Back to School - Lunch Ideas

[Jan Ferrante]

I'm gearing up to get my kids ready for back to school this week.

One of the biggest things on my mind is back to school lunches.

I am determined not to fall into the junky snack food trap that my daughter so enjoys :0)

I am going to posting some ideas as they come up. I would love to hear your ideas for healthy brown bag lunch alternatives and ideas.

The good news is that we can use them too, even if we work from home.

[Lisa Marie]

My boys are still young so I don't have lunch time school lunches to think about, but we still struggle with good lunches here at home.

Some things that are popular with my picky eaters are providing bite-sized foods - so cutting up apples, cheese, cucumbers and having small crackers together in divided dishes. Sandwiches cut into shapes, or at least being kid-sized seem to make them more enjoyable. If I can vary the appearance of the sandwich with a different bread (pita, tortilla, english muffin, marble, bun, etc) they are more likely to eat it, even if it's the same meat as the last 3 sandwiches.

I used to send frozen grapes and yogurt tubes in the lunches of the kids I nannied and that got rave reviews. It meant that yogurt was cold at lunch time and grapes didn't get that mushy, semi-warm taste.

There's a few. :)

[Jan Ferrante]

Divided dishes, I remember them well! If I still had it, my son would still be eating out of divided dishes.

I do love my divided vegetable tray thingy - it's tupperware but I forget the exact name for it - you can put dip in the middle and the veggies around and it has a lid.

It's perfect for make ahead veggies for the fridge and also for what I call paper towel night, which is cut up veggies and fruit, dip with crackers and some sliced meat if we want.

They love to pick and choose what they want from the 'buffet'.

And we eat it on a paper towel :0)

I just found mine in the cupboard and will be putting it back into action pronto.

[luciebythesea]

I can relate to the junk thing!!
However....my 3 1/2 year old likes pink - so she picked up red pepper houmous! She calls it pink houmous! Quite sweet tasting I guess, and have found a recipe (will have to try and post link) for homemade houmous with beetroot that was cerise pink!!! Haven't tried it yet.
She lies little bites of things so we do pitta bread strips, carrots, mini meatballs which our supermarket now stock ready-made, organix crisps (no junk is their USP!) purple grapes, tangerines etc!
My son is harder, he likes ham and cheese so do wraps. Also loves sausage rolls: keep saying am going to make my own but like the best-laid plans...!!!!!!!!!!!!!