Ideas for packed lunches

[Mel2023]

My DS turns 2 soon and starts a new preschool not long after. He’ll be having packed lunches at his new preschool, and I’m genuinely looking forward to making them for him. His current nursery provide all food and don’t allow any food from outside to be brought into the nursery, so I’ve never done packed lunches for him before. My dilemma: the kid hates sandwiches. Loves bread, but hates a sandwich! There’s lots of foods he likes but they’re all either snack type food (yoghurt, fruit, smoothies, kids flapjack or biscotti etc) or hot food (for H&S we can’t send him with a flask of hot food). I need ideas of what I can send him in his lunchbox please! The preschool has a snack table with snacks available all day for the children if they want them, and this includes fruit and biscuits. So I don’t then want to send him with the same thing in his lunchbox so he’s just snacking all day. We’ve been trying him with different things at home to see what he’ll eat, and so far he’s been repulsed by frittatas, quiches, falafel, wraps and various sandwich types. He’s not totally against cold pasta salad depending on what flavour it is.

Please suggest ideas of what I could put in his lunchbox! Thanks!

We put in a double sided small container with cream cheese in one side and crackers in the other, this is the closest thing to a sandwich my kid will eat.

Reusable pouches (ours are from Nom Nom kids) are great for yogurt and fruit.

I also hate packed lunches so mostly commented to follow others replies

Bread and butter ?

DD has never liked sandwiches, likes buttered bread, likes cheese, will not touch a cheese sandwich 🤷‍♀️

• Buttered bread, wrap, crackers or bagel

Now she's older she often has a food thermos with hot cooked sausages or fish fingers on the side.

Other than that just normal packed lunch stuff

• veg - cherry tomatoes, cucumber rounds, sliced peppers
• fruit - grapes, strawberries, she prefers stuff that doesn't need peeling or take ages to eat like an apple
• dairy - yoghurt, babybel
• protein - sliced cooked meat, boiled egg
• malt loaf, granola bar or fruit winder type snack

Mine both liked (cold) cheesy, veggie omelette, cooked thick like a tortilla, with a little pot of tomato sauce for dipping.

Also hummus with carrot and courgette sticks and pitta slices.

I make my LO lots of different mini muffins lol.
variation of savoury muffins with different veg/cheese/meat sprinkled with variety of seeds.
or thibgs like chicken and apple balls (annabel karmel) and falafels. Basically anything ball shaped

Will he eat pittas or wraps? Cous cous, cold pasta salad, potato salad, sausage roll, pastry pinwheels with cheese and tomato or ham and cheese, homemade cheese straws, cheese and courgette muffins

Bagel?

My little one loves savoury muffins, especially these! www.babyboosa.com/blogs/news/spinach-and-cheddar-muffins-charlotte-stirling-reed they freeze well too so you can make a big batch in one go to make your mornings nice and easy.