What do your kids take in their lunch boxes?

[lucysmam]

DD (5) has decided that she would like to take packed lunches to school after the Easter hols as lots of her class-mates do. What do you put in them to keep them interested? (wrong word but my mind went blank trying to think of another one!)

I don't want to get to the end of the first week & her be bored of what she's chosen as they have to pick school lunch or packed lunch for the entire half term

TIA

Sandwich/pitta/wrap/pizza slice/quiche/cold pasta bake etc

1/2 bag of crisps in a little tub/breadsticks/ritz crackers/cheese/vegetable sticks

Fruit/dried fruit/nuts/seeds

Yoghurt/HM cake or muffin/cereal bar/flapjack

Bottle of water

One from each section basically - I have honed this technique after years of packed lunches. I usually do fresh veg or fresh fruit but not both together or they come home hungry. Generally some carbs, protein, fresh stuff and a treat.

For my 3 year old I keep it simple with things she can eat easily, usually there will be one carb thing (eg sandwich, wrap, hot cross bun), some protein (cheese, meat, yoghurt) and some fruit and/or veg sticks. Occasionally I will add a chocolate bar or a small pot of crisps (not a whole bag)

For my 8 year old we will go for the smae but just more of it and sometimes will go for other things like pasta salad, mini (cold) hotdogs with ketchup, slizes of pizza etc as he is less likely to get it all over his clothes!

My DC don't get bored. They like the same thing, mostly:

• Sandwich/wrap or roll with Marmite
• Fruit
• Actimel

Twice a week a treat eg small packet of mini biscuits, flapjack, pretzels or cheddars

If they are hungry/having a growth spurt, I just up the fruit ans sandwich amount. I found giving too much variety meant things didn't get eaten.

Sandwich or roll
Pot of yoghurt
A piece of fruit in a plastic tub (e.g. Peeled satsuma, pineapple chunks, chopped ip kiwi etc)
Chewy bar

I think my DC are real greedy guts.

They often have:

A small sandwich / wrap / hot cross bun etc
A mini peperami (only if not a meat sandwich)
Tub of tomatoes / cucumber / celery etc
Small yoghurt tub
Piece of fruit - apple / plum / nectarine
Small 18g bag of crisps
Something sweet - chocolate bar and the like.

They'll destroy all of that

I usually do 5 things in there lunch box;

Sandwich/wrap/pasta etc
2 fruit eg banana (small) and a few grapes/raisens/orange (1/2 each but quartered)
yog or cheese
treat eg cereal bar, little cake, biscuit etc

They both always eat it all most of the time and if for a few consecutive days fruit etc is left but treats eaten treats get stopped as i obviously would rather they eat the good stuff first.

Brill, thanks for the ideas. Will send sarnies/wraps/pizza for the first couple of weeks to be sure she's eating what's there and vary the fruit/treat content

Thank-you [busmile]

I always give DD2 the same (she's 5).
Marmite sandwich (one slice folded over)
Yogurt
Sometimes cheese string
Two portions of fruit (plum/grapes/strawbs/raisins/apple etc. One is for morning snack time)
Sweet treat- biscuit or small bar. She often leaves this but I like to give the choice.
Bottle of diluted fruit juice

I do a whole variety, sometimes dd has a cool lunch sometimes its more boring!

If DH/I am taking pack ups she will have the same/similar.

My kids both love those overpriced yoyo things, as a real treat

littleducks, I'm sure dd would love the yoyo things as well! Will have a better look when the littlest is not trying to "press it button" on the laptop. Think I've seen them or something similar in Tesco up the road