Reception lunch boxes: what do you put in?

[Clare123]

Hi, my daughter is having lunch boxes and I have a feeling that I am putting in too much. The problem is at home if she gets hungry then she has a snack, but obviously at school she can't do that.

Today she had a sandwich (ham), fruit (grapes and apples cut up), chewy bar and frube. Too much???!! She eats it, and when I have asked her she doesn't really answer (very typical 4 yr old!)

What do you put in? Also, any ideas to get a bit more creative??

Thanks so much

dd has a sandwich/roll (also ham but sometimes with a little bit of cheese too), a yoghurt or yoghurt drink, some cut up fruit (grapes, strawberries) and a little mini pack of biscuits e.g. jammie dodgers or cookies

That sounds about right (assuming sandwich/roll isn't huge).

I do about 4 items for dd who is in Year one. Sandwich or equivalent (1 slice of bread or one small roll). Portion of fruit. Yogurt/tube. Plus one other item such as cherry tomatoes, cereal bar, once a week small bag of crisps/choc biscuit as the 4th item.

If she is eating it why do you think it is too much?

You asked for other ideas. dd likes a carton of smoothie or some dried fruit (e.g. apricots) as an alternative to fresh fruit.

Sometimes she likes a salad instead of a sandwich (e.g. chopped up cheese/meat, cucumber and tomatoes, slice of bread and butter)

A wrap instead of sandwich ( I do an adult size one and share it between her and her little sister)

Little package of philadelphia and breadsticks.

Small portion of cheese such as babybel.

Ds has: carton of pure fruit juice/ innocent smoothie
(1 portion of fruit!)
frusli bar or goodie bar (slow burning carb)
small pot or tube fromage frais
sandwich usually ham and cheese, cheese and marmite or tuna with 2 slices of bread
Biscuit or small pot with ahandful of cheerios as a treat.

ds not a good fruit eater, so he also gets an ellas kitchen fruit slurper when I remember to, and has fruit and a biscuit when he gets in.

DD2 likes mozzarella, olives, houmous and breadsticks.
Usual set up is ham sandwich, piece of fruit, biscuit or slice of cake and some squash.
Occasional crisps.
Salami.
Half bagel and smoked salmon.
Tuna and mayo in a little pot with a fork.
Cheese cubes.

I have tiny pots with lids (initially used for weaning) and I chop up something like a kiwi or section up a satsuma and put the bits in a pot. dd is a good eater but doesn't like "messing about" peeling fruit etc!

ds1 (7yo - yr2) has had much the same lunch since he started.

• ham sandwich (was 2 pieces of bread, this yr I have started giving him 3 pieces)
• yoghurt
• piece of fruit (which he invariably doesn't eat, now I mostly don't bother putting it in)
• cake sometimes, depending on whether ds2 has baked
• crisps, usually skips or quavers
• drink of water

Today DD had a chicken and cranberry sauce sandwich (left over roast from day before), homemade (no sugar) banana muffin, cherry toms, grapes and homemade oatcakes.

Other things she has - plain yoghurt with fresh fruit, pasta salad (pasta, olives, celery, peppers, feta or chicken), hummus and raw carrots, crackers and cheese, falafels, pitta bread and soft cheese.

Sandwiches - cheese, cheese and cranberry, whatever roast we had on Sunday, hummus, tuna and sweetcorn. I don't do ham because of the health concerns, it was suprisingly easy to cut out, thought DD would winge and she hasn't !

Melon chopped up, dried apricots, pomegranate, apples, blueberries etc.

M&S banana loaf as a treat.

Water to drink.

In winter I'm thinking of putting soup or hot pasta in a flask.