I need help with packed lunches please!

[Millie1]

DS2 has T1 diabetes, gets his insulin before lunch and must eat what is in his lunchbag. And he has, for the last few years, religiously munched his way through a ham sandwich, day in, day out. Now he won't eat them anymore and I'm struggling especially as we've had a few uneaten lunches.

Okay, that's the background out of the way! Here's what he is having ... A homemade pizza roll type thing from a Tana Ramsey recipe, wheaten bread with a slither of honey, croissants (I know, but something is better than nothing!) and sometimes, rarely, a sausage sandwich - also a homemade cookie or slice. Here's what he won't eat: yogurts/frubes, fruit, cheese sandwiches, ham sandwiches, salad stuff, raw veg, pasta or anything which sets him out as different to other children who, by all accounts, have sandwich, yogurt, fruit and crisps.

So you can see I'm on a road to nowhere or that's how it feels! I need some savoury recipes, finger food, carbs essential. So please Mumsnetters, post your recipes!!

Thanks!

Watching with interest...

Does he really eat no fruit or things like tomatoes and cucumber?

Would he like wraps with either hummus/chicken/cucumber/spring onion or with peanut butter and mashed banana (with a squeeze of lemon to stop it going brown)?

Can he make some interesting wraps with you the evening (or morning if you are super organised) before.

When my DS was about 6 or 7 he hated yoghurts, but I would put a frozen Frube in (wrapped well in tin foil to keep it mostly frozen) and then he thought he was eating an icecreamy sort of thing (boy - easily fooled).

If you can spend an afternoon with him in the kitchen experimenting with ideas he may come up with ideas of his own. Read some cookery books with him, get him to choose things that he thinks would be good for lunch and adapt or do with him.

HTH

Is it any type of sandwich? Have you tried experimenting with wraps, pitta, muffins, bagels etc? Sounds difficult if he doesn't want to be marked out as different but won't eat what others eat.

What about savoury muffins or scones too? Cheese straws? DD likes toasted pitta bread and dips in her packed lunch too.

Boosmummie - trying to get fruit and veg into my boys is mission impossible! The girls on the other hand, are a different kettle of fish - they'll look for it! I had to hide it in dinners and they have compulsory fruit for break at school which is great. I know that for someone reading this, their diets probably sound awful - they're actually pretty balanced with little junk food! The worst bit of it, as I'm sure others will agree, is slaving over a hot stove but to have your efforts rejected after one mouthful ! I apologise if I sound defensive - I don't mean to be but I guess I would prefer if the boys would come and grab a banana or an apple at will rather than me making it a case of 'you must have' - oh well, I didn't eat veg as a child and now I love veg so there's room for hope yet!

DS1 has a nut allergy to unfortunately peanut butter, even nutella etc are out and I had various flavours of houmous with pita pockets for them to try at the weekend - no joy. I do like the idea of going through cookery books with him - he likes finger foods which is why the pizza slice thingymibobs go down so well!

ShowofHands - I'd thought about savoury muffins- would they be okay for school or would they look mega-unhealthy? I found a Rachel Allen recipe last night for a bacon and cheese bread which he might eat with a slither of butter - it sounds tasty.

Was thinking too of homemade sausage rolls, ....... need more of this type of thing!

Thanks for the ideas - plenty of food for thought (pardon the pun)! - but please keep them coming!

'Scuse typos - cold fingers!

How about rice balls? You have to have mummy hands, as the rice is hot. You can put things in the middle (fish/sausage), and give a little bit of soy sauce to dip the rice ball in. Best to use sushi rice.

Dampen hands with cold water to stop rice sticking to them.

Scoop some rice into your hand, put filling in the middle.

Cup hands together, gently squeeze riceball, turn it and squeeze it from different angles until it's firm.

Takes a bit of practice to judge how much filling you can get in without it causing the riceball to fall apart.

You can make sushi with a special mat too, and I found this website on making sushi.

How about bread sticks? with something to dip in (cream cheese, ketchup...)

Or Marmite sandwiches?

When my boys were little, I'd give them jam sandwiches with a piece of cheese to eat separately as they wouldn't eat cheese sandwiches.

Hot cross buns? Crumpets?

Or veggie muffins , here

Or slices of cold spanish omelette or quiche?

this is going to sound weird but my ds hated sandwiches and he took -
pizza
cold jacket potatoes (but little potatoes)
cold beans in a little tub
breadsticks and hummus or taramasalata
fruitbread or malt loaf
cheerios or other breakfast cereal (dry) in a little tub
rice cakes
extra fruit
muesli bar
(he is T1 too)

Fab ideas - thank you. Sowhat ... so good to know that another T1 is a sandwich hater!! I'm going to run these past DS2 this pm and see what we can come up with. He did eat all his lunch today thank heavens!

Mixed bean salad, experiement with the dressing according to what he likes, if he will go for beans/pulses that is you can mix anything with it.

Millie you did not sound at all defensive! I have four children and at times I have wanted to cook them myself over frustration!!! But when the older ones were primary age and I hit on the whole recipe book and making them believe the were partly in control, it was a turning point for them and me!!! DD3 is 2 and very easy to feed, but I am quite sure she will go through the crap phase too....

I had an odd feeling that nuts may have been a no go.... Banana and honey though if he'll try it - get him to make it with you, you never know!!

I have a great recipe for cheese, bacon and onion muffins, posted below...They are delicious hot and cold. Vary them with whatever he likes, get him to suggest, maybe throw in some whizzed up broccoli or something when he's not looking

Ingredients

50g butter
175g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 eggs
125ml milk
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 slices streaky bacon, diced
80g Cheddar cheese, ½ grated for dry mix and the other half cut into small cubes

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 190 C / Gas 5. Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin cases.

Fry bacon pieces in pan (no fat) for a couple of minutes, then add the onions and cook til soft.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and add in thyme and grated cheese. In a smaller bowl mix together the eggs and milk and then add the melted butter. Mix well. Fold the milk mixture into the sifted dry ingredients, add in the bacon and onions and fold in with a metal spoon, but do NOT beat until smooth! The mixture should still be slightly lumpy.

Place a spoonful of mixture into each muffin case. Top each one with a few cubes of cheese, then add another spoonful of mixture to the top.

Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden.

boos ... thanks! Glad I didn't sound defensive, sometimes I despair but you seem to know exactly how I feel. Saturday last I made 4 different lunches - mug !! Still I love them to bits!

Your recipe sounds loooovely. Shall give it a go later in the week and see what he thinks! Thanks

My pleasure. I haven't catered for diabetic children but I have a Masters in Pain in the Arse to Feed Children of all ages!!!! But, yeah, I have in the past been that mug that cooks 4 different meals! But I soon became evil mother and realised that my own mother's 'that's supper/lunch - there is NOTHING else' mantra was indeed an excellent approach and helped keen my temper sanity!

They are yum! Mix and match bits in them, guesstimate with cinnamon and dried fruit (if he'll eat them) or chocolate chips etc for puddingy ones. Once you've got your base ingredients, anything goes. Good and carby for him too. Happy cooking