Lunchbox ideas

[GirlWithTheMouseyHair]

DS starts preschool next week and I have to provide his lunch, looked like all the Holden had cold food (ie not reheating) so need some ideas beyond ham and cheese sandwiches!

He's a typical 3yo. Fav food is pasta pesto, cheese or ham sandwiches, yoghurt, fruit, sweet corn, peas. He won't touch egg or tomatoes and I think of him as fussy but he'll often surprise me by trying new stuff and liking it. Not a massive meat eater.

This will be his lithe meal (they provide breakfast at 9/10am and a fairly substantial snack after nap time)

Ideas?!

Hi
I'd start with stuff that's very familiar to him, as everything else will be new. So for the first week, just stick to cheese or ham sandwiches, fruit, yoghurt tubes (freeze them, then by the time they sit down to lunch it'll be thawed but still cool.)

If he's happy to eat it cold, you could do him a pasta and pesto salad. But it's worth thinking about the fact they probably won't be helped to eat much, so sticking to very neat and easy finger food is best.

You could try tuna mayo mixed with sweetcorn at home, then if he likes it, put it in a sandwich? Or chicken? Most places won't allow peanut butter due to allergies but you could give marmite or jam sandwiches, then cubes of cheese on the side as the protein.

Different fruit chopped up: apple, pears, grapes, melon, strawberries. Banana is best left in its skin or it turns brown.

You could add a smoothie or juice if he likes them.

Good idea to start him off on what he knows, I'm trying to be better at giving him different foods now in emerging from the baby haze of his sister so maybe you're right to try stuff at home then put in his lunchbox.

I suppose in trying to be a but inventive beyond normal toddler finger food as he's pretty good at trying new things NOT at home!