Packed lunch ideas? For kids who don't like sandwiches 8~)

[cantthinkofaname2021]

Hello,

My 3 year old sons going to summer camp for a week and he has to take packed lunch and 2 snacks (snacks will be easy), however he doesn't like sandwiches, when at nursery he usually has a hot meal for lunch and same at home
It also said no nuts, 2 of the things I was going to give (pesto pasta and chicken satay) both have nuts in so I assume are not suitable :(
Can anyone suggest any ideas? Thank you x

Pasta salad
Pita bread, salad bits
Cubes of cheese
Meat slices
Chicken
Crackers
Muffin pizza

DS is in his final year at primary school and dislikes school lunches and sandwiches. It’s a real pain! My saviours are stuffed vine leaves (the Lidl ones in tins are lovely), frozen goyoza - cooked and left to go cold, crudités with hummus, dips etc and a hard boiled egg or Ryvita with Boursin/cheese spread (kept separate to avoid sogginess), Greek salad or tabouleh also always go down well, too. I think pesto is ok if you use the fresh one and make sure no cashews in it (DS’s school is nut free, too).

Will they eat it "deconstructed"? So send ham/ chicken/ salami with a wrap or pitta or hunk of baguette?

Tuna pasta salad
Quesedillas (just ham and cheese)
Would he eat little rolls of sandwich? Rolling in them flat, spread crem cheese and thinly sliced cucumber and roll them before slicing
Sausage rolls
Hummus and crudités and a hard boiled egg
Tortilla chips and mushed avocado

Following for ideas!

Rice
Fruit
Yogurts
Pancakes
Fruit loaf
Malt loaf
Home made pizza
Crumpets
Pop tarts (don't flame me)
Cocktail sausage
Mini sausage rolls
Onion baji
Popadoms
Nan bread
Noodles

Frittata
Quiche
Russian salad with sliced sausage
Houmous & things to dip in it
Diced cheese
Hard boiled egg
Cucumber, endive leaves, tomatoes

Ideas my dd has had are:

a minipacket of breadsticks and some chocolate spread

cheese and ham with some buttered crackers (to construct themselves)

in a hot flask:
-macaroni chesse
-pasta with a tomato sauce
-burrito filling (meat and rice)
-soup (with a separate bread roll)
-hot dogs (with a separate bread roll)
-pretty much anything we had the night before

a cereal bar
cucumber or carrot sticks

an innocent yoghurt smoothie or something similar

my main advice would be don’t overthink it. I have a 15yo and a 9yo, and I’m a childminder. Just give them what you know they will eat.

If they are not vegetarian, chicken legs tend to go down a treat. And generally, IMO, you can’t go wrong with pizza or chocolate spread sandwiches. I’m a only an occasional meal/treat, as long as they are eating a nutritious balanced diet, they’ll be fine!

Mine is older (with small appetite) but likes mini pizza or veggie/vegan sushi. (He'd have the fish sort but I'm not sure he'd be very popular as it tends to smell). Along with salad/crudités.

Fruit
Rice pudding in a pot.

He'll have a wrap or pitta as well and eats them plain and dry.

DD won't eat sandwiches but she will eat mini croissants with nothing on them.

breadsticks
chunk of cheese
pita bread in strips
carrot sticks

Ooh thanks so much, some brilliant ideas here! Very much appreciated 🥳

Will come back and post if I find anything else

Cold pizza
Cold chicken goujons
Pitta and dips
Sausage roll
Pasta salad

Scotch eggs, pork pie, hard boiled egg, cous cous, cheese chunks and grapes, loads of things!!!

Is pasta with a tomato sauce ok to give cold? Or breaded chicken strips?

And cold pizza?

Pain au chocolate
brioche
cheese dippers
pitta, cheese, hot dog sausage, grapes, carrot/cucumber sticks

Yes to all of those.

DD doesn't each sandwiches but will eat stuffed pitta bread and wraps. Just doesn't like thick/risen bread. Maybe try flatbread?

But pasta and rice salads, also couscous

I make onigiri or rice balls for my kids. I do have a rice cooker so it makes it easier as I can set the timer so the rice is ready for the morning and it is always perfectly sticky! Mine like them with tuna/mayo, dried salmon flakes or sesame/other flavourings. You can get nice ones in supermarkets selling Japanese foods.

@domesticdrama your kids are very lucky! Mine would eat them every day.

OP Yes pasta and tom sauce is fine cold although personally I never fancy it, and cold pizza is fine. I'd adapt what you know he eats though - maybe marinated or plain cold chicken instead of satay, and swap the pesto out for a different dressing. Creme fraiche is particularly good, or 50/50 yoghurt and mayo, but loads of similar things will work.

M&S pesto pasta doesn't contain nuts. Pine kernels aren't nuts they are seeds!

A selection of finger food, cherry tomatoes, slices of peppers, onion, spring onions, cheese, grapes, berries.

Ds will not eat sandwiches, so I pack cold pizza or cold tomato pasta and he loves both .