandwiches, homemade lunchables (ritz type crackers, cheese & ham cut up).

I throw anything I can grab at mine half the time with some veg and hope for the best! I hate lunches and don’t like sandwiches myself so find it tough to think of what to make sometimes.

Blisterly · 21/07/2024 20:08

I cut up peppers, carrot, cucumber, melon, boil some eggs and put into boxes in the fridge. Then we have a picnic on the floor with olives, cheese, selection of cut up prepared fruit and vegetables from the fridge, dollop of hummus or sardine pate (just cream cheese, tin of sardines, lemon zest and juice and pepper). Takes seconds (I usually cut up the vegetables whilst I’m chopping stuff up for dinner), as quick as sandwich. Sometimes it’s leftovers from the night before, sometimes we make frittatas.

Summerbaby81 · 21/07/2024 20:09

Nigella has a pizza on naan bread recipe that I so put I try and sneak in more veg Smile

Namechange54354 · 21/07/2024 20:10

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 21/07/2024 20:02

There’s nothing wrong with a sandwich! I wouldn’t be over-complicating lunchtimes.

This.

A lot of the time we're out for the morning/lunch anyway, so take packed lunch, which is pretty much just sandwiches etc...

At home, we'll have baked beans, scrambled eggs, shop bought Spanish omelette, etc.

LlamaNoDrama · 21/07/2024 20:17

Pancakes

Hankunamatata · 21/07/2024 20:18

Mine tend to eat what they have for pack lunch during school.

WashableVelvet · 21/07/2024 20:22

Your lunches sound fine! Maybe double up on di net quantities sometimes so they can have leftovers?

llamajohn · 21/07/2024 20:23

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 21/07/2024 20:02

There’s nothing wrong with a sandwich! I wouldn’t be over-complicating lunchtimes.

Same here! DD4.5 will be having the same lunches as always...

Wrap/roll/sandwich with ham/cheese/tuna and lettuce
Portion of fruit -whatever is in, banana, satsuma, apple, berries
2-3 veggie portions- cucumber/pepper/gherkins/beetroot/sugar snap peas/tomato/carrots etc
Dip of hummus/taramasalata/aioluli/Baba ganoush

Maybe some crisps or biscuits or bit of if cake as well

I had sandwiches for lunch every day as a kid, it's fine!

WhydoIcaresomuch · 21/07/2024 20:24

Blisterly · 21/07/2024 20:08

I cut up peppers, carrot, cucumber, melon, boil some eggs and put into boxes in the fridge. Then we have a picnic on the floor with olives, cheese, selection of cut up prepared fruit and vegetables from the fridge, dollop of hummus or sardine pate (just cream cheese, tin of sardines, lemon zest and juice and pepper). Takes seconds (I usually cut up the vegetables whilst I’m chopping stuff up for dinner), as quick as sandwich. Sometimes it’s leftovers from the night before, sometimes we make frittatas.

Sardine pate sounds delicious!!!

My kids like oat muffins. I might make scones with them too - and then they can have them warmed with butter and jam.

Noodles or fried rice with sweetcorn, peppers and a fried egg. Mine like them spicy with soy sauce.

Grilled cheese or fried egg sandwiches

Jacket potatoes (although I rarely do these as one won’t eat them and I refuse to make separate meals)

Pizza tortillas (wrap with tomato puree, cheese, ham or pepperoni, bit of oregano & pop in the oven until crispy & melty; you can add frozen sweetcorn too and I imagine mushrooms but mine wouldn’t eat those)

Jk987 · 21/07/2024 20:24

Eggs of any sort.
Cheese, biscuits, cucumber and apple.
Hummus
Cottage cheese is an absolute winner with my 3 yr old.
Sausage roll/vegan if passing a Greggs
Tuna is a favourite too- Hackett potato or in a sandwich

greengreyblue · 21/07/2024 20:25

You don’t have to be serving up chef quality food. Just rotate wraps, pitta pizza, beans on toast, sandwiches, baked potatoes, soup etc. Maybe if they eat meat, cook up some chicken legs at the start of the week to serve with dips and veg sticks.

Towelmode · 21/07/2024 20:26

We do sandwiches mainly, loads of adults have sandwiches everyday at work so I don’t see the issue. Just do lots of different fillings.

greengreyblue · 21/07/2024 20:30

Would they eat a Spanish omelette? You can chop up some tinned potatoes or use up leftover roasties, chop some spring onions and pour over 4-6 beaten , seasoned eggs and bake. Add cheese if they like. Cut into squares to serve over a few days.

Spaggybollynese · 21/07/2024 20:30

This is making me feel much more relaxed on the sandwiches front!

Petal7 · 21/07/2024 20:37

Soup
Quesadillas
Homemade egg Mcmuffin (English muffin with fried/poached egg and a slice of Red Leicester)
Bacon roll
Sausage in a finger roll
All day breakfast
Sausage rolls/pork pie
Chicken satay
Charcuterie
Pesto pasta
Toasties
Noodles
Greek salad
Scotch eggs
Quiche
Houmous, pitta and crudites
Part baked baguette etc with baked camembert

I just try and vary the carbohydrate/bread type - wraps, baguette, panini, ciabatta, focaccia etc

AdaColeman · 21/07/2024 20:39

Spanish omelette

Shakshuka

Soup & garlic bread or home made cheese scones

Asian style soup with noodles and left over chicken and some greenery or grated carrots etc

Buddha bowls to use up left over vegetables, chicken, ham, plus any salad items

Croque Monsieur

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