What does your 3 year old have for lunch?

[RainbowFlowers]

Hello,

I've just realised for the last year all I give my 3 year old for lunch is ham or cheese sandwiches with carrott sticks. 🤫

I always cook a variety of dishes for our tea so I know he's getting all the nutrients he needs. So I'm just looking for easy ideas he can have for his lunch just to mix it up a bit. Ideally that I dont have to cook or something I can batch cook easily.

What do you give yours?

Thanks

Porridge, oatcakes, breadsticks with dips, toast, ham, cheese, cucumber sticks, tomato slices, yoghurt, crisps. I could do with some more ideas too, my little girl is so fussy.

Wish mine ate sandwiches.
Jacket potato and beans
Beans on toast
Pesto pasta
Fish fingers/ crackers/ she likes this
Half a mini pizza with crudités and hummus

Surprise plates are handy. We bought one that's got lots of compartments with a last box which has a little cover from amazon. Full it up with little bits of everything in the fridge/cupboard to make something delicious and balanced, with a small treat in last box. Goes down excellently for lunch or dinner :)

Pasta salad for lunch also always goes down well here.

My 2.5 year old doesn't like lunch for some reason, but eats pretty much whatever at dinner. Lunch is usually cheese and crackers, or pasta, or fish fingers or chilli. I give him what he'll eat.

I tend to go for a ‘fridge tapas’ approach

Hummus, olives, ham, carrot sticks, cheese, crackers, picnic eggs. Maybe some spaghetti hoops. Sausage roll.

Mine likes to graze over the afternoon. Pesto pasta, crackers, fruit, veg, frubes, beans on toast etx

Mine generally has whatever bits and bobs I can pull out the fridge. Usually a mini picnic type thing. 9 times out of 10 includes some bite size fruit like strawberries, blueberries or grapes etc. Sometimes sandwiches sometimes not. Usually a cheese element like cheese string and then usually a little treat like a yogurt or a couple of sweets that they can have once they've finished the healthy stuff.

Usually he’ll have a sandwich (cheese, ham, chocolate, egg etc) crisps, fruit or vegetable and a baby bell. I bought one of those plates with all the different sections and he calls it magic lunch!
Yesterday he had a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon and today he’s had tomato soup and bread.
I basically just ask him what he wants and he tells me. Helps he isn’t fussy.

Agree with the fridge tapas of cold meats and cheese, cucumber, tomato , a bread product or crackers, and/or any left overs kicking about and fruit

I'm similar OP - I hate cooking and don't want to have to do it twice a day! So these ideas might suit you. One tip is to cook extra when you are cooking and serve it cold later on - I do this with pasta etc but also with steamed veg - it keeps well for a couple of days in the fridge.

DD's teas (she eats a hot cooked meal midday) are usually one thing from each of the following groups:

CARB
Pitta bread
Toast
English muffin
Cold leftover pasta salad/cous cous/rice
Crackers
Wholemeal wraps
Potato salad
Rice cakes
Oat cakes
Cheese scone

PROTEIN
Ham
Cold chicken
Hummus
Peanut butter
Leftover sausages
Leftover falafal
Leftover meat or veggie balls/burger
Cold salmon
Baked beans
Prawns
Hard-boiled egg

DAIRY
Block of cheese
Cheese spread
Greek yoghurt
Fromage Frais
Cottage cheese
Cup of milk
Creme fraiche mixed with pesto

VEG/SALAD
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Carrot sticks
Leftover broccoli
Leftover green beans
Leftover peas or sweetcorn
Guacamole
Peppers

FRUIT (self explanatory!)