ok, ok, I know lunchboxes have been done to death, but please I need ideas

[silverfrog]

dd1 take slunch to school every day. it can be hot (as in in a thermos, but they don't really keep warm enough, tbh) but school also happy to heat up, or cold.

she is 5.8, and ASD, with food issues. oh,and it has to be gluten and dairy free.

so, she needs enough food for 2 snacks, and a good lunch - she eats a LOT, albeit form a restricted range.

what can I send to fill her up, without it becoming too repetitive, as that obviously cause problems with her ASD - she comes ot expect the same thign all the time, and makes it a routine.

currently I send:

rice/corn cakes
raisins
banana

everyday, and then also, for variation:

soya yoghurt
seed/nut bar
other dried fruit
pear
strawberries/blueberries/watermelon

meals are:
shepherd's pie
curry (although I worry about the rice/reheatign aspect)
sandwiches (honey only - used to have jam too)
M&S chicken &rice children's meal (, but she likes it)
used to send spag bol, but she seems to be reacting to the GF pasta.

what else can I send, particularly non fruit things (she is a very good fruit eater, but if she eats too much, the results aren't great!) to fill her up, withuot it always being rice cakes?

and other meal ideas gratefully received too!

bump

Maybe some sort of gluten/dairy-free fruit bread? I sometimes make a fruit loaf and freeze it in slices, as it's a good snack for my toddler and seems to keep him going. Maybe there are some good vegan recipes around that you could adapt (sorry, I don't know much about gf/df baking ).

I am precious little use as I was told this week by DD that her lunchbox was pitiful!! She is thirteen.

I am no use

kofte (either warm or cold) with a rice salad and tzatziki. Or felafels?
cold sliced spanish omelette
potato salad with frankfurters

oops - just noticed dairy-free and gluten free. no tzaziki then, but the rest should be ok?

Is she Ok with avocado for the snack?

I used to mix soft avocado and plain yoghurt for DS in a container (not sure if it would work with the soya yoghurt but probably would) and send it in as a dip with carrot/peppers/celery sticks and a couple of corn crackers

Are gluten free sausages OK? You could cook them and then slice them cold and mix them with rice and chopped veg to make a rice salad

Homemade potato salad (using olive oil, balsamic vinegar, if you can afford it, otherwise just normal vinegar and pinch of salt dressing instead of mayonnaise) is quite nice with some sliced chicken and cold green beans (in same dressing as potatoes). This could all go in separate containers and is nice eaten cold

I was going to suggest rice pasta (uses rice flour rather than wheat) as I have tried this and it isn't a bad substitute for pasta but you day she is reacting to that.

Hard boiled egg?

Carrot sticks/mange tout peas/celery sticks?

Are they allowed nuts? If so DH is a big fan of celery sticks filled with peanut butter then raisins stuck into it - very filling.

Tahini might be a good alternative if no nuts but sesame is ok - for some reason a lot of children seem to like it.

thanks everyone, some good ideas.

this is where ASD comes into play, unfortunately - whether I can get her to eat any of that is another thing!

spanish omelette, she has recently started eating this (off our plates), so might try that.

avocadoes - had forgotten about those. I used ot feed her that all the time as a baby, might be worth a try. probably hideous with soya yoghurt,though . also green foods not so good these days. worth a go.

cold foods in general aren't "right", I don't think. so while she eats potatoes, potato salad is out, same for sausages (she seemsto be going off sausages anyway!)

yes, sadly, pasta out. I think she has been having corn pasta (will check), but she wouldn't touch ricepasta, which is why we ended up with corn...

chicken out.

nuts are ok, but she can't have too many of them as she goes loopy. sesame type stuff she has in her "nutty bar" as she likes ot call it

carrot sticks etc are a big no. she did try a bite of carrot stick the other day, so maybe with a lotof work.

bugger, this is so difficult!