Not enough in packed lunch for 3yo

[Shelovesamystery]

Just wanted to check with others really. My DS has been trying to eat other children's lunch at preschool they've asked if I think we put enough in his lunch box for him. I think what he has is adequate for his age and size but I could be wrong so please tell me if you think I am and I will give him more.

Today he's got a (full size) wrap with cherry tomatoes, ham and cheese inside, a pot of fruit (roughly 5 grapes, 5 raspberries and 3 large strawberries) and a cheese string. This is the usual portion size but the food varies, sometimes pasta, sometimes a sandwich etc. He turned 3 in March, average size for his age and not under or overwheight. They have morning and afternoon snacks at preschool. He eats his breakfast (2 weetabix or a small bowl of cheerios and a banana most days) and doesn't ask for food when he gets out of preschool or on the way home.

So am I giving him enough? TIA

I'd probably add a small greek yogurt but apart from that it sounds fine.

@CutieBear

Why are you counting the fruit? I think he needs an additional snack like a cereal bar/flapjack.

I don't count it. I said "roughly" to give an idea of portion size. I'm not some food control freak, don't worry 😂

I remember my little girl getting absolutely fanatical about those little Barney bear chocolate and vanilla sponge cakes that came individually wrapped. One mum had bought them and obviously the cuteness and the cake factor was overwhelming! I don’t know if they are even allowed cake at nursery anymore but at the time I gave in because she was so delighted.

Yes, I have a whole show fruit bowl!!

My little girl would need more than that but every child is different. Luckily her new nursery provides food so I never have to do the dreaded packed lunch! She always eats all her hot lunch with snacks and then afternoon tea if she stays past 4.30!

She was dairy free but when we did packed lunch she would usually have something like: ham sandwich with crusts off, dairy free yogurt, strawberries/ banana, cucumber sticks. Maybe some pom bears, an oat bar/ crackers or a bear yoyo if we’re feeling generous.

I pack for my 3 year old, a sausage roll, veggie straw crisps, cheese string, pepperoni, raisins, oat bar, just bananas fruit pouch and a pouch yoghurt. He also gets fruit provided at snack time. He is also not a big eater and will have food left over in his lunch box but I always put the same things in so he's not hungry.

@SummerHouse We have a show apple too!

My almost 3 year old takes similar but only has a mini wrap with ham and then the other bits are separate so a pot of veg sticks, a pot of fruit, a babybel, yoghurt, and always an oat bar. That takes longer to eat so he won’t have chance to nab others food. He is probably just finishing quickly and then others are still eating.

@CaraherEIL

I think put an extra sealed oat bar or something not temperature sensitive in and then you have placated the nursery and if he doesn’t eat it there is no waste. Also maybe check with the nursery if he is grabbing other food and upsetting other kids in which case have a chat to him about manners or if he is trying to trade and offer food or asking to have some. They haven’t been very clear.

Yes good point, I don't want him snatching some other child's food 😬 he does have a gentle nature and is good at sharing with his sister but I need to check really.

Very similar to my DD9.

Wrap, pasta or cous cous. Raw veg. Fruit. Mini veggie sausages or cheese. Fridays I chuck in a treat. She had a pack of emergency cheese oat cakes that stay in there if she ever needs soemthing more.

Definitely put larger quantities of the same food as usual in for a week, then

1. nursery will see he has more food and not worry he's going hungry and keep asking you to send more

2. you'll know whether it's enough

Don't change what you send or you won't know whether its a quantity/ hunger issue or whether other toddlers have more desirable packed lunches!

Once you've resolved whether its a quantity issue you can decide whether to send different things, but often its just novelty value. My children's preschool/ Kindergarten was happy for children to do fair swaps (as in one item for one similar size item and freely not under pressure!) but I suspect that most UK nurseries wouldn't as they tend to be tighter on health and safety!

I tend to find my daughter always ate more (much more) at nursery than she did at home, she eats more of her dinner on school days than weekends as well, so an extra yoghurt or a filling carbohydrate might be good idea. I think all the extra activity and learning they are doing makes them hungrier.

The consensus seems to be putting more in, lots have mentioned something oaty to fill him up which makes perfect sense so I'll do that. I'll also ask him if there is anything he'd particularly like. And I'll probably stick a little treat in there so he doesn't get a case of the green eyed monster

Sheloves - Sounds perfect

Lol i too have a "show apple". It's lasted all week so far.
OP that's similar food to my 4 year old except she would maybe have an oat bar or a small pot of dry cereal (she likes alpha bites) as well.

If he's trying to eat other children's lunches then he must be hungry so I'd add some extra things in - it doesn't seem like much to me to be honest! How old is he?

Or he prefers what is in another kids’ lunch.

It doesn't sound bad, but just pop some crisps/crackers in as an extra?

My 2.5 year old takes a packed lunch to nursery and it's pretty much: a cheese sandwich, sliced cucumber, berries, a small yogurt and either a half a packet of pom bears or baby crisps or a small oat bar. He eats more there than he does at home.

@SummerHouse

I have a "show" apple. It just goes to school everyday and comes home every night. You can get many food miles out of a show apple.

When I was going to the office I took a show apple for myself. Never ate it. End of the week my horse got it

Toddler DD ignores apples at home, but when we are at the horses she happily tucks in to a bruised and past it’s best horse apple. There’s no reasoning with toddlers

Love the 'show apple', I used to have a packet of seedy emergency breadsticks in the rucksack... if DD got hungry she could have them. She rarely did.

If he is eating other children's lunches why wouldn't increase the amount you give him? Unless he is just taking treat type of stuff.

My daughter is average sized active 4 year old and an average packed lunch is - a sandwich (2 x wholemeal bread/butter/ham), cucumber sticks, halved cherry tomatoes, a tub of mixed berries, a babybel and a yoghurt. I don't know whether she eats it all but not much comes home. I rotate the sandwhich with other stuff like rice and veg salads or pasta salad or Spanish omelette, boiled eggs etc.

Show apples - brilliant. like the kids version of the show pineapple.

I'd pop a penguin bar or a pack of crisps etc in. He's probably jealous of others having a treat!

Just put extra items in that can be used again so if he's hungry on the day he's got enough to eat and if not it can go back in again another time.

Maybe he doesn't ask for extra snacks from you because he's been conditioned not to.

It sounds like you have quite a control over his portions

I vote for a show piece and some sort of long life wrapped snack. It’s there then if he’s hungry and there can be no concerns he is hungry if he opts not to eat it.

Whilst it sounds enough if I was picking for my dd, it clearly isn't enough for your son if he's picking out of other peoples. Just pack a couple of extra snacks, just in case. Make it things that are cupboard stored and long dates so if he doesn't eat it that day, you're not wasting.