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If you pack your kids' lunch and you are a bit of a health nut...

70 replies

AtheneNoctua · 19/06/2008 09:12

Please tell me what you send them with.

I need some new and exciting ideas for DD. She wants school dinners. But, until they tell me what is in them, I'm resisting the temptation to give in.

DD and nanny are both tired of lugging the big thermos around so I'm looking for cold meal ideas.

OP posts:
Fennel · 19/06/2008 11:57

Pidge, my dds were on school dinners for the first couple of years, no choice. Til I got a letter home from school when dd1 was in yr2, asking if she could have packed lunch at least on Fridays as they all ate it on the field that day and dd1 was upset at missing out. That's when I cracked.

But having cracked, I don't find it too much work. we are lucky that if we are busy or late or have no fresh food in, they can just choose school dinners on the day.

Pidge · 19/06/2008 13:05

Fennel - if I could mix and match that would be fine, but I think it's all or nothing. And the thought of doing it very day is tooooo much. I know dd wants it because some of her friends have it. Also probably she sees them scoffing crisps and all sorts of goodies - little does she know if she was to get a packed lunch it would be full of worth stuff!! [evil cackle].

Anyway, we currently have no kitchen until the summer holidays, then in September baby #3 arrives, so frankly it's school lunches for the foreseeable future!

AtheneNoctua · 19/06/2008 13:07

It's all or nothing for us too. I woud mind letter her have them for a treat on Friday. But it's 5 days a week for the whole term or not at all.

OP posts:
idlingabout · 19/06/2008 13:39

We make pizza - that way , we can incorporate tomatoes etc which she won't eat in a sandwich. We make a couple large pizzas , cut them up and bung in freezer. Take out in the morning and it defrosts in time for lunch.
We also make pesto pancakes as an alternative to bread as dd is not big on sandwiches at all. I am looking forward to lunches being offered at our school as she would eat a more balanced lunch then but I too would want to know the ingredients.

AtheneNoctua · 19/06/2008 13:49

What are pesto pancakes?

OP posts:
bigTillyMint · 19/06/2008 14:30

Do all your DC eat salads in their packed lunch? My DS would sooner die than be seen dead with a salad, never mind eat one!!!

motherinferior · 19/06/2008 14:48

For some bizarre reason mine will eat sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes in vast quantities, ditto raw carrots.

Fennel · 19/06/2008 14:52

My dc are not big salad eaters but I persist - we have reached a stage where all 3 like cucumber, 2 like cherry tomatoes, 1 likes raw mushroom, 1 has just discovered the pleasure of lettuce in sandwiches but not out of them, 1 likes lettuce at home but not in sandwiches.

Fennel · 19/06/2008 14:53

all 3 eat raw carrot at home with hummous but not in packed lunch. I think it gets dried out.

though I am convinced dd2 only eats raw carrot to annoy her sisters by pinching it off them, not cos she actually likes it. Sibling rivalry has its uses.

idlingabout · 20/06/2008 08:42

Normal pancake batter ( texture as for scotch pancakes) with pesto added. If you want to control all the ingredients you can make your own pesto but there are good organic ones in the supermarket. We got the idea from Nigella's Express book, in which she does 'Green Eggs and Ham'.

catkinq · 20/06/2008 09:21

If you have a breadmaker you can add all sorts to the bread and cut down/out the salt. Mine have sandwiches, a HB egg, a piece of fruit, some veg (salad usually or carrot sticks/cucumber) and a yogurt each day. They will only eat jam sandwiches but I put a lot of varied nuts/seeds, even veg (grated) into the wholemeal bread.

christiana · 20/06/2008 09:31

Message withdrawn

Bellchops · 20/06/2008 10:39

I don't have children yet (B day October) but send husband to work with:

sugar free jellies with fresh fruit set into it. You could make this with different colour jelly (letting each one set before adding another) for kids. My mum used to do this.

tortilla wrpas with cream cheese, turkey meat and lettuce.

American style pastrami sandwich/bagel with mustard and lots of salad.

Carrot sticks with either a home made mackerel pate or houmous dip.

A bag of unsalted nuts.

Pasta salad usually left over from the night before, with caramelised onions, peppers etc and pesto mixed in. Same goes for cous cous or quinoa.

Home made carrot cake. I make a tray bake and cut into pieces then freeze. The piece defrosts by lunch time and keeps the lunch box cool.

Natural yoghurt with some frozen fruit dropped in, again keeps the yoghurt cool for lunch time and sweetens it slightly. Might add honey too if using figs and almonds as the fruit.

A piece of cheese with a tomato and a little pack of oatcakes - to make his own end of lunch cheese course.

A piece of fruit or a fruit salad, all covered in lemon juice to stop it going brown.

Of course when baby arrives husband might have to make his own lunch so will revert back to ham sandwiches and a apple. Until then he is super healthy.

Hope this is helpful.

MarmadukeScarlet · 20/06/2008 10:59

I make spinach pancakes like the pesto ones but with defrosted chooped spinach, spread with philly cees and stuck together - yum!

Also cold fritatta/tortilla goes down well (you know a solid omlette type thing wish spud, peppers etc in it) also do a similar one but with couscous in it to make it really filling.

FluffyMummy123 · 20/06/2008 11:00

Message withdrawn

arfishy · 20/06/2008 11:24

Bellchops - your husband is a lucky man! I think you're going to have loads of fun with purees and weaning [throws Annabel Karmel out of window]

I was astonished when DD started school here in Australia (am ex-pat) that they don't do school lunches, so I didn't have a choice. It was a BIG shock to go from pre-school with lovely cooked lunches and afternoon/morning teas all home made to having to do something inventive & healthy each day.

Peer pressure does come into it too once at school, but DD's school has very strict rules about food (not even a flapjack ).

I pack things like wholemeal bread with cheese salad or home made pitta chips with hummus and carrot/cucumber sticks or home made pizza stars (with hidden spinach in the sauce) or pasta salad with ham/cheese/tomato/cucmber/tuna etc or wholegrain wrap with ham salad or wholemeal pitta stuffed with salad & cheese/ham/tuna.

If she asks for something veg-free like a cheese sandwich then I'll pack some veggies separately too or some sultanas. They eat morning tea (has to be fruit) and then lunch so they don't get through a large lunchbox. As soon as I pick her up at 2.40 I give her afternoon tea (this is an Aussie thing the whole 'morning/afternoon tea' habit) and then dinner/supper later.

newgirl · 20/06/2008 13:36

in herts we get a printed menu each term saying what they get each day and week - can you ask your local authority to do this? we dont get a breakdown of ingredients but it tends to be pretty obvious eg chicken wraps with salad.

AtheneNoctua · 20/06/2008 15:46

We get a menu too. I want ingredients. And I am doubly suspicious of anyone who doesn't want to give them to me.

Anyway, there are loads of good ideas on this thread. Thank you everyone!!!

Bellchops, have you taken the 1930s housewife quiz?

If Dh asked me to make him lunch, I would laugh at him. And then I would torment him with Victorian Dad comments for the rest of the year just for fun. I obviously didn't score very well on the quiz.

OP posts:
WentworthMillerMad · 20/06/2008 18:38

hi - getting some great ideas here!!! - my son loves mini bagels from sainsbury. also brioche roll / crossiant with some ham and grated cheese.
Boiled egg - he loves peeling them!!!
chashew nuts and olives - he is a fussy eater but loves this!!!
innocent smoothie again
Organix goodies bars and crisps (baked and no salt), they also do the ginger biscuits, alphabet biscuits without sugar. Good for a healthy 'treat'.

BecauseImWorthIt · 20/06/2008 18:56

DS2 started at secondary school having school dinners, because I didn't want to be committed to making a packed lunch. Our nanny by then only worked for us in the afternoon and my working hours are so unpredictable I never knew if I was going to be around in the morning to make it.

But after not very long he decided to change to a packed lunch because the dinner queue was always too long and his close friends all had a packed lunch, so he was missing out on socialising with them. We agreed to this on the proviso that he made it himself, which he does quite happily every morning.

But - just be warned! No matter how healthy or lovingly prepared your child's packed lunch is, you can guarantee that they will be swapping with the scally friend who sits next to them!

tortoiseSHELL · 20/06/2008 19:16

Ds1 who is ultra fussy (and also frighteningly thin) has;

2 sandwiches - cheese, lemon curd or marmite
Fruit Smoothie drink - Innocent carton
A handful of grapes (usually returned at end of day)
A Jammie Dodger
A Coco Pops cereal bar

Dd has;

2 sandwiches - cheese, ham, lemon curd or marmite
Fruit Smoothie drink
Apple
Banana or Orange
Sometimes she has some dried fruit or carrot sticks or something like that.

Bellchops · 20/06/2008 21:21

I think DH gets in lunch boxes what he misses in ironed shirts and a clean house!

Some great ideas on here I am going to steal...

Clary · 20/06/2008 21:38

blimey fennel amazed that you save £3 per day on three lunches.

Our school lunches (sample menu - it's sent home - gammon steak/prawn risotto/veg jalfrezi (fish and veggie option daily) plus rice/garlic bread/bread; sweetcorn/mixed veg and salad bar (plenty available) and fruit smoothie or fruit platter) are £1.55. Can you really produce pack up for 55p! I costed out DS1's once for school trip and it cost nearly £2.

Mind you I do use "nice ham" and he is a big hungry 9yo so he does eat a lot.

In terms of content mine usually get about what MI says.

Sorry no great ideas tho DD was pleased with cheese and biscuits and pasta salad one day when she needed two packed lunches!

Loshad · 20/06/2008 23:31

My poacked lunches for ds1 don't really save me any money - a decent dinner at school costs them about £2-2.50 depending on what they have (smart card charging system, most stuff made on site quality generally very good) vs 2 pitta bread filled with eg tuna mayo (tin of tuna approx 80p), pitta breads x 2 20p, mayo about 30p's worth, innocent smoothie carton - approx 80p or more,piece of fruit dunno circa 30p (more if he takes strawbs or grapes or cherries) then either bag of kettle crisps or small bag of biccies taking it well over the school dinner cost

MumRum · 21/06/2008 15:16

DS aged 10 and allergic to dairy eggs and nuts has
carton of fruit juice, frozen, its thawed by lunchtime and keeps everything cold...
chicken pieces with a ketup dip
soya yoghurt
pineapple pieces in juice
plain sandwiches or roll
crisps